Guardianship organizations about families of mobilized solders in 1914-1917 (on materials of the Barnaul county of Tomsk province)

The article examines the activities of the urban and rural guardianship organizations over families of mobilized in the Barnaul county of Tomsk province during the First World War. With the help of the analysis of periodicals, documents of the State archive of the Altai region the author identified the sources of revenues, staff members, type and direction of assistance. The author shown that the creation of the urban guardianship organization in Barnaul was made possible by the social initiative of the educated strata of society (officials, teachers, doctors, and merchants). They carried out a survey and recorded the information about the financial state and the composition of the soldiers' families, received applications and complaints, advised and provided targeted assistance. Cash funds of organization were formed by the City Council fundings and private donations. Guardianship organization payed the official benefit to the members of soldiers' families, as well as an additional benefit (the same amount) of its own money. Common-law wife and illegitimate children did not receive an allowance from the state, but received a double subsidy from the guardianship organization. Decision-making processes of welfare, expenditure, reporting were as open as possible. The economic situation in Barnaul became seriously complicated in 1916: food prices rose, inflation, speculation and a lack of industrial goods began. A charitable organization could not collect a lot of donations, as incomes fell. City authorities declared bankruptcy in January 1917, and therefore the funding of welfare has decreased dramatically. The organization of an effective system of assistance to the soldiers' families in rural areas failed. The activity of rural guardianship organizations was actually reduced only to the issuance of state benefits. Low levels of literacy, general and legal culture, public interest and welfare of the peasants hindered the consolidation of the rural population. The author notes that throughout the county families of soldiers had a low level of trust in the guardianship organizations staff as perceived those state servants, and were poorly informed about their activities. As a result, there was a high level of strife between the trustees and recipients, urgent staff problem, poor performance in attracting charitable funds. During the entire period of war guardianship organizations experienced financial difficulties, that led to their instability and rapid transition into crisis.

Keywords

Authors

References