In the 1901 Kharkiv Calendar (Yellow pages), we found the first advertisement for a massage therapist’s services. As it turned out, this profession was quite common.

In a later calendar, you can see that there are already 35 male and female massage therapists throughout the city. At least 20 of them are women. Some practiced “electrification”—that is, therapy using electrical devices. Medical students were specifically highlighted in the list, which apparently indicated the prestige and advantage of massage therapists—even those with only partial medical education—over those without any such education.