The first decade of the reign of Catherine II is characterized by the rise of social thought. The Empress is keenly interested in the progressive movements of social thought, and in Western Europe. In the first years of the reign of Catherine II, her initiatives in the field of charity were limited to issues of education. Catherine is trying to introduce a new humane form of raising children into life, to create a unified type of citizen who meets the urgent tasks of a rapidly growing state.

The initiator of the creation new system education was Ivan Ivanovich Betskoy, illegitimate son I.Yu. Trubetskoy. In 1763, he presented Catherine II with a plan for school reform, which the Empress signed with a special manifesto. According to the project, a system of closed institutions for education and vocational training children and teenagers. It included educational homes for foundlings in Moscow (1764) and St. Petersburg (1770), and later it also included a school for boys from different classes (except serfs) at the Academy of Arts, the Commercial School in Moscow, as well as the Institute of Noble Maidens at the Resurrection (Smolny) Monastery with a department for girls from the townspeople.

The most famous of these institutions was the Orphanage, which was intended for raising foundlings aged no more than 2 years. Immediately at the base

An obstetric department was created at the educational home under him - a secret maternity hospital. Since in most cases there were illegitimate children, women in labor were given the right not to give their names. It was even allowed to give birth in a mask. All circumstances were kept secret. No one, except the midwife, had the right to enter the ward to the woman in labor. According to Betsky, orphanages should have played a huge role in updating Russian society, many of whose problems were rooted in negative impact ignorant and prejudiced older generation on the young. Since such influence is irresistible in the families of nobles, merchants and peasants, since parents are the natural educators of their children, Betskoy pinned his hopes on closed government agencies where the younger generation will prepare for a new life in the spirit best ideas Enlightenment and under the guidance of humane mentors. Of course, orphans and homeless children were best suited for this role.

Initially, the upbringing of all pets was the same, they received elementary general education, and then from the age of 14 - 15, boys and girls were given to learn crafts in workshops. Subsequently, education acquired a differentiated character.

Moreover, state funds were not allocated for its maintenance, but "voluntary alms" from benefactors were supposed. In addition to them, the Orphanage received a special privilege: a special tax on playing cards imported into the country was transferred in its favor. In 1772, three treasuries were formed under it - Under Catherine II, attempts were made to organize assistance to widows with young children who did not have a livelihood.A special Widow's Treasury was established so that husbands would set aside capital to ensure the existence of the family in the event of their death.

However, the appeal did not find a response in the male environment and the treasury remained empty.

In 1768, Russia was at war with Turkey, but when Russian troops entered Moldova, a plague broke out there. In 1770, the plague broke out in Bryansk and soon she took off her harvest in Moscow. Officials could not quickly respond to the problems that arose, the plague spread throughout the city. The panic began. The governor general, the civil governor and the chief police officer fled, unable to cope with the infection. There was a riot in the city. Worried about all this, as well as the Peasant War of 1773 - 1775 led by Pugachev, Catherine II carried out in 1775 a state reform to reorganize the provincial structure of the empire.

A new legislative act of November 7, 1775, called "Institution for the management of the provinces Russian Empire”, in each self-governing territory of Russia, special administrative bodies were created - orders of public charity, whose duties were charged with the creation of public schools, orphanages, hospitals, almshouses, houses for the terminally ill, houses for the insane, work and strait houses. In addition to the orders of public charity, in each province a noble guardianship was established to take care of widows and orphans of noble origin and orphan's courts to take care of widows and orphans of the merchant, bourgeois and artisan classes. These institutions were engaged in organizing a shelter for family members left without a livelihood, and resolving issues related to the inheritance of property.

Orders of public charity - provincial administrative bodies in Russia, created by the administrative reform of 1775. They had six assessors (two from each of the three provincial class courts (nobility, merchants and philistines)), headed by governors. The orders were subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior and the Government Senate. They were in charge of local schools, hospitals, hospitals, almshouses, orphanages, as well as some prison institutions - "working" and "straight" houses, where, in addition to vagrants and beggars, landowners had the right to place recalcitrant serfs. They had funds for charitable purposes received from the government and private individuals. They were transformed as a result of the bourgeois reforms of the 1860s and 70s.

There were some peculiarities in the functioning of public charity orders. Firstly, the orders themselves were transferred to self-financing, each was allocated 15 thousand rubles at a time. It was assumed that the said amount would be turned into the initial authorized capital, which should have been multiplied through the distribution of loans (on the security of estates) or the receipt of interest on deposits in banks. In addition, the orders were given the right to accept private donations, and cities, towns and individuals could organize "generally useful events" (charity balls, performances, concerts, etc.) to raise funds for the benefit of the poor.

At the same time, significant shortcomings were soon discovered in the activities of the orders. One of them was related to the fact that work in the orders of public charity was public service according to the "Table of Ranks", often attracting careerists who wanted to rise to a decent rank in this "dust-free" field. The second drawback was due to the fact that the orders managed very heterogeneous charitable institutions (almshouses, schools, madhouses and workhouses, etc.), which, in the absence of a sufficient number of qualified specialists, gave rise to anarchy and chaos in business.

It is well known that Catherine II to a large extent herself set an example for her subjects. Thus, in 1767 Russian nobility and the merchants collected more than 52 thousand rubles for the construction of a monument to the empress, but Catherine II, having added another 150 thousand rubles from herself, intended this money for the construction of schools, orphanages, hospitals and almshouses. Many nobles followed her example, so that the total amount of donations amounted to about half a million rubles.

Catherine II sought to interest the entire population of the country in this activity, since the treasury itself could not cope with all the problems. The “City Regulations” adopted in 1785 contributed to the increase in the public activity of citizens in relation to the poor. In accordance with this legislative act, such estates as the clergy, merchants, petty bourgeoisie and peasantry were established, which should take care of their disabled representatives. Thus, the merchants, having large financial resources, oversaw the activities of a number of houses for the mentally ill, almshouses, orphanages, and schools, in which assistance was provided to all those who suffer, regardless of social status.

However, the existence of a number of negative factors hindering the successful implementation of all this. The most acute problem was the financial support of charitable institutions. Funds allocated by the Order of Public Charity from state budget to implement programs to assist those in need was extremely lacking. The costs of maintaining the huge bureaucratic apparatus of the new system of social protection of the population did not even cover the pawnshops and commercial associations operating under the Orders of Public Charity, which were intended to serve as their independent source of income.

But nevertheless, despite the numerous problems of the system of public charity, by the end of the reign of Catherine II in Russia, it already existed and was distinguished by a variety of forms and boards. Under Catherine II, the assistance system was reorganized and adapted to the conditions of life. rich, noble, educated people considered it an honor to invest in charitable institutions, almshouses, orphanages, educational homes.

Patronage was encouraged in every possible way by various insignia, medals, and the philanthropists themselves enjoyed great prestige in society.

“To our will, Her Imperial Majesty, the most kind wife, out of philanthropy urgent to her and wanting to promote the common good, takes over the main authorities over the educational houses in both our patronal cities established with all the institutions belonging to them; then, as a result of this, we command the trustees of these to relate in what is due to Her Majesty!

Empress Maria Feodorovna leads and unfolds a hitherto unseen charitable and educational activities. With her participation, a network of educational, orphanage, hospital, educational and other charitable institutions is being established.

The Empress showed great concern for improving their sanitary and hygienic condition; for this, the number of children brought up in the Orphanages of both capitals was limited to five hundred each, and it was assumed that only “completely weak children who required constant care” would remain in them. villages to trustworthy and good behavior to peasants in order to accustom pets to the rules of rural economics.

Boys were to be brought up in peasant families up to 18 years old, girls up to 15 years old.

Maria Feodorovna's activity in the matter of guardianship was probably explained not only by her humane character, but also in part by her great ambition. Having before my eyes the example of Catherine the Great, who for decades ruled autocratically over the entire Russian Empire,

Maria Fedorovna, apparently, was painfully worried about the absence of any noticeable influence on state affairs. After the death of Maria Feodorovna, these institutions became known as the Department of Institutions of Empress Maria Feodorovna. All the numerous institutions under its control came under the jurisdiction of the specially formed Fourth Department of His Own Imperial Majesty's Chancellery (headed by its special secretary of state), they developed and successfully existed until the events of 1917. With the onset Soviet power all these institutions were abolished or transferred under the authority of the People's Commissariats. And to abolish what happened, only in the Department of Institutions of Empress Maria Feodorovna by the beginning of the 20th century there were 683 charitable societies and institutions.

Charity work was the main activity of the Mariinsky department. In the second half of the XIX century. a number of areas have emerged:

1. Charity of babies. There were 2 educational homes in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which annually received more than 20 thousand illegitimate children. In addition, under the auspices of the Houses there were up to 80 thousand people who were in private education. About a hundred schools were maintained to educate orphans. New phenomena have also been observed; So, in the 1880-1890s. the network of "nurseries" is expanding at some provincial and district orphanages.
2. Guardianship of teenagers. By the beginning of the 1900s. there were 176 orphanages (for 14 thousand children), including 4 thousand boarders full content establishments. All the prisoners were required to take the course of the public school.
3. Charity for the blind and deaf-mute. For blind children, 21 schools were opened (2 in the capitals and 19 in the provinces), where more than 700 children studied. In addition, there were 6 institutions for helping blind adults. There was also a school for deaf and dumb children (for 250 people).
4. Charity for the elderly and the provision of medical care. In 36 almshouses (including two widows in the capital), up to 5 thousand people were under the care of the department. 40 hospitals (for 4,200 beds) operated under the control of the Department, and annually up to 25,000 poor patients used their services.

Maria Fedorovna was actually appointed the first minister of charitable institutions, after her it became a tradition and the wives of the emperors began to head the Office, and each contributed to the cause. So Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, the wife of Alexander I, contributed to the creation of two societies - the Imperial Humanitarian and the Women's Patriotic.

2.3 Charitable activities of Catherine II

The first time of her reign, Catherine II did not pay much attention to charity, since first it was necessary to gain a foothold on the throne and there were other matters of priority importance. At this time, decrees were issued on liability for begging, but the form of punishment was somewhat mitigated. According to the decree of February 1764, the police could detain beggars. At the same time, until their case was considered in court, the detainees were entitled to a small monetary subsidy.

This fact should be emphasized, since, according to the established tradition, offenders and suspects are placed in pre-trial detention cells (CPC), the conditions in which not only leave much to be desired, but are more reminiscent of a prison where criminals already convicted by a court verdict are kept. The problem of the conditions of detention in the penal colony and the cases of death of detainees, which were especially sensational in the press (especially the case of Sergei Magnitsky), have acquired extraordinary urgency and discussion in society in our country. It is clear that it will not be possible to quickly change the conditions of detention of those suspected of committing crimes in the direction of mitigation, because. this requires large funds. But, at least, it is possible to limit the detention of persons who are not suspected of committing serious crimes in the penal colony. Apparently, therefore, the President Russian Federation Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, in one of his Addresses to the Federal Assembly, spoke about the conduct of a "reasonable criminal policy" aimed at the decriminalization of society. As a result, several years ago, laws were passed that allow for non-custodial punishments. Thus, the state “kills” two birds with one stone: it restricts communication in the bullpen of accidentally caught citizens with real criminals, and also does not place suspects (many of whom, as practice shows, will later be acquitted by a court decision) in prison conditions. It is gratifying to see that the experience of humane treatment of detainees, which was first applied under Catherine II and was clearly forgotten during the years of Soviet power, is becoming in demand in our time.

After several years, when potential rivals were eliminated from the political horizon, Empress Catherine II was able to more actively engage in state affairs. The issue of charity was not left without attention. In 1764, the "Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens" was founded, which later turned into the well-known Smolny Institute. It was created with the aim of forming an educated society, spreading education. According to the plan of the Empress, who until the Great French Revolution was influenced by the progressive ideas of Locke and Montaigne, the graduates of the society who returned to their family nests would try to give the education they received to their children. If initially future pupils were selected from the nobility, then a year after the founding of the Society, a department was opened for the rest of the estates (only children of serfs were not accepted).

Gradually, more and more began to open across the country. educational institutions. Responsibilities for their arrangement fell on the Orders of public charity, about which will be discussed below. The existing educational institutions were reformed in order to improve the quality of the education received. These were the first tentative steps towards the introduction of literacy among the common population. And, although, before the introduction of the system on a national scale, it was still very far away, the beginning public education, according to many historians, it was founded under Catherine II, who did everything for its development.

In 1763, they again remembered the shelters for abandoned babies, which were first founded under Peter I, but in last years were in oblivion. Catherine II was so fired up with this idea that she allocated 100,000 rubles from her funds, thereby setting an example for the rest of the well-wishers and, above all, for her favorites. The shelter has been very successful. Those who brought the children were asked to give only the name of the baby and to report whether he was baptized or not. That is why, in just 1765, almost 800 children were brought to the Orphanage, which meant 800 saved lives! At that time, it was not customary to refuse children, childbearing and fertility were perceived as a gift from God. Such cases, at first glance, could only take place among noble townswomen who needed to hide their connection on the side. And yet there was another reason to give the baby to the Orphanage. The fact is that the children of serfs after birth were also considered serfs, and according to the Charter of this institution, every baby was considered free from birth. That is why for many peasants, the delivery of a child to the Orphanage was the only chance to give him freedom.

The year 1775 was marked by the creation of the Orders of Public Charity. In their functions they resembled modern social welfare bodies, but in their scope they represented the "Ministry of Charity". Their tasks included the organization of schools, orphanages, almshouses, workhouses, homes for the terminally ill (the prototype of modern hospices) and for the insane (straighthouses). In fact, a state system was created in which Catherine II managed to combine all types of charitable activities.

It should be noted that some of the ideas contained in the decree were clearly ahead of their time. In particular, shelters for the terminally ill, Soviet time did not have. Those were simply discharged from the hospital, and they faded away already at home. The idea of hospices in our country was returned only in 1990. At present, there are 8 of them in Moscow alone, which is quite enough to accommodate the terminally ill. The idea of hospices is actively developing and at the beginning of 2012 their number in Russia exceeded 70. One can only be surprised at the breadth of the state mind of the empress, whose decisions in matters of charity have not lost their relevance to this day. charity philanthropic social care

Along with the creation of a new state charitable system, any form of private charity was encouraged in every possible way, but donations were prescribed in favor of existing charitable institutions in order to prevent donations from falling into the hands of professional beggars. The Public Care Orders represented the "top echelon" of public philanthropy. In the localities, however, the local bodies of care, for example, the court for orphans, the noble guardianship and others, were engaged in the affairs of mercy. In 1785, through the creation of district trustees, other segments of the population were also attracted to charity. Russia has grown up to the appearance of patronage.

Prince Grigory Potemkin was an outstanding statesman of the times of Catherine II. All his life and work became a boon for Russia. It was through the efforts of the prince that the constant threat on the southern borders of Russia was eliminated, which was annually robbed by predatory hordes. Crimean Tatars. He removed from political map peace Crimean Khanate, making the steppes of ancient Taurida safe for a simple Russian tiller, after which his surname sounded differently - Potemkin-Tavrichesky. Along with this, the prince was considered an outstanding connoisseur of art. Like many of his contemporaries, he actively collected paintings by famous world artists, leaving behind a rich collection. But most of all he was remembered for his urban planning activities. Under him, many cities were founded in the south of Russia, several temples were erected at his personal expense. Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky was one of those people, thanks to whom the time of the reign of the Empress is referred to only as "the age of the golden Catherine."

Summing up the reforms in the field of charity during the reign of Catherine II, we can say the following. Being a German by birth, she did her best to make life easier for her new subjects, whose well-being was above all for her. How unhypocritical her love for the Russian people was is best evidenced by the fact that when in 1775 they wished to erect a monument to her, for which more than 50,000 rubles were collected, Catherine II answered: “It is more important for me to erect a monument in the hearts of my subjects than in marble. With these words, she ordered that the collected money be sent to the organization of orphanages.

During the reign of Catherine II, radical changes were carried out in the issue of mercy. In the form of Orders of public charity, a "ministry of charity" was actually created, within which all its types were combined: the organization of almshouses, the arrangement of shelters, hospitals, schools and colleges. Moreover, the ideas of foundling shelters and hospitals for the terminally ill (hospices) were clearly ahead of their time. And now, 250 years later, they are being implemented again in the Russian Federation.

In the same time Orthodox Church under Catherine II, a severe blow was dealt, from which she never managed to recover. An end was put to the economic independence of the Church, however, the funds received during the secularization of church lands made it possible to reform the entire charitable system, which subsequently proved the viability of many of its ideas.

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We turn to the deeds of Empress Catherine II, connected with the sphere of charity, the future social work. We will not write about the deeds as a state politician who strengthened the Russian Empire and expanded its limits. On the activities of Count Potemkin, Admiral Ushakov, Field Marshal Suvorov. About her correspondence with Voltaire and saving the famous library after his death. About the appointment of the wonderful and unique Dashkova as President of the Academy, about supporting the scientific research of M.V. Lomonosov, about the creation of the Russian National Library, about the cruel treatment of Radishchev, Novikov, Princess Tarakanova, about the merciless suppression of the Pugachev rebellion. (This is well written in such books as Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter, Pylyaev's Old Petersburg, Pushkin's History of the Pugachev Rebellion, Pikul's Favorite, Storm's Hidden Radishchev, Saltykov's film Emelyan Pugachev, etc. ., in the book by I. Bunich “Suvorov”, etc.).

Let's try to dwell on the charitable deeds of Catherine II.

In particular, Catherine II significantly softened the punitive system in relation to the poor. In twenty-six dioceses of the Russian State, one almshouse was established. Compiled special rules about the construction of the insane. In the publication of the “Institutions about the provinces” dated November 7, 1775, the special privileges of the Governing Senate in the field of charity were abolished, since before that, fulfilling the plans of Peter I, the charity of the poor was completely within the competence of this social institution and without its definition, special order, not a single person, even the most needy, could be placed in an almshouse.

At the same time, a certain cruelty towards the poor, homeless, vagrants in the era of Catherine II, originating from the Decrees of Peter I, was preserved (subject to the social hierarchy). In particular, this was expressed in the following Decree of the Empress: it was ordered not to let the beggars through the outposts, the beggars from the merchants, the idlers, to give, if they are healthy, to manufactories and factories, to give the beggars from the landowner peasants into soldiers. Street begging is forbidden; the duty of landowners and managers to feed their poor. The expulsion from Moscow of those who wander about is prescribed; non-issuance of passports to beggars.

And at the same time, along with these punitive actions, the Decree of Empress Catherine II, remarkable in its humane, altruistic orientation, on the establishment of the Widow's Loan and Safe Treasury, aimed at saving women of any social status who fell into difficult extreme circumstances, appears before the descendants.

Undoubtedly, the largest charity work during the reign of Catherine the Great was the establishment, or rather the opening of two large institutions in terms of size and quality of service for the charity of illegitimate children. Continuation, but in a more perfect vein of the acts of Peter I in this very tragic issue.

The problem associated with the construction of institutions for illegitimate children, educational homes for orphans, foundlings, victims of parental abuse was solved in economic, economic, personnel (in modern terms) aspects by an outstanding philanthropist of that time, one of the nobles close to the Empress, General lieutenant M.M. Betsky. In 1763, according to his project and at his expense, an Educational Home was founded in Moscow, which not only provided food and shelter for unfortunate children, but also prepared them for their future life in professional, civic plans.

In St. Petersburg, by the efforts of philanthropists, in particular Betsky and other representatives in the field of charity, including clergy, a kind of branch or department of the Educational House, founded in Moscow, was created. In 1780, thanks to the efforts of a large team of enthusiasts (benefactors and teachers), this branch was transformed into an independent institution.

The largest organizational measure in the field of charity was the creation by Empress Catherine II of a whole system of social institutions (or a system of cultural institutions) under the general name of “Orders of Public Charity”, subsequently transformed into Ministries in the era of Alexander I (grandson of the Empress). These Orders were opened in forty provinces of the Russian state on the basis of the “Institutions about provinces” prepared by Catherine II and her advisers in 1775.

According to this Law, the Orders in all provinces are entrusted with the care and supervision of the establishment and a solid foundation: “folk schools, the establishment and supervision of orphanages for the care and education of male and female orphans left without food after their parents, the establishment and supervision of hospitals, or hospitals for curing the sick, establishing and supervising almshouses for males and females, the poor, the crippled and the elderly, who do not have food, establishing and supervising a special home for the terminally ill, who do not have food, establishing and supervising a house for insane people, establishing and supervising penal houses for both sexes."

Each order in the field of public charity was allocated by Empress Catherine II from the state treasury for 15,000 rubles.

It was prescribed to cities, communities, villages, individuals with the help of a loan, accepted alms, to arrange on their own (personal initiative) generally useful institutions.

Studying the documents of that era in the aspect of the social problem of interest to us, one cannot but pay attention to the Instruction prepared by Empress Catherine II for the College of Economy dated June 6, 1763.

Paragraph 6 reads: “The Spiritual Commission, the Synod for the care of the charity of almshouses and those contained in them, if they are organized under the dioceses.”

In Paragraph 9, the following thought is especially highlighted: “the duty of the Board of Economy is the satisfaction of the disabled homes being established, looking after them and those contained in them.”

We have already written about the Educational Homes created by Catherine II, but now we are interested in the documentary, legal side of the problem, its economic foundation, so that behind it one can see the moral, humane, universal side of the issue.

We once again emphasize that the establishment of Educational Homes by Catherine II is a worthy monument to her charity.

We read the Manifesto of October 1, 1763 and feel its relevance, significance, enduring moral strength, the ideas embedded in it, making their way to us through the centuries. Catherine II, who was fluent in several European languages, was an excellent stylist, playwright and, unlike many rulers, she herself composed speeches, manifestos, messages to the people, and the most important state documents. So, before us is the Manifesto of the 18th century, a kind of program for social work in an extremely compressed, concentrated form: God-loving Owner." The exact rationale for the essence of the Orphanage is given in the project of Lieutenant General Betsky: “Educational Homes for brought children with a special hospital for orphans and poor parents.” Moreover, this project was considered by three secret advisers, thus confirming the importance of charity in the general system of state policy. The Empress emphasized that this God-pleasing and pious general state institution would forever be under special royal patronage and charity. At the same time, Empress Catherine II pinned special hopes on the evangelical love for the neighbor of wealthy people and their effective, material support. The empress spent an exceptionally long time on a series of instructions and precautionary measures before the start of an epidemic of pestilence. Sober-minded, outside of religious fanaticism, the empress sought to instill smallpox in most of the citizens of the state. On April 23, 1772, by decision of the Senate, a commemorative medal was knocked out to Empress Catherine II and her son in honor of the day of inoculation of smallpox, which took place on October 12, 1768. At that time, it was a kind of moral feat associated with overcoming the “Ghosts of the Cave” (according to F. Bacon), militant ignorance, established stereotypes, such as “punishment for sins”, sent by God to humanity mired in fornication. One cannot fail to mention the modesty of Catherine II, who does not want her memory to be immortalized with monuments and other manifestations of idolatry. When in 1767 the nobility and merchants, having collected fifty-two thousand rubles, wished to erect a monument to Catherine II, she answered very worthily, at the level of a patron of Christian charity. Here are these wonderful words: "I would rather erect a monument in the hearts of my subjects than on marble." At the same time, the Empress added 150,000 rubles from her savings to this amount and sent them to the establishment of schools, orphanages, almshouses, and hospitals.

Another very significant example in the field of charity: the nobility, together with the nobles, raised money for the construction of the Triumphal Gate. Catherine II immediately reacted, coinciding with her previous acts in the field of charity. She demanded that the money be given to the Order of Public Charity directly to Prince Alexander Alekseevich Vyazemsky. And the following phrase was especially emphasized: "I order my will to be fulfilled."

Based on the views of Russian historians in the field of social work, it must be said that the charity system developed by such prominent emperors as Peter I and Catherine II was of a strong, stable nature, corresponding to vital needs. Wherein this system, despite the tragic dissonances, was integral, giving definite, beyond rhetoric and demagogy, answers to the basic and most important questions of public charity. The most unfortunate moment in the field of charity was considered by the progressive people of society to be the dominance of bureaucracy in the field of fulfilling the requests of various social groups and strata. Moreover, it was believed that the elimination of bureaucratic formal components in the activities of the state apparatus could lead to a sharp decline in the vigorous activity of the progressive forces of society, they would no longer develop a protective principle, immunity, a fighting principle in overcoming inertia, inertia.

Paradoxically, this concept has its own rational grain. Let us recall the words of A.S. Pushkin addressed to Peter I in the poem “Poltava”: “And for the teachers (opponent - A.S.) raises his congratulations cup.

This fact should be emphasized, since, according to the established tradition, offenders and suspects are placed in pre-trial detention cells (CPC), the conditions in which not only leave much to be desired, but are more reminiscent of a prison where criminals already convicted by a court verdict are kept. The problem of the conditions of detention in the penal colony and the cases of death of detainees, which were especially sensational in the press (especially the case of Sergei Magnitsky), have acquired extraordinary urgency and discussion in society in our country. It is clear that it will not be possible to quickly change the conditions of detention of those suspected of committing crimes in the direction of mitigation, because. this requires large funds. But, at least, it is possible to limit the detention of persons who are not suspected of committing serious crimes in the penal colony. Apparently, therefore, the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, in one of his Addresses to the Federal Assembly, spoke about the conduct of a "reasonable criminal policy" aimed at the decriminalization of society. As a result, several years ago, laws were passed that allow for non-custodial punishments. Thus, the state “kills” two birds with one stone: it restricts communication in the bullpen of accidentally caught citizens with real criminals, and also does not place suspects (many of whom, as practice shows, will later be acquitted by a court decision) in prison conditions. It is gratifying to see that the experience of humane treatment of detainees, which was first applied under Catherine II and was clearly forgotten during the years of Soviet power, is becoming in demand in our time.

Gradually, more and more educational institutions began to open throughout the country. Responsibilities for their arrangement fell on the Orders of public charity, which will be discussed below. The existing educational institutions were reformed in order to improve the quality of the education received. These were the first tentative steps towards the introduction of literacy among the common population. And, although it was still very far from the introduction of the system on a national scale, the beginning of public education, according to many historians, was laid precisely under Catherine II, who did everything for its development.

In 1763, they again remembered the shelters for abandoned babies, which were first founded under Peter I, but in recent years have been forgotten. Catherine II was so fired up with this idea that she allocated 100,000 rubles from her funds, thereby setting an example for the rest of the well-wishers and, above all, for her favorites. The shelter has been very successful. Those who brought the children were asked to give only the name of the baby and to report whether he was baptized or not. That is why, in just 1765, almost 800 children were brought to the Orphanage, which meant 800 saved lives! At that time, it was not customary to refuse children, childbearing and fertility were perceived as a gift from God. Such cases, at first glance, could only take place among noble townswomen who needed to hide their connection on the side. And yet there was another reason to give the baby to the Orphanage. The fact is that the children of serfs after birth were also considered serfs, and according to the Charter of this institution, every baby was considered free from birth. That is why for many peasants, the delivery of a child to the Orphanage was the only chance to give him freedom.

It should be noted that some of the ideas contained in the decree were clearly ahead of their time. In particular, there were no shelters for the terminally ill in Soviet times. Those were simply discharged from the hospital, and they faded away already at home. The idea of hospices in our country was returned only in 1990. At present, there are 8 of them in Moscow alone, which is quite enough to accommodate the terminally ill. The idea of hospices is actively developing and at the beginning of 2012 their number in Russia exceeded 70. One can only be surprised at the breadth of the state mind of the empress, whose decisions in matters of charity have not lost their relevance to this day. charity philanthropic social care

Prince Grigory Potemkin was an outstanding statesman of the times of Catherine II. All his life and work became a boon for Russia. It was through the efforts of the prince that the constant threat on the southern borders of Russia was eliminated, which was annually robbed by the predatory hordes of the Crimean Tatars. He removed the Crimean Khanate from the political map of the world, making the steppes of ancient Taurida safe for a simple Russian tiller, after which his surname sounded differently - Potemkin-Tavrichesky. Along with this, the prince was considered an outstanding connoisseur of art. Like many of his contemporaries, he actively collected paintings by famous world artists, leaving behind a rich collection. But most of all he was remembered for his urban planning activities. Under him, many cities were founded in the south of Russia, several temples were erected at his personal expense. Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky was one of those people, thanks to whom the time of the reign of the Empress is referred to only as "the age of the golden Catherine."

At the same time, the Orthodox Church under Catherine II suffered a severe blow, from which she never managed to recover. An end was put to the economic independence of the Church, however, the funds received during the secularization of church lands made it possible to reform the entire charitable system, which subsequently proved the viability of many of its ideas.

Today, in the year of the glorious anniversary of the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, whose history is inextricably linked with the history of our Fatherland and its peoples, our attention cannot but be drawn to the enormous role played by the Russian Royal and Imperial House in the formation and development of the system of charity and charity in Russia.

When awarding swords to the Order of St. Andrey, two hundred and fifty rubles are charged from the cavalier ... Cavaliers of the Order of St. Andrew in the passages are obliged to visit places established for public teaching and enlightenment, also arranged for the charity of the poor and obsessed with diseases, excluding military hospitals, and then inform Her Imperial Majesty, presenting notes, in which help or correction is needed.

Each knight was obliged to educate one or even several young nobles. Cavaliers were obliged to help the poor, widows and orphans, visit prisoners of war and prisoners, listen to their complaints and solemn days give alms to the poor, preferring the wounded and mutilated in the war. Every month, one of the gentlemen was supposed to inspect the hospitals and alleviate the situation of the afflicted as much as possible. Knights of the Order of St. Andrei could also visit prisons, listen favorably to the unfortunate and observe that they were not treated too harshly.

The duties of the cavalry ladies of the second order established by Peter the Great - St. Catherine - consisted in "liberating one Christian from barbarian enslavement, redeeming with his own money. In addition, the care of the ladies of the Grand Cross and the cavalry ladies of this order was entrusted with a special institution for the education of noble maidens under the name of the School of the Order of St. Catherine, and their duty in this subject is to monitor the execution of the institution, for the said institution, decided.

With the further development of the order system in all orders, the obligatory duty of mercy was initially established and maintained. “From each holder of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, - says the Statute of the aforementioned order, - when he is awarded with this order, it is charged at a time and delivered to the Chapter of the Orders for charitable deeds for four hundred rubles. Of this amount, two hundred and eighty rubles remain under the jurisdiction of the Chapter, and the rest go to the State Treasury, at the disposal of the Committee for the Wounded, now Alexandrovsky. When awarding swords to this order, two hundred rubles are charged from the granted ... Cavaliers of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky are entrusted with charity and care for invalids at home and all schools. Similar duties had cavaliers of other imperial and royal orders.

The work of Peter the Great was continued by the Great Catherine II (1729-1796), who, having ascended the throne, proclaimed: “Charity for the poor and concern for the multiplication of people useful to society are the two supreme positions of every God-loving ruler.” At the same time, organizing assistance to those in need, the Empress herself remembered and reminded others that “giving alms to a beggar on the street cannot be considered the fulfillment of the obligations of the government, which should provide all citizens with reliable maintenance, food, decent clothing and a kind of life that does not harm human health.”

During the reign of Catherine II, the Supreme Power began to look for new approaches to resolving the issue of helping orphans and homeless children. Preparing the Order for the Legislative Commission, the Empress instructed I.I. Betsky to prepare a project, on the basis of which, on September 1, 1763, the Empress issued a manifesto on the construction of an educational home in Moscow. It was created not just an educational home in which children were fed and given an overnight stay, but an institution where they sought to give them education and work skills for a decent life in the future. Catherine II closely followed the practical implementation of her plan. Drafts of Ekaterina Alekseevna have been preserved, indicating that she repeatedly returned to the development curriculum and programs for orphanages in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens.

For all new educational institutions I.I. Betskoy, on behalf of the Empress, developed detailed regulations in which educational ideas in the field of pedagogy were embodied in mandatory norms. The statutes of pedagogy were republished in order to promote the wide dissemination of the ideas embodied in them.

The construction and maintenance of orphanages was carried out at the expense of private donations. Following the publication of the manifesto on the establishment of an orphanage in Moscow, a special decree announced a subscription to raise funds from private individuals. Catherine II personally contributed 100,000 rubles to the foundation of the orphanage.

The ceremonial laying of the building took place on October 7, 1764 in the presence of the Empress. In 1764, 523 children were admitted to the Moscow Orphanage (children up to 2.5 years old were admitted to orphanages). Soon on frequent donations in large provincial cities - Arkhangelsk, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Kyiv, Nizhny Novgorod, Tobolsk and others, following the example of Moscow, educational houses were also opened. In them, "brought babies" were brought up only up to three years, and then they were transferred for training to the Moscow Orphanage. In 1771, the St. Petersburg branch of the Moscow Orphanage was transformed into an independent institution.

In addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg, educational homes appeared in Novgorod, Yeniseisk, Olonets, Kyiv, Kazan, Vologda, Penza and other Russian cities.

Orphanages had a number of privileges to increase funds. They had the right to hold a charity lottery; for their needs was the fourth part of the collection from all public city amusements; they had income from the production and sale of playing cards, etc.

In 1775, under the provincial reform of Catherine II, public charity orders were created in the provinces under the leadership of the governor, with the participation of wealthy citizens from different classes in their leadership. The orders were to monitor the functioning of public schools, hospitals, almshouses, orphanages, as well as institutions for the mentally ill, strait and workhouses. For the maintenance of all these establishments, the Empress singled out 15 thousand rubles to the orders of public charity at a time. Further income was to be made up of interest on this capital, as well as private donations, fines and penalties levied in court proceedings, etc. It is noteworthy that public charity orders, being state authorities, had the right to attract charitable donations. Charitable funds also came to the Smolny Institute.

Thus, in Catherine's time began to form systems approach to charity. It was under Catherine II that the Principles were laid down, on which charitable institutions of charity subsequently developed under the auspices of the House of Romanov: the manifestation of the care of the royal authorities for citizens through the patronage of charity and personal participation in it; giving the mentioned institutions a state character, but excluding them from common system state bodies of the Empire, and funding, both on the basis of charity and using public funds.

The further development of these institutions is associated with the name of the wife (since 1801 - widow) of Paul I, Empress Maria Feodorovna (1755-1828), who created a whole system of charity institutions operating on a charitable basis. In 1781 - 1782. Pavel Petrovich (1754-1801) traveled with Maria Fedorovna to Western Europe(Vienna, Florence, Paris and other cities) under the name of the Count and Countess of the North. Acquaintance with charitable institutions in Europe, in particular the educational house in Florence, prompted the spouses to take up, after the accession of Paul I to the Throne in 1796, extensive charitable actions. The “Maltese project” of Emperor Paul I deserves a separate discussion. Having headed the European Order of Malta, otherwise called the Order of Hospitallers and initially, since the 11th century, it was engaged precisely and primarily in the maintenance of hospitals and hospices in the Holy Land, the Emperor wanted to make this institution an outpost of the all-European struggle for Christian values against godlessness and revolution. The holders of the order, among other things, were also assigned very serious duties in the field of charity.

After the martyrdom of Emperor Paul I, who fell at the hands of the conspirators, the development of the "Maltese project" was suspended and eventually canceled altogether, due to changes in domestic and foreign policy guidelines.

In this and the next reign largest contribution the wife of Pavel Petrovich, Empress Maria Feodorovna, contributed to the cause of royal charity. She not only took under her personal guidance and patronage the charitable institutions founded by Catherine II, but in addition to them, Maria Feodorovna created a whole complex of educational, medical and almshouse charitable institutions.

The Institution on the Imperial Family, issued upon the accession of Pavel Petrovich to the Throne, was, as an example of prudent management, prescribed to citizens to establish almshouses for the elderly and the food of the poor, for sick hospitals, and for junior schools; as well as the establishment of spare bread shops. In this legislative act, in particular, it was said: “About these institutions, since they are based on mercy to the human race, the Expeditions of the Lots should use all their attention so that the order, by the Department of the Lots of institutions, is exactly carried out; and it was observed, firstly, that by superfluous unnecessary people, or stewards, or other unnecessary expenses, no amount should be diminished or spent, which could be used with better use; secondly, so that what is determined for almshouses, hospitals, schools and those in them, comes in full.

And further: “to use diligence, so that the inhabitants, spending time in diligence, never and nowhere beg for alms in a beggarly way; who, because of old age, or due to extreme decrepitude, cannot acquire food for themselves by work, such to support their relatives; and for lack, or for poverty thereof, the care of the Order to build for their residence near the church the departments of each Order, under the name of the almshouse, two huts, one for the female, and the other for the male, where to supply them with warmth, food and clothing necessary to cover nakedness ; what is the cost of having a box at the almshouse, behind the seal and lock of the state elder, and in the churches of that Order, a purse into which, collecting on holidays and Sundays from well-meaning givers, attach to this box, and after each month repair an extract, than maintain this almshouse; in case of deficiency, add from the village. For a better order in these almshouses, the priests of those churches should, above all, have supervision, and especially that those who live in them behave respectably and do not stagger anywhere; if, for the sake of all this, for the sake of laziness, someone would dare to go around the world for mercy, to inform the Specific Expedition about such, which, by the power of laws, is obliged to give a command to send them to state work, giving for its part, who should know about it.

Particular emphasis in the reign of Paul I is also placed on the construction of charitable medical institutions. In the Institution of the Imperial Family, we read: “For the care of the villagers, the village order must ... contain hospitals or hospitals for all the conduct of that Order of the inhabitants; arranging them down the river, and by no means above the village, if possible on high place and free air, arranging the structure neither cramped nor low; so that male patients are specially kept from female patients, and that patients with sticky diseases have special chambers.

At each such hospital, a Physician and Underdoctor, who knows the Art of Apothecary, is appointed, which the Department itself will supply through the Medical Board; and, moreover, appoint male and female Overseers, as much as the need requires, from those living in almshouses, or from the villagers themselves, by will to accept this post for those who wish. Expenses that will be needed for this institution must be collected from the villagers themselves, since it is arranged for their own benefit.

The special management of these hospitals is entrusted to the Physician, and the village Orders are obliged to fulfill the requirement to fulfill it, as long as they agree with the general rules issued for hospitals. Along with almshouses and hospitals, "bread shops" (warehouses) were established as based on mercy for the human race.

Paragraph 206 of the Establishment provided: “In order to avert a shortage that could happen from a shortage of bread, for their own benefit, with each Order, a reserve bread store should be established; and for that:

1. At some distance from the village, so that during a fire incident they could not be exposed to any danger, arrange those shops.

2. Entrust them to the main authorities by orderly elected; as caretakers for them to determine the elders chosen from the world, tested in fidelity and in good behavior.

3. Establish to fill these stores with an annual grain collection from the villagers of each Order, and arrange it according to the amount of land each owns, counting half a pood of rye from each winter tithe, and 10 pounds of oats and the same amount of buckwheat from a spring tithe.

4. Continue this collection without stopping, regardless of the amount of bread stored in the store.

5. So that from his long lying in the barns, damage or damage could not come out of him, but most of all so that he does not turn to sowing the fields incapable: that bread that has lain in the barns for two years, at the beginning of autumn, to make a sale, and with the money received for it to buy the same or large quantity new bread.

6. The sale and purchase of such is entrusted to the entire village Order, with caretakers appointed from the community.

7. In the event that it is inconvenient to make a sale, if the transportation of sold and bought grain for the villagers can become a burden, the villagers' debt will be in exchange for their own grain of the new crop.

8. Although the establishment of these stores includes assistance for the villagers during a lean year, they may also be needed because, in unexpected cases, some villagers will need a temporary loan of grain for sowing, and sometimes for their own feeding : and for this issue, such are here assigned; but with the fact that they were repaired: 1. With the knowledge of the orderly elected; 2. So that its return was made without fail at the first harvest of grain from the fields; 3. To issue this bread on loan not according to the measure, but according to the weight, and not to do less than four pounds on a vacation loan.

9. So that not only the Order, but also the Expeditions themselves, have a correct account for the whole store, and know how much bread and cash is in total, and what years, whether it is all collected according to the situation, how much is distributed in loans; distributed in loans, whether it was returned, and whether the exchange of the bread of previous years stored in anbars was fulfilled for the bread of the harvest of the new year.

Later, Alexander I (1777-1825) constantly legally and financially supported his mother, Maria Feodorovna, in her charitable endeavors. Possessing good organizational skills, she managed to attract enlightened and wealthy people to the cause of helping the sick, the poor and children. In 1797, Maria Fedorovna reorganized the Board of Trustees at the Orphanages, which received funds from all over Russia. In the Board of Trustees, noble estates, mines and factories were mortgaged and remortgaged, the interest from which went to the needs of the Department. The office of Empress Maria Feodorovna was turning into the largest charitable organization in the Russian Empire.

The patronage of charity, already during her lifetime, became a stable tradition for the Russian Imperial House. Charity has become a necessary element of charity, social policy. This found expression in the creation of charitable departments under the auspices of the House of Romanov, which included both Catherine's charity institutions and those newly created in late XVIII - early XIX V. Since that time, a number of charitable departments and committees have been created, reporting directly to the monarch and members of his family. At the same time, the participation of monarchs and members of the Dynasty in charity was not only an expression of their personal qualities, but reflected their understanding of social problems.

The participation of members of the Dynasty in the work of charitable organizations was not limited to exclusively representative functions. The very fact of the August patronage over these institutions was a powerful incentive to attract thousands and thousands of private philanthropists to cooperation. In order to ensure the smooth functioning and development of charity institutions on the basis of charity, as well as to actively involve citizens in it, the authorities encouraged charity in various ways. Donors could count on orders, medals and badges of honor, on the assignment of their names to charitable institutions, endowment funds, and scholarships. Persons who donated to institutions and societies of the Department of Institutions of Empress Maria and the Imperial Philanthropic Society could, in addition, count on ranks and departmental uniforms. Ranks and uniforms were also provided to those who served free of charge in the mentioned departments. Charitable activities could serve as a means to public recognition.

Of the representatives of the Imperial Family, the most significant donations to subordinate institutions were made by the wife and widow of Paul I, Maria Feodorovna. In 1884, her donations were estimated at 1,241,478 rubles. silver and another 515,389 rubles. banknotes. Donations by the wife of Alexander I, Elizabeth Alekseevna (1779-1826), as of 1884, amounted to 1,510,597 rubles. banknotes. The wife of Nicholas II (1868-1918), the Holy Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, only donated 50,000 rubles to the Guardianship of the houses of industriousness and workhouses. for the library and 70,000 rubles. on the establishment of prizes for authors of works on charity.

Emperors and other representatives of the male half of the House of Romanov also donated to the institutions of the Empress Maria and other charitable institutions. Alexander I donated more than others. From 1816 until the end of his reign, the Humanitarian Society received donations totaling 1,327,950 rubles, of which more than 600,000 came on behalf of the Emperor. During the reign of Nicholas I, the Humanitarian Society received donations in the amount of 9,606,203 rubles. Of these, about 7,000,000 were donations from various societies, institutions and individuals. The rest of the money came from the Tsar. Under Alexander II (1818-1881), 2,756,466 rubles were transferred to the Imperial Philanthropic Society by the monarch, while a total of 15,086,940 rubles were received. From Alexander III(1845-1894) received 1,167,105 rubles, while the total amount of donations was 21,362,298 rubles.

Nicholas I (1796-1855) donated 100,000 rubles to the Alexandria orphanage. banknotes, by 1884 amounting to 36,516 rubles. silver. Alexander II donated 70,000 rubles to the Department of Orphanages. to create an emerital (pension) fund. He also donated 1,000,000 rubles to the Office of the Empress Maria. in memory of his deceased wife.

In order to get a real idea of the size of these donations today, you need to multiply the mentioned amounts by one and a half (for the beginning of the 20th century), two, or even three (for more early periods) thousands.

Charitable activities of Catherine II. Myths and reality about the charitable activities of Catherine II.doc - Essay on the topic: Myths and reality about the charitable activities of Catherine II

2.3 Charitable activities of Catherine II

Collection of ideal social studies essays

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