Silences and Omissions in Reporting Epidemics in Russian and Soviet Prisons, 1890-2021
Journal: Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences
Year: 2023

Penitentiary systems serve as breeding grounds for all kinds of diseases. Drawing upon new archival materials, this article examines the history of the management and reporting of epidemics in the Russian prison system from the late Imperial period to the present day. We use the case studies of cholera (1892-1893), typhus (1932-1933), and pulmonary tuberculosis (the 1990s) to examine how the general political and social conjuncture at different times affected the response of prison authorities t