VISUALIZATION OF PHILANTHROPY IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE LATE 19TH – EARLY 20TH CENTURY AS A WAY TO FORM A CULTURE OF CHARITY

The article examines the techniques and practices of visualizing philanthropy as a way of forming a culture of charity in the Russian Empire in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. The basis of the charity culture in Russia was the moral values and spiritual traditions accepted in society. By the end of the 19th century, the main components of this culture had been formed in the Russian Empire, which included legislation in the field of philanthropy, traditionally established norms of philanthropist ethics, and an infrastructure consisting of charitable organizations and institutions. An example of visualization of charity events were posters about their holding in the form of social advertising of the late 19th – early 20th century. With the extremes of everyday life during the First World War, the need to collect donations increased dramatically. It was during this time that the visualization of charitable acts in support of war victims became widespread. Among the techniques to draw attention to the collection of donations in favour of soldiers and war victims were the issue of charity cards and vignettes, and postage stamps. Despite the fact that charity in the mass consciousness of Russians was a sphere with a lot of hardship and suffering as images of printed social advertising of the late 19th – early 20th century used instead of compassion - heroism and fortitude of those in need of help.