The Nikolo-Pestrovsky local committee for the wounded: experience of a private initiative to assist soldiers during the First World War

The purpose of this study is to analyze a private initiative providing assistance to wounded and sick soldiers during the First World War, using the example of the activities of the Nikolo-Pestrovsky Local Committee for the Wounded. The article examines the organizational aspects of the committee's work, including the establishment and maintenance of a hospital, the mechanism for collecting and distributing donations, and the management structure. Attention is paid to studying the experience of civil self-organization aimed at providing medical care and caring for the wounded, as well as the difficulties faced by participants in the initiative. The scholarly novelty of the research lies in systematizing the experience of private initiatives to assist wounded and sick soldiers, using the example of a specific committee, which allows for identifying characteristic features of public activity in the rear during the First World War. As a result of the study, it was established that such forms of assistance were based on the principles of solidarity and patriotism, reflecting a high degree of civic engagement, which, despite resource constraints and external difficulties, made it possible to provide significant support to wounded soldiers. The example given remains relevant for understanding historical experience and the possible application of its principles in modern conditions.