Articles

Introduction. The significance of peak height velocity (PHV) in screening studies of children and adolescents as the biomarker of the chronobiological status of the population is in the focus of the study.

Material and methods. The analysis embraces a significant specter of samples (N=37, literary data), including different ethnoterritorial groups of Russia and former USSR, examined through the vast historical period of second half of XX century – beginning of the XXI century. The analysis of interpopulation variability of the parameter of peak height velocity of growth changes of the average level of height through the adolescence is under discussion – its absolute value (MPHV, cm) and chronological age (APHV, years); intragroup sexual differences of these characteristics are under consideration as well.

Results. Dynamic curves of height increase for urban samples from USSR territory, both native populations and Russian, have dome-shaped form, monotonous height increase/gain velocities up to the peak, slump further on. Traditional Mongolian groups and rural Abkhazian show the dynamic curve with descending wavy form. Histograms of intergroup distribution of the parameter APHV both for boys and girls differ from normal Gaussian distribution and gravitate towards double-peak form. Population values of APHV for boys are two and a half years later as compared to girls; MPHV is a more solid parameter, sex differences here are 0.41 cm with boys’ advantage. Factor analysis revealed definite autonomy of the process of pubertal spurt for male and female adolescents: the first factor describes growth activity of boys, the second — of girls (35% and 30% of the total variability of parameters correspondingly).

Conclusion. The results allowed to conclude, that the variability of the parameter points to the significant social/anthropogenic base of chronobiological status of the population and independent growth strategies of male and female sexes, which suggests to interpret PHV as the valid and perspective biomarker in population growth studies. 

© 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. This publication is the second in a series of articles devoted to the description of the collection of photographs of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, and is devoted to the study of a part of the collection, including photographs of Karachays.

Materials and methods. The basis of the work was a collection of photographs collected by E.D. Felitsyn (1848-1903), presented by him at the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879 in Moscow and kept in the funds of Anuchin Scientific Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Results and discussion. Photographs of the Karachays of the Batalpashinsky district (now the village of Batalpashinsky - the city of Cherkessk) are described and analyzed. Of these: two photographs of children (8 years old), four photographs of men (19, 37, 70 и 72 years old) and one photograph of a woman (57 years old). The authorship of the studied images has been established. All of them belong to the Russian photographer, the owner of one of the very first photo workshops in Tiflis, Vladimir Barkanov (1826-1892). A description is given of one of the famous dynasties of Karachay - the Krymshamkhalov princes, whose representative is depicted in the picture of the studied photo collection. A summary of literary anthropological information about the Karachavians of this period is presented.

Conclusion. The presented materials are unique, have scientific, historical and documentary value and significance, allowing to determine the authenticity of the person depicted in the photo, and its dynasty, as well as to obtain a lot of information about the typical realities of the depicted era, in particular, the features of his life, costumes, customs, environment habitats, as well as the implementation of a comparative anthropological and historical and cultural analysis. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The article considers the processes of identity manifestation and construction of the Beja people on the Internet.

Materials and methods. The study was carried out as part of an interdisciplinary research of the history, anthropology, geology, and ethnography of the Atbay region in northeastern Sudan, initiated by Lomonosov Moscow State University. The authors emphasize the importance of the online space for the identity manifestation of stateless cultures. The analysis of online sources is preceded by a consideration of the historical conditions and special traits of Beja self-perception. Comments from YouTube video hosting users on videos dedicated to the history and culture of the Beja people are involved as sources for the study.

Results and discussion. As a result of their analysis, four main patterns of Beja identity are determined: supra-ethnic cooperation with the “Arab world”; the association of Beja with the "pancushitic" community; and "ethnic identity" limited by the boundaries of the Beja community itself. The authors conclude that the Beja identity on the Internet is constructed in two dimensions: "global" and "local". The "global" level is represented by mainly the African diaspora, the "local" one – by Internet resources that are used by residents of the East African region. The findings made in the online study are compared with the ethnographic materials collected by the authors in Atbay region among the Beja Bishariin, physical anthropology data and historical evidence. Some excerpts from an interview with Mr. Onur, who comes from the Beja Ertega tribe (acted as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the Russian Federation until 2022) are also included in analysis.

Conclusion. As a result of comparing all types of data, the authors conclude that the Beja identity exhibits a high degree of lability. It is suggested that the reasons for such lability may be related to the historical conditions of the Beja ethnogenesis on the periphery of ancient civilizations and to the significant heterogeneity of the historical population of the Eastern Desert in all the historical periods under consideration. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The invasion of the Huns in Europe, which became the cause of the Great Migration of peoples, could not but leave a significant archaeological trace. However, only a small number of Hun burials are currently known, most of which were discovered accidentally in the middle of the 20th century, which makes each newly discovered burial unique, and their comprehensive study and publication of individual data is important for subsequent research.

Materials and methods. During the excavations in 2021–2022, two Hun burials were discovered in the Ust-Alma necropolis. One of them belonged to a young man, the second to an elderly woman. The good preservation of both skeletons, in particular their skulls, allowed for a complete craniological examination. In addition, a children's Hun skull from the Belyaus settlement was examined, which is in permanent storage at the D. N. Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology.

Results. As a result of the work carried out, it was found that both individuals from Ust-Alma have the same type of skull deformation – high annular (according to the classification of E.V. Zhirov). However, the deformation methods were probably different. The deformation of the skull of a child from Belyaus is defined as occipital with right-sided asymmetry of the occiput. Craniophenetic data do not indicate the relationship of individuals buried in the Ust-Alminsky burial ground. Craniometric data indicate a mixed origin of the crimean Huns.

Conclusion. Due to the small number of Hun burials from Ust-Alma, as well as individual data on Hun skulls in the scientific literature, it is difficult to conduct a statistical analysis based on craniological data. Within the typological approach, for a number of features, the male skull was characterized as Caucasoid, and the female as Mongoloid. Thus, new craniological data on rare Hunnic skulls introduced into scientific circulation will increase the comparative base for further research. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The fine arts of archaic Greece and Etruria experienced a noticeable influence of the East. The transition from archaic to classical time influenced the forms of depicting the morphological features of a person in antique art. Comparative study of the anthropological features of the antique population of the Mediterranean on the greek painted pottery and etruscan murals of the archaic and classical times was the purpose of our study.

Materials and methods. The material was collected in the online-collections of ancient collections of museums. We used the method of a composite portrait in a digital version, the calculation of the frequency of features in our study. Studied features was – beard growth, hair color and nature of the hair.

Results and discussion. On the etruscan murals of the archaic period, the frequency of depicting straight nature of the hair in women is the highest (7,7 %) in all samples; for different groups of painted pottery, it does not exceed 7 %. The degree of beard growth according to vase painting and etruscan murals is characterized by a strong and very strong growth. A greater manifestation of hair pigmentation polymorphism according to painted pottery is noted in the images of the classical period. Dark hair predominates in all groups, grey-haired was depicted only in male characters. Hair depigmentation on painted pottery is observed in images of the classical and late classical periods and did not exceed 6 % in the total sample. Pigmentation on etruscan murals indicates a lightening of the hair in the group towards reddish-red shades, depigmentation does not exceed 8%. Features of the depiction of pigmentation in to vase painting and murals, despite the different technique and coloring, reveal common tendencies of variability characteristic of the Mediterranean groups. Composite portraits based on painted pottery reflect the historical transformation of the anthropo-aesthetic ideas of the greeks through the fine arts of the archaic and classical times.

Conclusion. Color in greek painted pottery performs not only a decorative function, but is also an artistic means of conveying morphological variability. Involvement of antique written sources of the description of population and the philosophy of color in antique culture can help in the anthropological reading of vase painting and further study of pigmentation polymorphism. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The paper revisits the intergroup craniometric variability in the Early Iron Age, Antiquity and Early medieval Central Asian population. Some new cranial materials are considered within the hierarchical system of the regional populations.

Materials and methods. The comparison included 61 cranial samples from all historical and cultural regions of Central Asia with a total of 1100 crania. 12 standard measurements of the facial skeleton were used. First, we conducted Canonical discriminant analysis. Second, the matrix of Mahalanobis D² distances was obtained using the resulting group coordinates in the space of the canonical vectors. Finally, the distance matrix was subjected to Multidimensional scaling and the Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis.

Results. The first three canonical variates reflect 53.4% of the total intergroup variation and differentiate samples based on bizygomatic breadth, orbit dimensions, nasal bridge height (and width to a lesser extent), horizontal profiling angles and nose protrusion angle. Upper facial height also contributes to intergroup craniometric variability but does not play a decisive role in differentiating among samples of European ancestry in the considered chronological period. Correlation coefficients between canonical variables and multidimensional scaling coordinates suggest similar relative positions of the groups in the scatterplots.

Discussion. Considering the mixed nature of the Central Asian population and the difficulty of objective differentiation of morphological types, we caution against unreflective use of terms “East Mediterranean type” and “Pamir-Fergana race”. The results suggest that the Antiquity and Early medieval sedentary populations are difficult to distinguish from nomadic and semi-nomadic groups of the Wusun period. The new materials confirm the morphological similarity between Early medieval population of Sogdiana (ancient Panjakent) and Ushrusana (Kurkat dakhmaks). © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a pathological condition characterized by the growth of the inner surface of the frontal bone. Most researchers describe HFI as a symptom associated with hormonal dysfunctions, which prevails in the modern population. This paper provides an analysis of HFI frequency on the craniological material of four adaptive types.

Materials and methods. We have examined 2211 skulls (59 craniological collections from the Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, RAS and Federal Research Center of the Tyumen Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences). We have analyzed the total frequency of HFI, used a comparative intergroup analysis, and evaluated the degree of HFI expression and the distribution of the trait.

Results and discussion. It was found that the frequency of HFI in groups of arctic, continental and temperate adaptive types ranged from 2.3% to 4.3%, which is significantly less than in the modern population (12-37%). In the group of the tropical adaptive type, HFI was not found. As a result of a comparative study of the severity of cases of frontal hyperostosis, type A was the most common, HFI type B was less common, and type C was recorded only for one individual of the Arctic adaptive type. The reasons for the relatively low prevalence of HFI in representatives of various adaptive types are discussed.

Conclusion. According to a low frequency of HFI in studied adaptive types comparing to data in modern population can be considered that adaptation to environment and life style is more important than climate and geographical features. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Trehalose or mushroom sugar has been increasingly used in the food industry in the past decades. To be absorbed in the human intestine, trehalose needs to be broken down by an enzyme known as trehalase. Today, it is known that the G→A substitution in the rs2276064 locus of the TREH gene results in the reduced activity of this enzyme.

The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of TREH (rs2276064) alleles and genotypes in the populations of South Siberia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Mongolia that differ in the contribution of the ancestral East Eurasian (Mongoloid) component to their gene pools.

Methods. We genotyped 987 DNA samples collected from the representatives of 17 indigenous populations from Siberia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The samples of 311 ethnic Russians comprised a reference dataset. In addition to estimating the frequencies of TREH alleles and genotypes, we analyzed the contribution of the ancestral East Eurasian (Mongoloid) and West Eurasian (European) ADMIXTURE components for the studied populations using an Illumina 750k microarray of SNP markers.

Results. The frequency of the A*TREH allele associated with trehalase deficiency increases from west to east (r_sp =0.500, p <0.05). TREH is correlated more strongly with the contribution of the ancestral East Eurasian (Mongolian) component than with the geography of the studied populations: r_sp =0.613 (p =0.007); with AA*TREH frequency r_sp =0.688 (p =0.002).

Conclusions. The rs2276064-А TREH allele is more frequent than previously estimated from clinical data. The more substantial is the contribution of the ancestral East Eurasian (Mongoloid) component, the higher is the frequency of the risk A*TREH allele, which rises dramatically to 29-30% in the Kyrgyz, Khakass, Tuvinian and 39% in Khalkha Mongol populations. Together, carriers of the AG and AA*TREH genotypes make up 35% to 65% of the populations of Oriental origin. We hypothesize that the high frequency of genetic trehalase deficiency determinants in the populations of Siberia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and Mongolia is associated with their anthropological characteristics and is not purely dependent on geographic factors.

© 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The article presents the results of the development data on kefalometry of the complex South Sinai anthropological expedition.

The purpose was to study the variability of cephalometric traits in South Sinai Bedouins. Objectives: to identify possible phenotypic differences between the tribes, to assess the position of the Bedouin tribes against the background of the Middle Eastern and North African populations according to literary data; to create male composite photo portraits (CPP) from Bedouin tribes Awlad Said and Gebeliya.

Materials and methods. Cephalometric data from three tribal samples were used: the tribes of Gebeliya, Muzeina and the combined group "other tribes", which includes data on the Awlad Said tribe. To identify intertribal differences, analysis of variance was applied. Literature data on Middle Eastern and North African samples were used for comparative analysis by the method of multidimensional scaling. To create composite photographic portraits (according to F. Galton´s method), an improved program "Face to face" by Syroezhkin-Maurer (by superposition of three points) was used. Full-face and profile individual Bedouins photographic images from the tribes of Gebeliya (N = 21), Awlad Said t (N=21) and Muzeina (N=19, only frontal) were selected for the work.

Results. Statistically significant differences between the Bedouin tribal samples were revealed in such traits as: minimal forehead breadth and mandibular diameter, facial index, height of the lower facial segment and head circumference. Composite full-face and profile photo portraits of Bedouin men of the Awlad Said and Gebeliya tribes, full-face portraits of representatives of the Muzeina tribe were obtained. The results of biometric analysis on the latitudinal traits of the face partly coincide with the analysis of visual information on composite photo portraits. According to the measurement data of the face and head, it was revealed that Bedouin tribes form a compact cluster that differs from neighboring populations.

Conclusion. In the male part of the combined Bedouin sample, for a number of cephalometric features, significant intertribal differences were revealed both by statistical methods and visually (when considering full-face and profile male composite photo portraits). It is shown that endogamous Bedouin tribes of the South Sinai Peninsula are very close to each other by a combination of cephalometric traits, and they significantly different from other neighboring populations. The South Sinai Bedouins form a kind of unique aggregation, whose peculiarity, probably, was formed under the influence of certain socio-historical and environmental factors. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Physical development of younger generation is considered to be important part of age biology issues. This research aimed to conduct the assessment study on physical development of modern children and adolescents born and permanently living in extreme conditions of the North-East of Russia, and compare it to the 2001 survey.

Materials and methods. Four thousand two hundred and seven schoolchildren aged 10–17, both males and females, participated in the 2019 monitoring. Basic anthropometric parameters were measured for each student: Body Length, Body Mass, Chest Circumference in pause, and Body Mass Index was calculated. We comparatively analyzed the age dynamics of the studied anthropometric indicators and the rate of change in these indicators during the year within each age group, as well as differences between the same age groups of the 2001 and 2019 surveys.

Results. Modern adolescents tend to be higher in somatometric indices as compared to those of previous years. Modern boys exhibited higher BM within the age of 13–16 (p<0.05), BL within the age of 11–16 (p<0.05), and CC at the age of 17 (p<0.05). They experience the active increase in their BM, BL, and CC starting at 12–13 while the boys from the 2001 survey demonstrated the comparable increase (p<0.05), they are higher in BM at the age of 12–15 (p<0.05), and CC at ages of 11 and 13–14 (p<0.05). Modern girls show the active increase in their BM, BL, and CC starting at 11–13, while it lasted until the age of 14 in the girls from the 2001 survey. The BMI variables proved to increase towards overweight and obesity: boys gained 2.2 kg and 5.4 kg, and girls 9.5 kg and 5 kg, respectively.

Conclusion. We found the shift of the growth leaps in BL, BM, and CC to younger ages as characteristic of the modern adolescents. In general, higher variables of the studied indicators are evidence of the ongoing acceleration processes in physical development. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Against the background of the secular trend, which many authors note all over the world, researchers are faced with a methodological problem consisting in the choice of a constitutional scheme for assessing the type of physique. Until the early 2000s, V.P. Chtetsov's somatotypological scheme was widely used in our country, which has now lost its relevance due to the processes of secular trend. The aim of this study is to update the assessment tables in V.P. Chtetsov's constitutional scheme and to actualise the application of this scheme for the assessment of somatotypes in modern youth (aged 17–19 years).

Materials and methods. The study is based on the materials obtained during the annual anthropometric monitoring of Moscow student youth in 2000-2023 (number of samples: 3026 women and 3452 men; measurement of more than 20 physique indices).

Results. The updated normative tables for V.P. Chtetsov's constitutional scheme, calculated on the basis of anthropometric survey materials of more than 6400 people, are presented. Not only mean values and values of standard deviations have been updated in accordance with modern data, but also the general appearance of the tables (the boundaries of intervals for conversion of measuring features into points are presented) for easy reading of information.

Discussion. When comparing the initial evaluation tables of V.P. Chtetsov's scheme with the updated ones, the main tendencies of the secular trend are observed: the modern youth clearly show a significant increase in longitudinal skeletal dimensions and a slight decrease in transverse skeletal dimensions, as well as a decrease in muscle mass and an increase in the fat component of the physique in comparison with the surveyed sample of the early 70s of the last century. A comparative analysis of the distribution of different variants of somatotypes of girls and boys, determined according to the original tables of V.P. Chtetsov's scheme and according to the updated tables of the same scheme, has been carried out. The distribution based on the updated normative tables objectively reflects the variability of body features and the distribution of somatotypes in modern youth.

Conclusion. The obtained results are of practical importance, as new estimation tables for determining somatotypes (in this study for men and women aged 17–19) according to the constitutional scheme of V.P. Chtetsov, taking into account secular changes in body size in the modern population, are introduced into academic turnover. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The goal of study is description of secular dynamics of sexual dimorphism (SD) of main somatic dimensions of children of early and first childhood and its quantitative estimation.

Material and methods. The main source of material – books on physical development of children and adolescents of cities of Russia and former USSR, collected and treated according to the common methodical standards of Science Research Institute of Child Hygiene and thus completely comparable. Analysis of material was held in two variants – meta-analysis based on the whole pool of samples and description of the local patterns of secular SD dynamics in connection with the level of anthropogenic pressure of the residence place and ethnicity of samples. The estimation of the vector and level of associations of SD of anthropometric traits and secular factor was held using correlation analysis. The quantitative estimation of SD value was held using Kullback divergence, analogue of Mahalanobis distance.

Results. Meta-analysis revealed average temporal stability of somatic SD through the early and first childhood Analysis of SD dynamics of Moscow children revealed some decrease of SD levels in 1970s, in other words temporal macrosomization of Moscow girls as compared to boys. The level of urbanization results in greater macrosomization of boys as compared to girls in environments with higher level of anthropogenic pressure – city with 1 million population quantity compared to the small town with stable quantity of population about 40 000. Ethnic specificity of the vector and velocity of secular SD dynamics is illustrated with the model of Russian and Tatar children of Kazan and Russian and Chuvash children of Cheboksary.

Conclusion. The results of study support the fact that higher ecosensitivity to the secular factor is not the prerogative of male sex only; early and first childhood do not give examples of systematic effect of higher ecosensitivity of boys compared to girls of their ethnoterritorial groups to the temporal factor. SD of body dimensions is the autonomic marker of the microevolutionary somatic dynamics through the early and first childhood. The most informative quantitative indicator of intergroup specificity of secular processes is SD of height. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. This work is devoted to the study of some aspects of age and (or) temporal variability of a number of morphological features of the head and face in the adult Chuvash population in Bashkiria. The objectives of the study were to analyze and assess the presence and degree of morphological changes on the skull of an adult according to a number of signs included in the program on ethnic anthropology, as well as to study their possible connection with age-related transformations or acceleration of development and secular trend.

Materials and methods. The surveys were conducted in two districts of Bashkiria, Aurgazinsky and Bizhbulyaksky, in villages with a predominantly Chuvash population. The material was collected in 1999, in total, data were obtained for 361 men and 352 women born from 1915 to 1980. The paper studied the temporal and age variability of the following features: longitudinal, transverse, zygomatic and mandibular dimeters, the smallest width of the forehead, measured the morphological height of the face (from the nasion) and the circumference of the head, calculated the head index. The material was collected by the same researcher. The data were divided into 11 age groups in increments of 5 years, starting in 1925. In each group, the average values of the features and standard deviations were calculated. For all signs, scatter diagrams of the values of signs vs year of birth are presented.

Results and discussion. The most stable signs in terms of age were the minimal width of the forehead, head circumference and mandibular diameters. The magnitude of the head index varies significantly due to age-related changes in the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the head, which determine the magnitude of the index. The age-related decrease or stable condition of the head pointer, according to G.L. Hit’ [1968], contradicts our observations. For most indicators, with the exception of morphological height of the face and zygomatic diameter, no pronounced changes were found, which may be due to local features of the development of the examined group.

Conclusion. The conducted studies have shown that for a more thorough study of the problem under consideration, it is necessary to attract additional materials collected at different times and under different environmental conditions for a close group (for example, in stable populations of Khalkha Mongols). © 2023.This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Since the early 1860s photographic practice has become an integral part of the scientific process and one of the main methods of ethnographic and anthropological research in Russia. In the course of preparations for the first Ethnographic Exhibition in Russia (1867), organized by the Society of Devotees of Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography (OLEAE), the Photographic Commission established by the Exhibition Committee (1866) developed a regulation on the execution of photographic portraits of the local population. In 1872 the first “instructions” in Russia for ethnographic and anthropological photography were published.

Materials and methods. The source for the preparation of the article was a collection of photographs collected by E.D. Felitsyn (1848-1903) and presented at the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879 in Moscow. Currently, it is stored in the funds of the D.N. Anuchin Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Results and discussion. Photographs of representatives of two nationalities - Kabardians and Shapsugs, who lived in the Kuban region, are described and analyzed: the villages of Blechepsinsky and Khodzsky (currently the village of Blechepsin and the village of Khodz of the Koshekhablsky district of the Republic of Adygea), Khokhondukovsky and Kasaevsky (currently the village of Ali-Berdukovsky and the village of Khabez in the Khabezsky district of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic) and the village of Kudzhirsky in the Maikop district, that was located on the left bank of the river Farce and abolished in 1885. These are: 3 photographs of children (6 and 8 years old), 7 photographs of men (18-58 years old) and 5 photographs of women (18-60 years old). A description of the depicted national clothes is given, as well as a summary of literary anthropological information about the Kabardians and Shapsugs of this period.

Conclusion. The first published photographs of representatives of the two peoples of the North Caucasus living in the Kuban region in the second half of the 19th century make it possible to visualize some aspects of the historical information that scientists have at their disposal, to clarify the available anthropological, historical and cultural data on the Kabardians and Shapsugs, and also are an addition to the historical, archaeological, anthropological, genetic and ethnographic studies of the peoples of the North Caucasus. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Since 1820s, it became customary in the Russian Empire to hold various exhibitions - dedicated to manufacture and consequently industry; agricultural, local and national, as well as take part in international exhibitions. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the number, scale and thematic diversity of such exhibitions grew significantly. Exhibitions related activities, which claimed such wide range and popularity, marked the change in public thought process about the new economic structures being established, and the understanding of the issues and risks associated with them, following industrial revolution. One of the problems identified was the deterioration of sanitary and hygiene conditions in cities, caused by growth in industrial production and population.

Materials and methods. Catalogues of the Russian National Hygiene Exhibition of 1893 are the sources for this work. As well as documenting activities of the exhibition, they contain illustrative materials, scientific and academic reports on urban life, data from the periodicals of that era, in the study of which historico-typological and historico-descriptive methods are used.

Results. In the majority of differently themed exhibitions, natural science and medical sections were established, which confirmed the need for targeted development of medical and sanitary aspects. These sections, which were partly organised by scientific societies, were seen, for example, at the Polytechnic Exhibition in 1872, the Craft Exhibition in 1885, Siberian-Ural Scientific and Industrial Exhibition in 1887 in Ekaterinburg, and Scientific and Industrial Exhibition of the Volzhsko-Kamskii region in Kazan in 1890. Finally, in May 1893, Russian National Exhibition was opened in St Petersburg dedicated solely to the development of sanitary and hygienic issues. Exhibition’s organisers declared enlightenment to be its main goal- popularisation of knowledge, scientific discoveries, and inventions in the field of hygiene and sanitation. A large number of state institutions and departments, scientific and public organisations, and private entrepreneurs helped to prepare this exhibition, presenting about 50 thousand exhibits that describe all aspects of human life from both medical and sanitary points of view. Various models and mockups, drawings, sketches and photographs, devices, equipment and tools, demonstrated achievements both in scientific and practical terms.

Conclusion. This exhibition attracted high levels of attention, and its exhibits convincingly proved existence of serious problems and threats in the area of public hygiene and sanitation. It became apparent that in order to solve these on a contemporary level, it was necessary to rely on joint scientific and technological resources. Russia’s participation in the World Hygiene Exhibition in 1911 was another step in this direction, followed by the launch of Russia’s second National Hygiene Exhibition in 1913, the footprint of which grew even larger. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.