SANITARY CONDITION AND REDEVELOPMENT OF “PROVINCIAL CAPITALS” OF WESTERN SIBERIA IN THE LATE XIX - EARLY XX CENTURIES: TRADITIONS AND INNOVATIONS
A. I. Tatarnikova1,2
1Tobolsk complex scientific station of the UrB RAS, 15, Ak. Y. Osipova Str., Tobolsk, 626150, Russia
2D.I. Mendeleev Tobolsk State Pedagogical Institute, Branch of the Tyumen State University, 58, Znamenskogo Str., Tobolsk, 626150, Russia
Keywords: health status, landscaping, urban environment, quality of life, sanitary and hygiene culture, daily behavioral practices, Western Siberia
Abstract
The paper reveals changes in the sanitary condition and redevelopment of regional administrative centers (Tobolsk, Tomsk, Omsk) under the influence of modernization processes. Despite unsatisfactory sanitary condition of West Siberian cities, the author argues that the urban environment gradually improved. This was manifested in changing everyday practices of cleaning the streets, squares and neighboring territories; rubbish removal and observance of sanitary conditions by different social infrastructure institutions. It is found that the number of epidemics depended on the overall sanitary conditions of the cities. The author comes to conclusion that the citizens’ sanitation and hygiene knowledge and ensuing behavior improved under the influence of urbanization and industrialization that penetrated into Siberia at the beginning of the XX century. These processes resulted in increasing cultural needs of the people living in Siberian cities. The infrastructure of Tobolsk, Tomsk and Omsk was enriched by water supply systems, new chemist’s shops and medical aid posts. Local authorities addressed on a day-to-day basis such issues as swamp draining, laying out parks and garden squares, cleaning the house premises and adjacent territories, maintenance of neighboring territories, establishing sanitation control over household waste removal. Sanitary and medical commissions intensified their work. Health education of city dwellers was strongly influenced by the local press, lectures delivered by representatives of the official conventional medicine; activities of various societies (like soberness clubs, societies for giving aid to indigent people, public health societies). There was increased public awareness of the importance of joint efforts of local authorities and citizens for the improvement of sanitary conditions.
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