Servants in Russian Zemstvo Hospitals in the Second Half of the XIX – Early XX Centuries
The article studies professional structure and position of the service staff of zemstvo (county) hospitals in post-reform Russia. The relevance of the subject arises from the lack of historical research aimed at studying such a group of employees of zemstvo hospitals as servants. Recognizing the i...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Russian |
| Published: |
Transbaikal State University
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Гуманитарный вектор |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://zabvektor.com/wp-content/uploads/211220111209-Zhukova.pdf |
| Summary: | The article studies professional structure and position of the service staff of zemstvo (county) hospitals in
post-reform Russia. The relevance of the subject arises from the lack of historical research aimed at studying
such a group of employees of zemstvo hospitals as servants. Recognizing the importance of this category of
workers for the effective functioning of medical institutions, as well as fragmentary coverage of this topic in
Russian historiography, the author sets the goal of studying the zemstvo hospital serving staff in Russia in the
1860s – 1900s. The study is based on a wide range of sources, including financial reports of the hospitals, proceedings of the county sessions, medical congresses. These sources contain information on the material situation, living conditions and activities of the servants. Using the methods of social history and everyday life history,
an analysis of the main characteristics of this group of medical institutions staff is carried out. As a result, the
professional categories of servants, existing during the period under review were identified: they include nurses,
servants/maids, cooks, watchmen, laundresses, stokers, etc. The article characterizes the serving staff of the
hospitals. Moreover, the study observes material factors, such as salaries and living conditions of employees,
which were one of the most critical problems for both employees and employers. Low salary, lack of acceptable
working and living conditions, implementation of a wide range of functions that often go beyond direct duties – all
this made the servants’ position in zemstvo hospitals extremely unfavorable. This could not but affect hospitals
organization, the quality of patient care and keeping conditions. Contemporaries drew attention to the existing
problems by raising these issues at the county meetings and doctors’ congresses, calling for better work and
living conditions for the servants. However, no significant changes or improvements were made in the post-reform period. |
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| ISSN: | 1996-7853 2542-0038 |