[Formation and development of rheumatology in Russia]

The formation and development of rheumatology in Russia go back to February 4, 1928, the date of setting up the Committee for Rheumatism Study and Control in the USSR at the RSFSR People's Commissariat of Health. Later the Committee was renamed the All-Union Antirheumatic Committee. The paper outlines the contribution of those who initiated to establish the Committee (M. P. Konchalovsky, G. M. Danishevsky, and others), analyzes the organizational structures for developing rheumatology and the evolution of teaching of rheumatism and other rheumatic diseases. It also gives some names of Russian scientists who made a great contribution to the development of rheumatology (V. T. Talalayev, M. A. Skvortsov, A. A. Kisel, A. I. Nesterov, N. D. Strazhesko, M. M. Diterikhs, M. G. Astapenko, V. A. Nasonova, etc.) and makes a brief review of the present status of rheumatology.