In June 2023, ImagineHealth Founder and CEO Henning Kalwa visited Voronezh, Russia, to learn more about one of the country’s distinctive approaches to health, rehabilitation and preventive care: the Russian sanatorium tradition.
The visit included Olimp 5 - Centre for Culture and Health, part of the Olimp Zdorovya Group of Companies, and provided an opportunity to examine how medical supervision, rehabilitation, prevention and wellness can be combined within a structured health-focused environment.
Understanding the sanatorium model
The sanatorium has a long history in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union. Rather than separating medical treatment, rehabilitation, prevention and restorative wellness into entirely different experiences, the model traditionally brings several of these elements together.
Henning met with members of the Olimp 5 leadership team and other stakeholders involved in developing the region’s healthcare and wellness sector, including Alexander Soloviev, Founder of the Olimp Zdorovya Group of Companies.
From regional expertise to international health travel
Discussions explored opportunities to strengthen the Voronezh region’s profile as a destination for medical tourism and health and wellness travel, including ways to present its medical, rehabilitation and preventive-health capabilities to international audiences.
Potential areas of cooperation also included connecting Russian healthcare and wellness expertise with healthcare providers and partners in Thailand.
Experiencing cryotherapy first-hand
The visit also included a practical introduction to Russian wellness culture. Henning tested a whole-body cryotherapy chamber, experiencing first-hand a technology used in recovery and wellness settings.
The experience illustrated a broader point: understanding another healthcare market requires more than reading about its services. Seeing facilities, meeting their operators and experiencing elements of their approach provides a richer understanding of how a health and wellness ecosystem actually functions.
Looking at an old concept through a modern lens
The Voronezh visit provided an early opportunity for ImagineHealth to examine how the Russian sanatorium tradition might fit within a changing international longevity, preventive-health and wellness landscape.
Many ideas associated with the traditional sanatorium - structured time away from everyday life, medical oversight, rehabilitation, physical activity, recovery and prevention - remain relevant to contemporary discussions around healthy ageing and longevity.
The visit marked another step in developing relationships between healthcare and wellness stakeholders in Russia and Thailand while gaining a deeper understanding of the traditions, institutions and models that shape healthcare in both markets.