ON METHODS OF COMBATING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN THE RUSSIAN ARMY IN THE 1930s (THE CASE OF ZHYTOMYR REGIMENT)

Abstract

The article highlights the activities of local authorities in the Khotyn district of the Bessarabian region of the Russian Empire in the context of the general fight against sexually transmitted diseases in the first half of the nineteenth century. The author clarified the opinion of some modern researchers that the problem of the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases in the Russian Empire was exacerbated not in the 1840s, but immediately after the end of the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829. Research methods. Comparative-historical, problem-chronological and statistical methods of research have been applied. Scientific novelty. A little-known episode from the history of the Zhytomyr Regiment of Chasseurs of the Russian Army during its stay in Khotyn in 1836-1837 is reflected. Given example from the history of the fight against sexually transmitted diseases in the 1830s confirmed the author’s opinion that these diseases were of danger not only to the Russian army personnel but also to the civilian population in the places of permanent deploy- ment of military units, in particular in the Khotyn povit and the border areas of the Austrian Empire. Since there were no positive methods in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases in the nineteenth century the only method of combating them was the system of preventive and anti-epidemic measures, the effectiveness of which was determined by the coordinated activities of local authorities and military command, the introduction of strict state sanitary and hygienic control in the field of prostitution regulation. Conclusions. It is proved that the organizational measures of F.K Shirman, a chief of the 14th infantry division, regarding localiza- tion of the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases among the soldiers of the Zhytomyr Regiment corresponded to the contempo- rary ideas of that time in this field of medical knowledge, which were formulated by the famous Russian epidemiologist R.S. Chetyrkin in 1834.

Keywords

• sexually transmitted diseases in the nineteenth century
• russian army
• zhytomyr regiment of chasseurs
• khotyn
• bessarabia
• russian empire