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The article presents the history of becoming and development of penitentiary medicine as a part of public health with one's own specificity. The development of penitentiary medicine was impacted by development of medical science and practice on the whole, by evolution of legal positioning of convicts and by achievements of psychology, pedagogics, sociology and jurisprudence. The historical periods of development of national penitentiary medicine are distinguished, including interpretation of key issues characterizing its state: legal status of convict, level of integration of public and penitentiary sectors of health care, development of network of medical institutions for convicts, condition of training of penitentiary physicians, attitude of society and state to the problem of health protection of convicts, conformity to international legal standards.