Students at Samara University (Korolev University) learned about the incredible story of Artem Aliskerov, who between 2019 and 2021 underwent 31 rounds of chemotherapy, defeated acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and just two weeks after being discharged from the hospital, set out to conquer Mount Elbrus. And he reached the summit. But he couldn’t stop there—he fulfilled his childhood dream by running nearly the entire length of Russia, from Kamchatka to Kaliningrad, breaking the world marathon record four times along the way.
“You can’t even imagine the reserves your body has. You just have to allow yourself to dream. And if you’ve once done the impossible, you’ll do it again because you already have a step-by-step guide to success,” the young man said with conviction.
The athlete, who has essentially become a living banner of a grand idea, shared how he ran 670 kilometers across the ice of Lake Baikal in just 16 days. He spoke about his dream of visiting the Cape of Good Hope—and how, when he once agreed to join an expedition, it turned out they were going to South Africa! So Artem ran along the cape, with penguins accompanying him.
The meeting took place as part of the nationwide “Flame of Life” relay, which made a stop in Samara. Today, Artem Aliskerov serves as an ambassador for bone marrow donation, dedicating his runs to this very cause. He invites others to join him and the Federal Bone Marrow Donor Registry, sharing stories with students about people who survived thanks to donors—and those who couldn’t be saved.
“Today, I’m talking to you about responsibility: when you get a call saying you’re needed, you have to understand that the person on the other end of the line has only days left,” Artem told the students.
Kristina Poshva, the regional coordinator for donor promotion at the “Medical Volunteers” All-Russian Public Movement, spoke about the myths surrounding bone marrow donation and shared her personal experience of saving a life.
“I became a donor in 2017 after my friend was injured in the St. Petersburg metro terrorist attack. In 2021, at a volunteer forum, I joined the federal bone marrow donor registry. And by 2023, my cells saved the life of a woman from St. Petersburg!” Kristina noted.
Students also learned just how rare such an opportunity is—statistics show that out of 2,500 donors from Samara, only eight volunteers have ever received the call and become real-life superheroes. And every one of them is ready to save lives again and again!
The event concluded with an announcement about Donor Days at Samara University, which will take place in mid-May. Nikita Kuznetsov, head of the university’s blood donor volunteer club, spoke about the club’s activities and held a short quiz for students titled “Donors’ Contribution to the Great Victory.” It turns out that during the war, up to 50 liters of blood per day were donated in Kuibyshev for soldiers in the city’s hospitals.
Finally, Elena Kudinova, Deputy Director for Medical Affairs at the Samara Regional Blood Service, presented Tatyana Morozova, Director of the Center for Promoting Student Health at Samara University (Korolev University), with a letter of gratitude from the Federal Medical-Biological Agency for advancing the donor movement at the university. The letter was signed by the head of the agency, Veronika Skvortsova.
Source: Samara University
