Healthcare networks in Ukrainian cities in the 1920s-1930s: architectural and urban planning insights

This study explores the architectural and spatial organisation of medical services in Ukrainian cities during the 1920s and 1930s. The introduction of a new healthcare system, the expansion of medical facility typologies, and their strategic integration into the urban fabric allowed the state to overcome devastating post-war epidemics – including plague, smallpox, and cholera – while significantly reducing mortality rates. This historical experience remains uniquely relevant today, offering potential insights for contemporary pandemic management. Focusing on the then-capital Kharkiv and other industrial centres of Ukraine, the article examines a wide range of medical facilities, from district dispensaries to specialised research institutes and large-scale multifunctional hospital complexes. The study analyses the hierarchical logic behind the placement of these facilities within the urban structure. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive analysis of rare archival documents, authentic blueprints, and professional periodicals of the interwar period. Furthermore, the study incorporates field surveys of the current state of these surviving architectural and urban-planning landmarks to assess their enduring cultural and functional significance.