CHARITABLE AID TO CHILDREN IN EARLY 20TH CENTURY BAKU: THE ROLE OF NON-MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH21156-64

Keywords:

charities, Empress Maria’s institutions, Baku, Society for the Fight against Child Mortality, Friends of Children and Youth of Baku, Orphanage, Drop of Milk, Goutte de lait

Abstract

Research on charity, which gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has been documented in the scholarly works of Azerbaijani researchers such as N. Yakublu, L. Gadzhieva, S. Suleymanova, and F. Dzhabbarov. Furthermore, the topic of charity has been central to several dissertations, including S. Talibov’s “Cultural, Educational and Charitable Activities of the Azerbaijani Bourgeoisie, Late 19th – Early 20th Century”, M. Dzidzoev’s “Formation and Development of the Social Protection System in the North Caucasus in the Second Half of the 19th – Early 20th Century”, L. Ospishcheva’s “History of Charitable Organizations of Kuban, Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries”, and G. Ulyanov’s “Charity in the Russian Empire, Late 18th – Early 20th Century”). Notably, D. Dzhavadov, E. Dadashev, E. Dalgat, S. Gadzimagomedova, and T. Larionova have also presented findings on this subject at international conferences. Despite this body of work, the activities of non-Muslim children’s charitable organizations in Baku at the beginning of the 20th century remain largely understudied. This article addresses this gap by examining the activities and role of several significant charitable societies in Baku, drawing upon existing historiography and previously unpublished archival documents. The study emphasizes the role of the imperial family and the progressive Russian intelligentsia in organizing and supporting welfare for the poor and those facing hardship. In tracing the development of charitable activities, this article provides a chronology of this phenomenon within the Russian Empire, arguing that the establishment of charitable organizations received state-level support and their operations officially extended across the empire, including Northern Azerbaijan. The research indicates that charitable organizations focused on children’s health, education, and welfare effectively utilized available resources. Consequently, the strengthening of medical, health, and educational initiatives by these organizations positively influenced the reduction of negative issues associated with street children and children from impoverished families.

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Author Biography

  • Salala Vagif Bagirova, Azerbaijan University of Languages
    PhD, Associate Professor

References

Larionova TP. Charitable activities in pre-revolutionary Russia: issues of coordination. Scientific notes of Kazan University. Humanitarian sciences. 152; 5: 7-17.

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Ismayilova SA. Charitable Activities in Azerbaijan: Particularity and Development Traditions. Society: sociology, psychology, pedagogy. 2014;3: 72-74.

Baghirova ShV. The Organization of Healthcare and Patronage during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Baku: Sciense and Education, 2019. 151 p.

Kolganova E.V. The origin of the system of protection of motherhood and infancy in Russia in the late XIX – early XX centuries. Bulletin of Moscow University. Series 8. History. 2011;6: 37-49.

Yaqublu N. Founders of the Republic. Baku: Nurlar, 2018. 503 p.

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Published

2025-04-14

Issue

Section

History

How to Cite

1.
Bagirova SV. CHARITABLE AID TO CHILDREN IN EARLY 20TH CENTURY BAKU: THE ROLE OF NON-MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS. ИАЭК. 2025;21(1):56-64. doi:10.32653/CH21156-64