Museum of the History of Medicine in Belarus
The idea of museum creation belongs to professor G.R. Kruchok – outstanding historian of medicine, organizer and chairman of the Belarus scientific organization of historians of medicine, founder of the Belarus science school of historians of medicine.
Ryhor Kruchok was born on October 2, 1918 in Navasiolki of the Barysawski district of the Minsk region. In 1940 he graduated from Minsk medical institute, he was the participant of the Great Patriotic War. In 1944 he had withdrawn from army for recovering of the health care in Belarus.
Training on year courses for an administrative board of health care at Central institute of improvement of the doctors in Moscow (1947-1948) has become a tipping point in Ryhor’s destiny. Here he got to know with prominent scholars- health professionals and historians of medicine – M.I. Barsukow (the former Minister of Health of Belarus), M.P. Multanowski, P.E. Zabludowski and others, turned onto their academic pursuits and also started to research. Since 1949 Kruchok started working at chair of public health organization of Minsk medical institute, since 1952 he headed the medicine history course created by him at chair.
It’s really hard to determine the date of museum foundation, but the first item was registered on September 8th, 1958. It was the photo of Zaastravetsski rural local hospital of Minsk region (shooting of 1958). This date is considered the day of the organization of our museum. In 1958 there was also established the museum group I.I. Vaxer, M.N. Krasnashchokava, A.I. Berlin, F.A. Sahalchyk, N.F. Zmachynskaja, V.S. Jalejnikava, A.F. Piatrova and others. Kruchok was the head of the museum group pro bono, as with Museum Council. Prominent scholars were amongst Museum Council: D.P. Bialiatski, V.P. Grytskievich, I.A. Insaraw (Minister of Health of Belarus), A.K. Kosach, A.I. Michelsan, B.Ja. Elbert etc. They participated in meetings of historians of medicine of Belarus society, seminars, discussions of the exposition plans; they drafted the publications of the museum group (as of collections «Significant dates in history of medicine and health care of Belarus»).
In the late nineteen-fifties the main directions of the museum work were formed: collecting, scientific work and keeping of museum pieces; expositions, scientific research and awareness-building. The main goal of the museum was to collect as many museum pieces as possible. Even students were involved into this process in the late 1960-s. They collected about 1500-2500 museum pieces during an academic year. As a result the museum collection included 20 000 depository items by 1970: unique medical instruments, documents, photos, print media. Such rich collection let to be in the thick of expositions. 
The first exposition «Medicine of Belarus in the early 20th century» (1901-1917) was opened in late 1965 and was situated in one of lecture halls of the chair of public health organization. Further another two expositions were placed on the chair’s campus. These expositions were devoted to the medicine of Belarus of the first half of 20th century and were in progress by Minsk decoration ateliers. Minsk medical institute (principal – professor A.A. Kliucharow) put up money for expensive display works. Administration of Minsk medical institute actively supported professor Kruchok’s endeavors. Expositions were in active demand, were used not only in teaching situation, but also were very popular among institute employees and health care specialists of Belarus.
Since 1973 the museum was headed by senior associates A.F. Piatrova (1973 – 1979), then – P.N. Svirydzienka (1980 – 1985). These years all main directions of activities of the museum group kept developing but to a lesser extent. It was effected by its conversion in a part of MSMI Central scientific laboratory resulting in the communication with the chair of public health organization and course in the history of the medicine
In 1985 the museum group was headed by assistant professor A.K. Kosach (1985 – 1989) – Kruchok’s student. He began reforming of the museum group into independent institute on the basis of the order the Ministry of Health of the USSR of 07.03.1984 «About improvement of activity of the medical museums». According to this order were offered to take measures to creation of the medicine museums and improvement of further work of existing museums. On errand of the Ministry of Health of the BSSR proposals for the organization of history of the medicine museums of republic were developed. Work out measures were addressed by board and scientific council of the Ministry of Health and are directed to the Ministry of Health of the USSR by the fixed date. After generalization of the materials received from republics the Ministry of Health of the USSR published an order (No. 1401 of 04.11.1985) which provided opening of the Medical History Museum of Belarus by 1990. I t should be noted at the time similar museums existed in Latvia (Riga), Ukraine (Kyiv), Lithuania (Kaunas) and other countries. It was very important to create such museum in Belarus. So, the republican the Medicine Museum of Belarus was based on the museum group of the Minsk Medical Institute on an order of the Ministry of Health of the BSSR No. 57 of 22.05.1990.
The museum was self-finance, had the right of the legal entity and directly submitted to the Ministry of Health of the BSSR. T.G. Sviatlovich – graduating student of the Minsk medical institute – was appointed to be a director. For maintaining all sections of museum work 9 positions were established, which includes director, the chief keeper of funds and 4 staff scientists. The museum worked as training facility of the Medical Institute for teaching history of medicine. Leading direction of its work was a preparation of a new expositions that according to the order No. 80 of 27.06.1990 of the Ministry of Health of the BSSR were placed on the Republican scientific medical library’s compound.
Later employees of the museum (T.G. Sviatlovich, O.A. Kulpanovich, T.P. Razumenka, I.V. Pantsiuk) along with the painter P.N. Drachow created the exposition «Development of Belarusian medicine from ancient times to the 20th century». It lacked for exhibit items of last centuries. The staff of the museum addressed to the state libraries and archives for reconstruction of the historical picture of medicine development in Belarus. Unique collection of pharmacy crockery of the 18-20th centuries, hygienic devices, medical instruments was amassed with the aid of archeologists and collectors. The artist found architectural and artistic solution for creating additional display areas and provided seclusion for perception of the unique historical material. The waxworks, miniatures, composite pictures are used widely, original interiors are developed, copies of unique documents are executed. Formal opening sitting of this exposition took place on April 28, 1993. In 1994 the museum staff began to create following exposition «Modern Belarusian medicine». In 2005 it was changed for a new exposition «Belarusian medicine during the Great Patriotic War».
In 1990-s the museum started to develop international collaboration. It has become a member of European association of medical history museums since 1994. In August, 1997 international research and practice seminar on medical museology was held under the auspices of the European association of medical history museums, with the assistance of the Ministry of Health of Belarus. Experts from Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, the USA, the Ukraine took part in work of the seminar. The museum’s staff was fully engaged in republican and international conferences and congress on medical history. Three employees prepared and defended a dissertations dissertation in support of candidature for a science degree. Since 1995 the museum switched over to computer museum pieces recording. Recording keeps in accordance with instructions of the Ministry of Culture of Belarus. In October 2005 the Ministry of Health decided to reform the museum by joining it to the Republican Medical Scientific Library.
In the new status the museum continues all types of activity – fund, expositional work, scientific-research and awareness-building is conducted. Many issues on improvement of working conditions of employees and arrangement of funds were worked out with the assistance of library’s management, and also storage conditions for exhibit items are considerable improved, material and technical museum resources are optimized. There was opportunity to use library’s funds in exhibition activities more widely, virtual medicine history exposition and information about remarkable date and anniversaries began to be published on the library’s website.
During 2013-2014 renovating was carried out and the new exposition was prepared. For it the additional areas were allocated thanks to which there was opportunity to reflect such objects as formation and development of the Soviet health care, medicine and health care of the Western Belarus, development of the higher medical education, development of research institutes, history of the trade union movement of health workers eth. Opening of the exposition was coincided with celebration of the 75 anniversary from the date of foundation of Republican scientific medical library.
Now the excursions are arranged for doctors, listeners of the BelMAPE, students of the BSMU, BSU and other higher educational institutions of our country, learners of the medical schools and pupils.