Vera Gedroits, a pioneering surgeon and notable figure in early 20th-century Russia, distinguished herself through her medical expertise and unconventional personal life amid the upheavals of the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War. Born in 1870 to a family of Lithuanian princely descent, Gedroits defied societal expectations by pursuing a career in medicine at a time when few women were allowed into the profession.

Her early life was marked by a rejection of traditional femininity; she adopted masculine pronouns, dressed in clothing typically associated with men, and engaged in activities such as bear hunting and billiards. These traits underscored a determined and rebellious spirit that accompanied her throughout her career.

Gedroits studied anatomy under the progressive educator Pyotr Lesgaft in St. Petersburg and further advanced her surgical training in Switzerland. By the time of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), she was recognized for her skills as a battlefield surgeon, a role traditionally occupied by men. This experience brought her to the attention of the imperial authorities, leading to her appointment in 1909 as senior resident physician at the Tsarskoe Selo Court Hospital, near the imperial residence.

During the First World War, Gedroits worked closely with Tsarina Alexandra at the Annexe hospital attached to the summer palace at Tsarskoe Selo. She was responsible for the care of high-ranking wounded officers and sought to elevate medical standards by coordinating and streamlining hospital services. Her assertiveness and organizational capabilities earned her a reputation as a formidable medical leader.

One notable episode from her tenure at the Annexe hospital involved a confrontation with Grigori Rasputin, the controversial and influential spiritual advisor to the Romanov family. When Anna Vyrubova, a lady-in-waiting to the Tsarina, was severely injured in a train accident in 1915, Rasputin sought to administer his unconventional treatments within the hospital. Gedroits, resisting his presence in a facility dedicated to military medicine, ordered him to leave. Despite his attempts to defy her directive by praying at the patient's bedside, she physically escorted him out, reflecting both her personal strength and commitment to professional boundaries.

Gedroits’s family background reinforced her tenacity. Her grandfather, a Lithuanian prince, is recorded to have endured brutal torture rather than betray fellow rebels during Russian imperial reprisals in the mid-19th century. Her father, Ignatius, a tobacco plantation manager, supported her pursuits and famously cautioned her against marrying too young, encouraging her focus on medicine instead.

In addition to her medical career, Gedroits was an accomplished poet and writer in Russia, though her works have not been widely translated into English. Her life intersected with some of the most turbulent currents of Russian history, encompassing aristocracy, war, and revolutionary changes.

Throughout her life, Gedroits embodied a radical departure from conventional roles for women of her era. Her career as a surgeon, her aristocratic connections, and her personal defiance of gender norms made her a singular figure in early 20th-century Russian society.