Charitable activity of the Orthodox clergy of the Ekaterinoslav diocese at the beginning of the First World War (1914-1915).

Abstract

The military and political events during August-September of 1914 resulted in the active incorporation of clerical institutions of the Katerynoslav diocese in organizing systemic and ideological support and material provision for the political course of the Russian autocracy, practical implementation of numerous internal political campaigns aimed at strengthening the state system and defence capabilities of the country, increasing the combat spirit of the current army and naval forces, participation in the mobilization of conscripts, consolidating the population for the practical solution of a number of socio-economic and agricultural problems caused by the war. A significant component of the organization of charity in the Katerynoslav diocese was the provision of systematic material assistance to the personnel of the military units of the Russian army. As a rule, it was mostly implemented in various forms: collecting donations for military purposes, organizing the systematic supply of warm clothes, shoes, bedding and underwear, necessary military equipment, foodstuffs, medicines, articles of daily necessity, tobacco and personal hygiene products. One of the major directions of charitable activity of the Orthodox clergy during the First World War was the organization of a chain of hospitals and military sick quarters which provided the necessary medical assistance to the wounded and sick soldiers and officers. At the initial stage of the First World War, the Orthodox clergy of the Katerynoslav diocese participated actively in the organization and conducting of numerous charitable events and campaigns aimed at providing financial and material assistance to the low-income categories of the population suffering from hostilities. The charitable activity of the Orthodox clergy met the principal needs of the Russian society and played an important role in the depreciation and smoothing of destructive phenomena of social entropy caused by the war. However, due to the economic crisis determined by the exponential growth of the military conflict, the gradual destruction of the economic system, the elimination of the financial resources of a great part of charitable institutions and private benefactors, the rapid increase of the population in need, the charitable activity of the church could not reach its goal and effectively solve a set of urgent problems of social protection of the population of the country and Prydniprovsk region.