HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY FORMS OF ASSISTANCE IN RUSSIAN SOCIETY IN THE XVIII - FIRST HALF OF THE XIX CENTURY
The article presents a historical overview of the formation of a system of fundamentally new social relations in the 18 - first half of the 19 centuries, when social practices on a voluntary basis become a form of civic self-realization of estate groups in Russian society, manifestations of high morality and spirituality. The main emphasis is placed on the socio-historical features of the development of free forms of assistance and support for the socially vulnerable part of the population, the role of the voluntary public in maintaining social stability and combating the negative phenomena of life. The paper shows the specific organizational forms, contents, directions and principles of volunteerism in the system of charitable institutions (the Imperial philanthropic society, the Society for Visiting the Poor, the Society for the Guardians of Prisons, etc.), and methods for working with the voluntary public. The study of this unique historical experience of social self-organization is based on the involvement of a wide range of documentary sources, which will significantly clarify the methodological, source-study and substantive aspects of volunteering in the considered chronological framework.