The journal was founded in January 1885 by Nikolai Aleksandrovich Veliaminov under the title "Surgical Herald". The need for the emergence of a special surgical journal in Russia was due to the rapid development of science in the last quarter of the 19th century, which largely influenced the intensive development of medicine, in particular the emergence of aseptic and antiseptic agents, which changed the basic principles of surgery. In these conditions, the earlier manuals on surgery lost their relevance, and the newly published ones quickly became obsolete, which was the reason for the creation in Russia of the first special surgical journal that acquainted its readers with the scientific and practical activities of domestic and foreign surgeons, with the latter achievements of science in the field of surgery and methods of their practical application. In addition, the absence of such journal significantly complicated the publication of the work of Russian surgeons and, as a result, complicated the assertion of their scientific priorities in the international arena.

By the time the magazine was published, N.A. Velyaminov was 29 years old, he was a senior assistant of professor of surgery K.K. Reyer, a teacher of Women's Medical Courses at the Nikolayevsk Military Hospital in St. Petersburg. The journal was published by his own means, earned through medical work, without any support from official medical institutions. The whole editorial board was represented by N.A. Velyaminov and his wife, Baroness Elizaveta Markvardovna von Kotz (1853-1890). The first published issue of the magazine, according to Velyaminov himself, was skinny, ineptly edited, it contained only two original articles (A.G. Koretsky and N.M. Volkovich), two bibliographic articles (N.A.Velyaminov and A.G. Koretsky), nine abstracts (three by M.F. Rabinovich, three by  G.I.Turner and three by N.A .Velyaminov). Initially, the magazine had only a few dozen subscribers.

During the first years, Velyaminov was not able to convince the Military Medical Department officials to support financially the magazine. He was both the publisher and editor of the new magazine. The journal published original works on all the problems of surgery, critical articles, and abstracts of the most significant works published abroad, which allowed readers of the magazine, especially from the provinces, to read modern surgical literature. Gradually, the Surgical Herald gained popularity and scientific authority. The magazine contributed to the increase in the level of surgery in Russia.