[History of forensic medical examination service in Belarus in the Soviet period (1918-1991)]

The article presents a part of historical path (1918-1991) of forensic medical examination in the Republic of Belarus, the history of origin, formation and development of forensic medical service and the academical departments of forensic medicine in the BSSR. The creation date of the state forensic medical service on the territory of Belarus can be considered as 3 of July 1918 yr. Since then, the service has passed from the judicial and administrative subdivision of the department of public healthcare of Executive Committee of Vitebsk Council of Workers, Peasant and Red Army Deputies (1918), the department of forensic medicine of the PCH of the BSSR (1919), forensic medical department at the Central Chemical and Biological Station of the PCH of the BSSR (1921) to the Institute of Scientific and Forensic Examination of the BSSR (1929), Central Forensic Medical Laboratory of the PCH of the BSSR (1931) and Republican Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination under the Ministry of Healthcare of the BSSR (1952). The historical stages of the existence of the forensic medical service and its state organizations in the BSSR were following: 1) stage of origin (1918-1922); 2) stage of formation (1921-1941, 1946-1952); 3) stage of development (1952). The main forensic medical experts, who made a significant contribution to the origin, formation and development of forensic medical examination in the territory of Belarus were V.F. Chervakov (1930-1939), S.A. Prilutskiy (1939-1941, 1946-1960), V.K. Steshits (1961-1977) and S.S. Maksimov (from 1977).