The Genesis and Development of Criminal Legislation in the Field of Protection of Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of the Population in Russia

The purpose of the research. The article examines the genesis and development of criminal legislation in the field of protection of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in Russia. The process of transformation of the criminal law norm on violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules in the context of historical challenges and transformations of public relations is analyzed. The purpose of the study is to establish and identify general patterns and features of the relevant legislation in retrospect. RESULTS. As a result of the conducted research, the author comes to the conclusion that criminal law norms have not degraded, the state of legislation has improved with each new normative legal act. From the very beginning of attempts to regulate norms and rules designed to protect the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population, in the historical context, it has never been possible to solve the problem of the spread of an epidemic "at the root", despite various approaches to its solution – from almost complete lack of control to the establishment of a strict regulatory regime. Despite the transformation that criminal legislation has undergone over such a long time, it is difficult to say that there are no opportunities and ways to improve, because not only existing norms will have to be changed or supplemented in the near future for more successful protection of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population, but there may also be a need to design completely new elements of crime.