A New Science for an Old(er) Population: Soviet Gerontology and Geriatrics in International Comparative Perspective

Like most developed nations, the Soviet Union faced an unprecedented demographic shift during the latter half of the twentieth century, as its population aged and life expectancies grew significantly. Facing similar challenges as the USA or the UK, this article argues, the USSR reacted similarly and equally ad hoc, allowing biological gerontology and geriatrics to develop as sciences and medical specialisations with little central direction. When political attention was focused on ageing, moreover, the Soviet response remained largely comparable to the West's, with geriatric medicine slowly overtaking research into the foundations of ageing and yet remaining sorely underfunded and underpromoted.