THE MOSCOW INSTITUTE of Neurosurgery was established in 1932. The inst
itute's founders were Nikolai Nilovich Burdenko, the surgeon (his name
was later conferred on the institute), and Vasily Vasilyevich Kramer,
the neurologist. This article presents the institute's history and it
s activities in different periods, including scientific and practical
achievements in neuro-oncology, cerebrovascular surgery, and neurotrau
matology. The institute gave birth to such widely recognized trends as
neuropsychology, endovasal neurosurgery, neuroreanimatology (intensiv
e care), and quantitative neuroanatomy. The institute's current proble
ms and prospects for the future are described.