Physicians of the Russian Empire

Through general genealogy research performed by Blitz-Information Center, our researchers have found interesting lists of physicans.

Graduates from the educational institutions had to receive a special right to have a state or private medical practice. Not all Universities could provide such a right. However, a student could have a degree from any appropriate university and be able to pass an exam at a qualifying university in order to revceive the specific certification necessary for state or private practice.

Medical degrees received were generally the following:
"vrach" - physician; "lekar'" - physician of a lower rank; "feldsher" - physician's assistant (secondary education). Could have own practice as a physician of the second rank.

The most complete source for information about physicians of different ranks who had practice in the Russian Empire is the yearly directory "Russian Medical List" which was published in St. Petersburg for the years 1809-1914 and 1916. Each issue lists people according to their practice:

- Staff of the Medical Council
- Provincial offices subordinated to the Main Medical Inspector
- Staff of the provincial Medical Administrations
- Staff of the Veterinary Administration
- People having the right for medical and veterinary practice in the Russian Empire
- Military physicians
- Dentists
- Pharmacists and pharmaceutical chemists

Female physicians are listed in a special section.

A list of private drug-stores and their owners is also provided.

The following information about each person who had a right for medical practice is included: age; year of receiving a certification to practice (graduation); medical degree;
medical specialization; information about the practice (private or state), location, in what institution and the rank if there was the state civil service; in what unit and rank (for military service).

In searching for information about persons engaged in medical activity, BLITZ starts each search from this directory. Based on information revealed from this source, it is possible to select more specific published and archival sources for an in-depth continuation of research. BLITZ has often been successful in revealing thorough personal and family information as a result of such a work.

However, the case is more complicated if a search is for a person who served as a physician in the Russian Navy.

A special preparation of physicians for the army and the navy started in Russia in the year 1707. Only two persons finished the courses at the Moscow Military Hospital in the first graduation year 1712, six persons in the year 1713, twelve - in the year 1714. Almost all of them were sent for service to the Baltic Fleet. From 1733, a special education of physicians for the navy started at the Admiralty hospitals in St. Petersburg and Kronshtadt as well.

However, the physician staff of the navy was mostly completed during that time due the invitation of foreign specialists. Nevertheless, Blitz is able to provide a Preliminary Search on any of the surnames listed below.

The number of physicians in the navy service was not enough. Thus, there were only 23 from 56 physicians and 20 from 50 physician-assistants necessary for the service in the Baltic Fleet in the year 1714.

165 persons in total served in the navy as physicians and their assistants in the year 1727; 258 persons - in the year 1735; 1038 - in the year 1763.
As before, the number of physicians who were prepared in the medical schools was not enough. For the entire 18th century, about half of the doctors of the Russian navy were foreigners who served according to contracts with the Russian government.

245-314 physicians and pharmacists served in the navy in the period 1860 - 1900. Up to January 1, 1906 their number had been increased up to 303.

During the Napoleon War of the year 1812, the Crimea campaign of the years 1854-1856, Caucasus, Russian-Japan Wars and World War I, students of the medical departments graduated ahead of schedule. In addition, doctors who were engaged in the civil private practice were encouraged to the military and navy service. Thus, 110 physicians started the naval service for the first six months of WWI. Seventy of them were taken from the reserve, 17 were transferred from service in other institutions, 23 graduated from the Military Medical Academy.

Special archival collections with documents of the medical staff of the Russian Navy do not exist. Information about a specific person must be selected from the documents of a specific navy fleet and crew, medical schools, collections of orders and other collections of a general nature. The directories listing the navy physicians were not published, either. Because of this, it is not possible to uncover a specific place of service of a person and select a concrete Archival collection which may contain pertinant documents. However, service lists of physicians who served the military or navy service were compiled and kept in the Archives. Such documents contain not only detailed information about any promotion, awards, exploits of the person as well as his education, origin, composition of the family.

Based on such sources studied during many years, BLITZ has compiled a base of information about such people and continue to add more names. Below is the list of navy physicians about whom information was revealed as a result of special searches with documents of different collections in the Russian State Historic Naval Archive (including service lists if available) and special publications. BLITZ may provide the following information about the people whose surnames are in the list below.

Date (and place in some cases) of birth;
The social class of his native family;
Religion;
Education (educational institutions and year of graduation);
Composition of the family (wife, children);
Service information (promotions, awards, participation in military operations);
Scholar works.

In addition it is possible to receive information about the place and date of death for some of them. Photos of some physicians are available as well.

Persons who are listed served as physicians (physician assistants, pharmacists) in the Russian navy during years since the early 18th century up to the year 1917. Information about some of them is rather complete (by the reasons explained above) and not very detailed about for others.

Of course not all of the navy physicians are included in this list. The work for finding information about others continues and additional surnames will be added after receiving information about more people. However, BLITZ may look for such information about a specific person who is not included in this list if you know that he served in the Russian navy and are able to suppose the years as well as, ship or Fleet he was stationed with.

Blitz is able to provide a Preliminary Search on any of the surnames listed in this article. The Preliminary Search is a 5 hour search costing $80.00 which will provide a report on findings and continued research suggestions. Hourly research is $18.00
per hour.

If you would like to take on a search of one of the above surnames or a general search on another surname, please contact:
Blitz Information Center
St. Petersburg, Russia – Elena Tsvetkova rublitz@gmail.com[Research office]
San Rafael, California – Kristin Nute enute@igc.org[Accounting, general business office]