The scientific and practical activities of the Tomsk Society of Naturalists and Physicians (1889-1930)

The aim of the study is to characterize the activities of the Tomsk Society of Naturalists and Physicians (TSNP) as a key scientific and organizational center in Siberia, demonstrating its contribution to the development of fundamental science, the organization of the regional healthcare system, and the formation of a human resources reserve for higher education in 1889-1930. The article examines the natural science, medical, and humanities research areas of the Society, as well as its applied activities: combating cholera and typhus epidemics, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, improving the living conditions of mine workers, and protecting the region’s flora and fauna. Based on the organization’s reports and local periodicals, the educational function of the Society is characterized through the public lectures it conducted. The novelty of the work lies in the systematization of scattered data on the activities of the TSNP over the entire forty‑year period of its operation. For the first time, information about sanitary and statistical work, pioneering scientific discoveries, and the Society’s expeditionary programs is combined into a single narrative. The study established that the TSNP became a link between academic science and the practical needs of the region. The scientific foundation created by the Society in the fields of medicine and geography largely determined the direction of development of Siberian science for decades to come, ensuring personnel and methodological continuity.