To the 85th anniversary of the pediatric education in Russia

Aim. To illustrate the role of pediatric education in establishing the public health care system for children.

Methods. Historical-genetic and historical-comparative methods were used.

Results. Pediatrics in the second half of the nineteenth century was formed as an independent science and the subject of teaching, Departments of childhood diseases were opened in Russian universities. Among the factors that contributed to the formation of the state system of pediatric care, was a critical situation in the children healthcare of the Russian Empire and the high level of children mortality. In the early twentieth century, medical and social measures to solve this problem were introduced in the country. Immediately after the October Revolution, the construction of the Soviet system of motherhood and childhood protection started. Basics of creating pediatric education in Russia are connected with the establishment of the Faculty of maternal, infant and child health at the Second Moscow Medical Institute in 1930 and the Leningrad Pediatric Medical Institute in 1935, which were World’s pioneers in pediatric training. Pediatric faculty of the Kazan State Medical University opened in 1933. In 80-s of the twentieth century, pediatricians were prepared by 57 pediatric faculties all over the Soviet Union.

Conclusion. Due to the large and fruitful work of graduates of pediatric faculties, there was a significant improvement in children health, manifested primarily as the significant decrease in infant mortality.