The Russian Red Cross in the public health system: a historical analysis of activities for the 140^th anniversary of founding in Tatarstan

On February 1, 2026, Federal Law No. 457-FZ of December 15, 2025, “On the All-Russian Public Organization “Russian Red Cross” came into force, which enshrined the legal status of the organization, its humanitarian mission and principles of operation, as well as its role in the system of providing assistance to the population. At the same time, 2026 marks the 140^th anniversary of the Red Cross in the Republic of Tatarstan. The history of the regional humanitarian movement dates back to October 22, 1886, when the Kazan Red Cross Society was founded in Kazan, on the feast day of the Miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Taking into account the above, the article is devoted to a comprehensive historical analysis of the evolution of the Red Cross in the Republic of Tatarstan from the late XIX century to the present day. The authors reviewed archival documents, scientific publications, encyclopedic and departmental sources; historical-chronological and historical-comparative methods, as well as elements of institutional analysis and content analysis of regulatory legal acts, were applied. It is shown that the Red Cross has historically developed a sustainable regional model of humanitarian and medical-social assistance in Tatarstan, including training nurses, participating in military conflicts, combating epidemics, developing home care and social assistance, and responding to emergencies. The historical experience of the Red Cross in the Republic of Tatarstan represents a significant resource for the development of modern public health models aimed at reducing social risks, strengthening community resilience, and improving the healthcare system’s preparedness for crises.

Contribution of the authors:
Anisimov A.A. — research concept and design, writing the text, compilation of the list of literature, statistical data processing;
Onishchenko G.G. — research concept and design;
Voronin M.V. — collection and processing of material, compilation of the list of literature;
Anisimov Yu.A. — collection and processing of material;
Safina Z.N. — research concept and design, collection and processing of material.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Funding. This work/publication was funded by a grant from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan provided to higher education institutions, scientific and other organizations to support human resource development plans in terms of encouraging their research and academic staff to defend doctoral dissertations and conduct research activities (Agreement No. 7/2025-PD-RKK dated December 22, 2025).

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: April 2, 2026 / Accepted: April 24, 2026 / Published: July 28, 2026

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