Sculpture of Tsemakh Shabad

Do you know Doctor Dolittle? But you have probably never heard of Doctor Aybolit, have you? Some literary critics shamelessly claim that Korney Chukovsky's "Doctor Aybolit" is just a Russian version of Hugh Lofting's "Doctor Dolittle". In other words, one of the first cases of "copy and paste". Fortunately, we in Vilnius know that Doctor Aybolit was inspired by none other than a real doctor, Tsemakh Shabad (Cemachas Šabadas). He was born and died in Vilnius, studied medicine at Moscow University, was active in Jewish educational, cultural and charitable organisations, led the Jewish community, sat on the city council and was even a senator in Poland. Dr Shabad made a great impression on Korney Chukovsky, who gave a lecture in Vilnius in 1912. No wonder, then, that in 1920 the writer brought his daughter, who was ill with tuberculosis, to him. Can you believe that none other than Dr Shabad became the prototype of Doctor Aybolit?