ABSTRACT
Soviet socialized medicine was a distinct product of the Soviet system, shaped by its ideology, functional requirements and the vicissitudes of historical circumstances. A fundamental characteristic of Soviet socialized medicine was its position as a governmental department, subordinate to the state and particularly to the Communist Party, the real ruler of Soviet society. The Soviet regime provided psychological assurance as part of a basket of safety-nets which the population accepted as its due. The history of the Soviet experiment with socialized medicine will remain an illustration of the complexity of the problem and the fragility of good intentions. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to provide health services to the entire population as a public service paid from the state treasury. The idealism of Zemstvo medicine was seemingly lacking among young Soviet physicians.
