This article focuses on three Soviet Red Cross overseas hospitals to examine the contradictions and challenges of socialist humanitarianism in the context of the Cold War. The development of socialist humanitarianism in the Soviet context was part of the broader foreign policy reorientation away from isolationism and towards robust internationalist engagement after the death of Iosif Stalin. Healthcare assistance was an integral component of this engagement and one in which the Soviet Red Cross played an active role through training local medical personnel, delivering healthcare assistance, and the management and maintenance of overseas hospitals. This article focuses on Soviet Red Cross hospitals in the cities of Tehran, Addis Ababa, and Phnom Penh. From the Soviet side, these hospitals were flagship projects of socialist humanitarianism and 'gifts' of high-quality, modern healthcare that symbolized the USSR's friendship with formerly colonized peoples and commitment to aiding the development of various states in the Global South. However, in practice, the hospitals' functioning was shaped by the volatile political context, issues of budgeting and capitalization, and the clash between ideas about anticolonial solidarity and Soviet civilisational superiority.
The discrepancies in international approaches to psychosurgery during 1940-1960 are analyzed, focusing on the criticisms published in the Soviet medical literature and on its opposition to the ongoing Western practice. While the S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry and related Soviet publications led the international opposition to lobotomy through systematic scientific and ethical criticism, this procedure continued to be used uncontrollably in Western medical systems. Based on a comprehensive archival review of a clinical case of a Holocaust survivor who underwent a lobotomy in Israel in late 1951 - one year after the Soviet ban - this paper demonstrates how miscommunication of medical knowledge, ideological barriers, and institutional cultures shaped therapeutic practices in various health systems. The study contributes to understanding how, if taken into account at the international level, the results of scientific work could prevent thousands of unnecessary medical interventions. Анализируются расхождения в международных подходах к психохирургии в период 1940—1960 гг. с уделением особого внимания критике, опубликованной в советской медицинской литературе, и ее противопоставлением с продолжающейся западной практикой. В то время как «Журнал неврологии и психиатрии им. С.С. Корсакова» и связанные советские издания возглавляли международную оппозицию лоботомии посредством систематической научной и этической критики, данная процедура продолжала бесконтрольно применяться в западных медицинских системах. На основании комплексного архивного анализа клинического случая пережившей Холокост пациентки, подвергшейся лоботомии в Израиле в конце 1951 г. (через 1 год после советского запрета), настоящая работа демонстрирует, как нарушения в передаче медицинских знаний, идеологические барьеры и институциональные культуры формировали терапевтические практики в различных системах здравоохранения. Исследование способствует пониманию того, как результаты научных работ, будь они учтены на международном уровне, могли бы предотвратить тысячи необоснованных медицинских вмешательств.
The article has as its object to analyze, on the basis of materials of various textbooks, articles, reports and dissertations of the Soviet period, a number of problematic topics discussed in National theory of psychiatry. And on the basis of implemented analysis to point out inherent antinomianism of methodological approaches, key concepts and therapeutic practices. The article systematically analyses a number of antinomic oppositions such as biological and social, the norm and the pathology, the health and the illness, the physician and the patient. Within these framework, on the one hand, is manifested the initial antinomianism of subject of psychiatry subject in general i.e. the human being as bio-social entity and on the other hand, the specific methodological directive exactly adopted by the Soviet theoretical psychiatry and entirely conditioned by the Marxist conceptions of human essence as the totality of social relations. The conclusion. The number of deductions is made. The debatable assumption is expressed that opens perspective for further studies: despite persistent criticism and permanent attempts to distance from the Western tradition, development of the Soviet philosophy of psychiatry in many respects was determined by similar range of problems and by attempt to resolve analogous methodological difficulties. Цель исследования — проанализировать на материалах различных учебных пособий, статей, докладов и диссертаций советского периода ряд проблемных сюжетов, обсуждавшихся в отечественной теории психиатрии, и на основании проведенного анализа указать на изначально присущий ей антиномизм методологических подходов, ключевых понятий и лечебных практик. Для достижения поставленной цели в трех разделах работы последовательно проанализирован ряд антиномических оппозиций, таких как биологическое и социальное, норма и патология, здоровье и болезнь, врач и больной, в рамках которых, с одной стороны, проявляется изначальный антиномизм предмета психиатрии вообще, т. е. человека как существа биосоциального, а с другой — специфическая методологическая установка, принятая в рамках именно советской теоретической психиатрии и всецело обусловленная марксистскими представлениями о сущности человека как всей совокупности общественных отношений. В заключение сделан ряд выводов и высказано дискуссионное предположение, открывающее перспективу для дальнейших исследований, о том, что, несмотря на непрекращающуюся критику и постоянные попытки дистанцироваться от западной традиции, развитие советской философии психиатрии во многом было определено схожей с ней проблематикой и попыткой решить аналогичные методологические трудности.
This article examines the 1928 German-Soviet Alai-Pamir expedition as a moment when different scientific traditions, political ambitions and bodily practices met in the high-altitude borderlands of Central Asia. Focusing on the mapping of the Fedchenko glacier, it argues that knowledge emerged not simply from instruments and protocols, but from the difficult encounter between bodies, technical tools and a resistant glacial landscape. The glacier thus became more than a physical object of study; it was an epistemologically charged terrain where ways of knowing were tested and made visible. German scientists, drawing on alpine traditions of glaciology, emphasized precision, discipline and methodological control. Soviet participants, by contrast, highlighted endurance, improvisation and collective struggle, casting physical hardship as proof of revolutionary commitment and shaping a distinctly ideological form of scientific masculinity. By tracing these entanglements of body, landscape and ideology, the article presents the expedition as an example of how science operates not only as a cognitive project, but also as a deeply embodied and politicized practice.
Several studies in Western countries have found that first- and second-generation immigrants have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Mental health literacy can facilitate help-seeking and prevent chronic mental conditions. This study explores cross-generational differences in schizophrenia literacy among immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) in Israel. Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey of 405 respondents who self-identified as first-generation, 1.5-generation, or second-generation FSU immigrants. Questions about schizophrenia literacy were adapted from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health Literacy and Stigma, tapping into the recognition of schizophrenia, knowledge of potential helpers, first-aid support, and effective interventions for persons with schizophrenia (PwS) as well as attitudes, measured by personal stigma and trust in the healthcare system. The findings revealed that knowledge was associated with trust in the healthcare system across generations. First-generation immigrants were less likely to correctly identify a distress situation as involving schizophrenia and held more stigmatic attitudes toward PwS. Their utilization of mental healthcare services was lower, compared to the younger generations, which they compensated for by turning to traditional treatment and hypnosis. Lower trust in the mental healthcare system was also found among the first-generation immigrants, as compared to the 1.5- and second-generation groups. In conclusion, lower levels of knowledge and more stigmatizing attitudes toward schizophrenia reflect the lingering effects of living in the Soviet Union, placing first-generation immigrants in a vulnerable position. Implications for culturally adapted interventions aimed at increasing schizophrenia literacy and mental health trust among FSU immigrants are proposed.
Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest health threats affecting humans, animals and the environment. Antimicrobial use (AMU) in the livestock sector contributes to the development and spread of AMR, highlighting the need to understand the current situation, to target knowledge gaps and non-prudent practices with tailored interventions, and improve antimicrobial stewardship. This is especially important in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where data on AMU and AMR are currently limited. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among farmers, veterinarians, veterinary pharmacy personnel and feed mill personnel related to AMU (particularly considering the use of antibiotics) and AMR in seven former Soviet countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine. Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted between 2020 and 2025 with 3012 participants, with results analyzed using an aggregated regional approach. Results: The interviews revealed common regional knowledge gaps and practices among livestock sector stakeholders related to antimicrobials, AMR, antimicrobial residues, and prudent AMU. Non-prudent practices, such as the purchase of antimicrobials without a prescription, the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters, the inappropriate disposal of antimicrobials, and the frequent use of highest priority critically important antimicrobials (HPCIAs) were reported. Another factor that may hinder prudent AMU was the limited access of veterinarians to diagnostic laboratories. Conclusions: Despite significant global efforts to tackle AMR, there is an ongoing need to address knowledge gaps and non-prudent practices of livestock sector stakeholders in former Soviet countries. The findings highlight the importance of antimicrobial stewardship interventions that address system-level drivers of improper AMU beyond stakeholder trainings.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. In 2021, Israel's Ministry of Health launched a national program to screen high-risk populations, especially immigrants from former Soviet Union countries, aiming to reduce HCV-related morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates the success of Maccabi Health Services (MHS) in implementing the screening program before and after the intervention, focusing on detection, treatment, and cure rates. A retrospective interrupted time-series cohort study was conducted among MHS members born in former Soviet Union countries, between 2019 and 2024. The intervention included proactive referrals for HCV antibody testing, educational messaging, and removal of bureaucratic barriers. Key outcomes were number of tests performed, positivity rates, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation, initiation of direct-acting antiviral treatment, and sustained virologic response (SVR). Of 179 658 eligible members, 82.3% were screened after the intervention (compared to only 14.2% before). The rate of positive antibody tests dropped from 2.6% preintervention to 1%-1.1% postintervention. Ninety-three percent of antibody-positive individuals underwent PCR confirmation, with 52% testing positive. Eighty-four percent of PCR-positive patients started treatment, with higher initiation rates in the early intervention group. Sixty-nine percent of treated patients underwent SVR testing after treatment, with a median time of 106 days from treatment completion. The proactive intervention by MHS led to a significant increase in screening coverage, detection, and treatment among the at-risk population. Removing barriers, providing education, and regular reminders were key to the program's success. This structured approach can serve as a model for screening programs in other populations and countries.
This study investigates language transmission in immigrant families. The study is based on a bidimensional acculturation model, which assumes that immigrants acquire the new culture and preserve their culture of origin to different degrees. The model was tested using a stratified sample of first-generation immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel whose children were born in the host country (n = 725). The assimilation pattern was observed across all components of language transmission, with Hebrew being more prevalent than Russian among parents and children, as well as in their interactions. In addition, the two languages were competitive (negatively correlated) with respect to parents' language proficiency and parent-child interactions. However, they were complementary (non-correlated) with respect to children's language proficiency. The hypothesized bidimensional model linking parents' language proficiency, the frequency of parent-child interactions in a specific language, and children's language proficiency was corroborated for both languages. In addition, positive effects of parents' proficiency in Russian on children's proficiency in both Russian and Hebrew were found. Finally, the duration of residence in Israel, religiosity, education, and gender affected various aspects of language transmission in immigrant families. The study's results advance our understanding of immigrants' language acculturation and chart new directions for language policy and practice.
Despite high hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in the Former Soviet Union (FSU), data on genotype distribution and resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) remain fragmented. This study aims to map the breadth of molecular epidemiological evidence on HCV genotypes and resistance in FSU. We performed a scoping review with a genotype meta-analysis of 24 cross-sectional studies published in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 1990 to 2025. The systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251140060). The pooled prevalence of the major HCV genotypes (G1, G2, and G3) was 98.02% (95% CI: 96.71-98.94%), with G1 having the highest prevalence (59%), followed by G3 (27%). G1 was highest in the Mixed Region (73.5%) and lowest in the South Caucasus (30.6%), G2 was highest in the Southern Caucasus (16.8%), and G3 was highest in Eastern Europe (34.5%). Crucially, baseline RAS data were severely limited, with only four small studies (n=329) from Russia and Georgia reporting clinically significant RAS (NS5A-A30K, Y93H). This study confirms G1 and G3 as the predominant circulating HCV genotypes in the FSU and highlights the near absence of data on RAS. Achieving HCV elimination in this region depends on both strengthening the care cascade and implementing robust virological surveillance systems.
The article compares the claims made by M. I. Barsukov and D. V. Pisarev, the authors of "The short report on sanitary organizations over Gubernias of the Far East and the project of establishment of new organizations in current [1924] year" with the results of carried out historical reconstruction of the pre-Soviet health care of the Far East of the 20th century. The reconstruction revealed a complex landscape of the medical sanitary infrastructure of the given region. Because of the comparison the gaps were uncovered in the Bolshevik narrative of the past, zones of the default, the exaggerations and the deliberate distortions of reality in the archival text, which has the status of office work document. В статье сопоставлены утверждения авторов «Краткой записки о санитарных организациях по губерниям Дальнего Востока и проекте создания новых организаций на текущий год» — М. И. Барсукова и Д. В. Писарева — с результатами проведенной исторической реконструкции досоветского здравоохранения Дальнего Востока XX в. Реконструкция выявила сложный ландшафт медико-санитарной инфраструктуры данного региона. Благодаря сопоставлению обнаружены разрывы в большевистском нарративе прошлого, зоны умолчаний, преувеличений и намеренных искажений реальности в архивном тексте, имеющем статус делопроизводственного документа.
For the past decade, the incidence of HIV has been on the rise in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including the former Soviet Union (FSU) countries. Visa-free cross-border mobility in FSU nations has given rise to autochthonous transmission and emergence of region-specific pathogens. For this study, we analyzed drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in HIV-1 A6, the most prevalent subtype in the FSU region. Using the Stanford database, we analyzed DRMs in 12,295 HIV-1 A6 pol sequences from 14 FSU countries. Using the Nextstrain pipeline, maximum-likelihood approach was used to perform phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses. The most prevalent DRMs identified were nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) DRMs A62V (39%) and M184V (18%); and non-NRTI (NNRTI) DRMs G190S (11%) and K103N (7%). Protease inhibitor DRMs were also detected at lower frequencies. Phylogenetic analyses revealed Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus to be significant hubs of A6 transmission, exhibiting overlapping clusters of sequences harboring NRTI and NNRTI DRMs, highlighting cross-border transmission of HIV variants harboring multiple-drug resistance. Our findings underscore the importance of regular surveillance of emerging DRMs across all major drug classes, including NRTIs, NNRTIs, and protease inhibitors, and tailored optimization of antiretroviral therapy regimens in the FSU region.
After February 1948, the new communist regime began to subordinate areas of life in Czechoslovakia to advocated political and ideological demands. Consequently, the unification of physical education and sports into Sokol was declared. In addition to institutional and legislative changes, the system of training for specialists was reorganized. The genesis of the Institute of Physical Education and Sport is reconstructed to illustrate organization and management of Czechoslovak physical education. The process of adopting the Soviet model of direct state control is described in the context of the geographic, historical, economic, and social specifics of a given territory. This research was based on the study of archival documents from the provenance of the State Committee and the State Office for Physical Education and Sport. This paper examines the intentions of the competent authorities, the circumstances of the foundation, mission, application of graduates and the content of studies at the Institute.
This article examines Ukraine's Global Fund "Transition Plan" as a governance technology that reorganised time, responsibility, and uncertainty in HIV prevention, rather than as a policy instrument that simply succeeded or failed. Introduced in 2016 as a condition of continued donor support, the Plan promised a "gradual" shift from zero state financing of prevention to 80% by 2020. While the assessments concluded that Ukraine met-and even exceeded-its budgetary commitments, substantially less funding reached frontline services. We show how this gap was produced through performance-based spending, procurement rules, and audit procedures tied to pre-set coverage and service-volume targets that proved difficult to realise under punitive drug policy, repeated cycles of forced client mobility and disappearance, and broader precarity. Drawing on multi-sited qualitative fieldwork and policy analysis, we trace how donors, state bodies, and NGOs reproduced vertical governance through metrics, tenders, and accountability regimes. We situate these dynamics within a "double becoming" of Western and (post-)Soviet modernities, in which future-oriented targets produce (un)certainty while displacing attention from present constraints. The Plan thus appears simultaneously feasible, as an auditable system, and fantastic, as delivery depends on stabilising criminalised, mobile lives-producing an interpretive impasse between budgetary overfulfilment and service underdelivery. This, we argue, constitutes the Transition Plan as a broader condition, as a metaphor for post-Soviet transformation towards the "West".
SUMMARYAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a public health threat that requires a coordinated and multi-sectoral approach. AMR is largely underexplored in Central Asia, a region shaped by the Soviet legacy. This narrative review aimed to synthesize evidence on the AMR landscape from articles published in five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. A structured search of peer-reviewed and gray literature was conducted, covering AMR prevalence, consumption patterns, knowledge, awareness, practices, stewardship interventions, and AMR governance. Key findings revealed that all five countries in the region have retained the rigidly centralized public health system, which was formerly known as the Sanitary Epidemiological Service during the Soviet era. This has led to fragmented surveillance and poor AMR monitoring. Up to 70% of Enterobacterales spp. were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, and up to 58% of Staphylococcus species exhibited macrolide resistance. Consumption of Watch group antibiotics ranged from 53% to 68%, with a broad preference for injectables. Self-medication was found to be common, with rates ranging between 26% and 40% among the general public. High levels of patient demand coincided with medical errors, affecting up to 80% of antibiotic prescriptions. Only a limited number of antimicrobial stewardship studies were found, highlighting the insufficient integration of stewardship practices into routine healthcare delivery. Central Asian countries continue to face significant challenges because of the persistence of poor surveillance, high antibiotic consumption, and inadequate implementation of AMS because of long-standing legacies and systemic weaknesses. Addressing these gaps demands structural reforms, integrated surveillance systems, targeted education, and robust stewardship programs as urgent priorities.
This paper examines notion, historical development, and contemporary trajectories of "Traditional Islam" in Kazakhstan, and places it in the context of the broader discussions on religion, state governance, and national identity in post-Soviet societies. It argues that Traditional Islam in Kazakhstan is not just a religious category, but a complex phenomenon shaped by Hanafi jurisprudence, Maturidi theology, Sufi traditions, local customs, and state regulation. The article shows how the notion has been shaped historically through changes in the culturally embedded pre-modern Islam, the Soviet secularization, and finally the post-1991 institutionalization and state support period. By comparing the situation in Kazakhstan with the experiences of other countries, such as Russia, Morocco, Indonesia, and Western Europe, the paper demonstrates that "Traditional Islam" is being utilized as a state-authorized discourse for ensuring social stability, political loyalty, and cultural continuity. The study calls for a more accurate conceptualization and warns against oversimplifying religious diversity by relating it only to security concerns. The key finding demonstrates that "Traditional Islam" in Kazakhstan functions as a state-mediated framework designed to regulate the religious sphere, ensure social stability, and reinforce national identity.
To explore the lived experiences of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their caregivers in Armenia, a post-Soviet country, and to identify system-level barriers to care from the community perspective. Qualitative study using a phenomenological design with inductive thematic analysis. Muratsan Hospital Complex, the primary national referral centre for paediatric endocrinology, Yerevan, Armenia. 12 children aged 13-17 years with T1D and their caregivers, recruited through purposive sampling across 7 of Armenia's 10 administrative regions. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) barriers to care, (2) quality of care, (3) perceived control of T1D, (4) knowledge of T1D and (5) government and non-governmental organisation (NGO) support. Participants described unreliable government-supplied glucose strips, geographical barriers rooted in the centralisation of specialist care in the capital, abrupt withdrawal of state support at age 18, reliance on the KATIL NGO to fill gaps in both clinical and psychosocial support and pervasive stigma encountered across family, school and clinical settings. Children with T1D in Armenia navigate a post-Soviet health system where provisions exist but remain fragmented, limited by centralised care, geographical barriers and variable support. This unique context shapes the relationship and expectations patients have of the healthcare system. Community perspectives are indispensable in these settings, surfacing system-level gaps that conventional data cannot capture. These findings have relevance for other health systems navigating similar structural transitions.
Clarifying the conceptual framework of high-quality development in cultural-tourism integration and establishing a corresponding evaluation system suitable for county-level regions in revolutionary base areas are crucial for revitalizing these regions in the new era. Guided by national strategies, informed by local practices, and tailored to the regional characteristics of revolutionary base areas, this study employs a mixed-method approach combining grounded theory and expert consultation to develop a scientifically robust evaluation indicator system for county-level high-quality development in cultural-tourism integration. Using the Former Central Soviet Area of Jiangxi-Fujian-Guangdong as a case study, the research reveals three key findings: 1) The core connotation of high-quality development in cultural-tourism integration in revolutionary base areas centers on leveraging tourism activities rooted in red culture to drive cross-sector industrial integration, thereby enhancing the level, quality, and sustainability of economic and social development. 2) The evaluation indicator system comprises 21 indicators organized into three dimensions: development elements, development effects, and development environment. 3) The high-quality development level of cultural-tourism integration in the Former Central Soviet Area demonstrates a fluctuating upward trend over time. Spatially, low-level areas show contraction while high-level areas expand, accompanied by a gradually intensifying trend of spatial agglomeration.
Prestige bias and social norms messaging are among the most widely recommended vaccination communication strategies, yet they have been validated almost exclusively in high-trust, Western settings. Whether these strategies transfer to contexts where institutional trust is structurally low remains largely untested. We address this gap using a factorial survey experiment ( n = 1420 parents) in Kazakhstan - a post-Soviet setting where institutional trust is characterized by Soviet legacies and post-pandemic coercion - that varied messenger endorsement (Grand Mufti, President, Chief Sanitary Doctor, control) and social norm framing (Muslim, national, local, control), supplemented by qualitative analysis of 829 open-ended responses. All three endorsements reduced vaccination intent by 6-7 percentage points relative to the 76% control baseline, while norm messaging showed null effects overall. Non-Muslims drove the backfire (11-12 percentage point decline); Muslims were insulated. Urban residents responded positively to norms; rural residents did not. Qualitative analysis traced hesitancy to pragmatic safety and efficacy concerns - only two respondents cited religion - indicating the endorsement strategy targeted barriers that did not drive hesitancy in this population. These findings identify trust-dependent boundary conditions for prestige bias theory in health communication: when institutional trust is low and recent coercion has primed reactance, endorsements from prestigious figures trigger resistance rather than deference. The contrast with positive endorsement effects during the pandemic in the same country suggests that effectiveness depends on timing and whether attitudes are still forming. Where institutions have lost credibility, leveraging institutional authority is not just ineffective but counterproductive.