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The authors analysed the unpublished medical documentation from the depositories of the Russian State Historical Archive (RSHA) containing materials that shed light on the circumstances around the death of Emperor Nikolas I of Russia. They put forward arguments in support of the proposition that the Emperor died from post-influenza pneumonia and dismiss the popular view that he was poisoned. The previously unpublished protocols of Nikolas' body postmortem examination and embalming are presented.

The main facets of professor N.I. Pirogov's professional activity are outlined. Forensic medicine (in the first place its organizational and practical aspects) was an integral component of his scientific and clinical work, along with applied anatomy and surgery. Landmark publications of N.I. Pirogov are listed with special reference to those concerned with forensic medical expertise of medical malpractice cases, postmortem inspection and intravital examination procedures, wound ballistics studies, the atlas of forensic pathology, etc. The surgeon and anatomist N.I. Pirogov can be justly regarded as a founder of forensic medicine in this country.

The paper reports the analysis of the activity of the pathology department at Moscow general hospital N 67 with the emphasis on autopsy and biopsy investigations, research activity. Such analyses are thought useful both for intrahospital and health service use.

The data from the pathology departments of the city for two 15-year periods, pre- and postwar, are compared. Changes in the ratios of the main groups of diseases are noted: in the prewar period most prevalent were infectious diseases followed by tuberculosis, cardio-vascular diseases, and tumours. In the postwar period most frequent are cardiovascular diseases followed by tumours; infectious diseases and tuberculosis have become considerably less frequent.

In connection with the completion of the 40th volume of the journal "Archive of Pathology", the author, a member of the editorial board and chief secretary of the journal at the time of its foundation in 1935, deals with the first period of the work of the journal until the interruption caused by the Great Patriotic war. He characterizes the contents of the journal reflecting both the research activity of pathologists of that period and most important events of the social and scientific life. Of special interest are the materials of discussions on the important problems of science, teaching, the subjects of scientific and pedagogical literature as well as the materials dealing with the practical work of pathologists and its organization.