Inside Russia's Hospitals of Last Resort

July 06, 2013 | The Daily Beast

Misha Friedman

Nurse organizes dead patients’ files. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

A homeless man with a swastika tattoo receives free consultation in a St. Petersburg hospital. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

A man waits to exchange needles and to be tested for HIV in an outreach bus. Intravenous drug users have a very high risk of contracting tuberculosis. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

A TB patient and intravenous drug user begs his doctor for pain medication. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

A nurse measures a TB patient’s weight while another patient is cheering on. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

A man pushes a cart with dirty laundry. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

A man waits to exchange needles and to be tested for HIV in an outreach bus. Intravenous drug users have a very high risk of contracting tuberculosis. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

Polina, 37, is brought into the hospital severely malnourished and suffering from numerous diseases, including tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and HIV. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

Anatoly, 45, doctor at the Botkin Infectious Diseases Hospital, is in charge of the clinic in town treating homeless people. He sees many people coming in with tuberculosis symptoms and tries to get them admitted into hospitals for treatment. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

Natasha, 25, a former inmate, an intravenious drug user, and a mother of two has tuberculosis and is HIV-positive. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

X-ray specialist prepares reports for patients, which he does in the evenings after work hours so that doctors and patients can see the results in the morning. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

Patient arguing with a nurse. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2012.

With more patients than hospital beds, some patients sleep and are treated in the corridors. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

The tuberculosis hospital in Togliatti, Samara, in the distance. Image by Misha Friedman. Russia, 2011.

Misha Friedman's photography explores the hospitals in Russia that serve as a last resort for those fighting HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The photographs were featured with Gregory Gilderman's multimedia piece Russia: Death by Indifference on The Daily Beast.