The contribution of the Poles to the development of health service of Western Siberia (1890 - 1917)

Siberia in the late 19th - early 20th centuries had quite a lot of Poles among medical workers. In Tomsk a group of Poles was in the structure of the Society of Naturalists and Doctors, Practicing Doctors, Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Among them the most famous was Vladislav Pirussky, a specialist in internal, children and nervous diseases. Pirusskiy was one of the organizers of the Society of Practicing Doctors in Tomsk, he was the propagandist of the healthy way of life, he became the creator of the first promotion society of physical development of children in Siberia that began its work in Tomsk in 1896. Another representative of the Polish community who made great contribution to the development of health service in Tomsk was Florentin Orzheshko. In Tomsk Orzheshko became famous for his philanthropic activity, he had great authority among Tomsk prisoners. The House of Orzheshko united the Polish community of the town. Polish doctors worked in the towns and villages of Tomsk Province. In another region of Western Siberia, Akmolinsk Region, according to the census of 1897 17 Poles worked as doctors and hospital attendants, nine of them worked in Omsk. On the whole 8 doctors, 6 obstetricians, 4 doctor's assistants worked in Omsk in 1904. In 1916-1918 Vladislav Melianovskiy carried out research work in the field of oculistics. Melianovskiy took an active part in the life of the Polish community in Omsk, he was Vice-Chairman of the Polish society of help to the victims of war in Omsk. At the beginning of the 20th century the share of the Polish doctors among medical workers was great in the towns of Tobolsk Province. In 1901 about 50% of the ten doctors working in Tobolsk were Poles (including (Birzhishko, Bonchkovskiy, Krasovskiy and Kevlich). Olgerd Grzegorzevskiy was a famous doctor and a public figure in Tobolsk. After working for 8 years as a county doctor, Grzegorzevskiy was appointed Director of Obstetric and Medical School in Tobolsk. There were few doctors, teachers and scientists in Siberia. So the political exiled people had great significance in this kind of activity. The representatives of the Polish diaspora made great contribution to the development of health service of Western Siberia. Poles played a particularly great role in the development of health service of provincial and regional centres of Siberia: Tomsk, Tobolsk, and Omsk. Doctors who lived in the cities of Siberia showed themselves as active participants of public life, they were among the members of the Polish local communities.

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