Public Welfare as One of the Directions of Activity of Zemstvos in Yekaterinoslav Region in 1914–1918

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze the contribution of zemstvos in Yekaterinoslav province during the World War First to the development of the system of public welfare in the province.Methods of research – historiographical analysis and synthesis, comparative and descriptive methods of cognition.The system of public welfare began to be formed after the Zemstvoʼs reform in 1864. Gradually, the main directions of rural care were distinguished: care for servicemen who devoted a significant part of their lives to the army or had special merits; care for persons deprived of livelihood (orphans, incurable ill); care for persons suffering from mental disorders. Zemstvos at their own expense kept orphanages, mansions, homes for the incurably ill, educational-handicrafts homes-invalids. nurseries and temporary shelters for children whose parents were busy with agricultural work. The undeniable merit of Zemstvos was that social protection began to be regarded as one of the most important social affairs, which was extremely relevant in the context of the growing number of people in need of protection, especially during the First World War. However, despite some progress in the organization of social protection, the size of the zemstvos in the field of care with low-income sections of society were insufficient.The results obtained during the study can be used during the teaching of the course "History of Ukraine", studies of local lore.The scientific novelty of the study is to analyze statistical data on the work of zemstvos Yekaterinoslav province in the field of public welfare.The article is of an exploratory nature.