The article examines the processes of establishing the midwifery profession and the nature of women's medical activities in the Kazan province in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Based on archival, periodical, and statistical materials, as well as published administrative documentation from the district country councils of the Kazan Governorate from the 1870`s to the 1900`s, the training of midwives and paramedics at various educational institutions in the country and the governorate was demonstrated. The motives that prompted women to choose medical professions were analyzed, as well as the reasons why women from the capital moved to the provinces to practice medicine. The authors studied the working conditions of midwives, in particular, their salaries, job responsibilities, relationships with colleagues, district and provincial administrations, and the peasant population. The social barriers faced by women seeking to pursue medical careers are highlighted. The authors conclude that women were interested in medical professions as a means of achieving economic independence, despite the difficulties they faced in their work at that time. In addition, it is emphasized that medical specialties were chosen by girls from wealthy families, as only they could afford to pay for tuition, or local authorities sent their scholarship recipients to educational institutions. The authors focused on the ethnic and religious characteristics of the Kazan province. Examples of midwifery practices among Muslim women are provided.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by a grant from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan (2024) for fundamental and applied scientific research in scientific and educational institutions, enterprises, and organizations in the real sector of the economy of the Republic of Tatarstan