By Mahmoud Zakaria
Dr Victor Trupenkov (1924–1995) was a renowned Russian physician and orthopedic surgeon. From March 1970 to March 1973, Professor Trupenkov served as an advisor for the treatment of wounds, trauma and fractures in several hospitals under the ministry of health in Kuwait. He made significant contributions to the development of the medical profession in the country and treated several members of Kuwait’s ruling family, including Sheikh Ali Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the son of the then Amir of Kuwait. He also treated prominent Kuwaiti businessmen, such as brothers Abdullah and Ahmed Al-Qattami.
In addition to being a skilled doctor and a well-educated individual, Dr Trupenkov was highly respected among the people of Kuwait, including the desert-dwelling tribes. His reputation and deep interest in the Kuwaiti society allowed him to move freely between different regions and visit remote areas, gaining an intimate understanding of the lives and living conditions of the desert tribes.
In 1975, two years after returning to Russia, Trupenkov published a book titled "Three Years in Kuwait” through the House of Oriental Studies, part of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union. The book provides a detailed study of Kuwait’s history, economy and culture during his time in the country.
Trupenkov wrote about Kuwait at the beginning of its economic boom, which started in 1952 due to the continued development of oil extraction. He described how the compact houses and the city’s protective wall, built in the 1920s to guard against raids by nomadic tribes, were removed as Kuwait transformed into a modern city with elegant multi-storey buildings equipped with electricity, telephones, televisions, air conditioning and fresh water.
He also recounted how Kuwaiti citizens, during the spring, would head to the mainland with their families for recreation, rather than going to the sea. Cars would crawl like ants across the desert to the northeast, where each family would choose a spot to erect tents and lay down carpets. The men would gather to chat and exchange news, while the women, in separate tents, prepared food, cooking rice and mutton. Meanwhile, children would play, sometimes getting lost amid the scattered tents and cars.
In the autumn of 1972, Dr Trupenkov was invited to a remote area with some friends to observe Kuwaitis practicing falconry. He found the process of breeding and training these swift birds fascinating. Hunters would dig a deep hole, about half a meter deep and construct a roof of tree branches and sand, leaving some holes for observation. The falconer would sit in the hideout, holding a long string tied to a pigeon. When the falcon attacked the pigeon, it would be captured as the falconer quickly grabbed its legs and threw a cloth over it.
Despite the prosperity and development of Kuwaiti society, Trupenkov noted the people’s deep affection for their traditional songs and dances. Kuwaiti artists produced exceptional modern works, with Mahmoud Al-Kuwaiti, a popular singer and composer, creating songs with a strong national character. In the realm of fine arts, many Kuwaiti artistes received awards and certificates of appreciation for their participation in international exhibitions, such as those in Canada and Japan, particularly in the field of children’s drawings.
Dr Trupenkov left Kuwait at the end of February 1973, after a farewell ceremony attended by leaders of the ministry of health and many of his friends. He returned home with mixed emotions — happy to be going back to his homeland but saddened to leave behind the relationships he had built in Kuwait.