Target Capital of the Zabaikal’sk Merchants as One of the Main Mechanisms for the Development of Pre-Revolutionary Philanthropy

Based on a comprehensive analysis of archival documents, statistical materials and published sources, the article examines the philanthropic activities of the trans-Baikal merchants, which were expressed in the form of the establishment of endowment funds to finance educational and social institutions in the region (the eastern part of Irkutsk province).The study covers the period from the end of the 19 th to the beginning of the 20 th century, when the charitable activity of the merchant class reached its peak.The focus is on Chita, Nerchinsk, Verkhneudinsk and Kyakhtin merchants, whose activities were directly related to the development of pre-revolutionary philanthropy in the region.Special attention is paid to the study of the mechanisms of formation and use of charitable capital, as well as their impact on the social development of the territory.The study revealed the number, size and purpose of charitable investments of merchants, as well as the specific results achieved through these donations.The analysis showed that the philanthropic activity of the merchants was systemic in nature and was aimed at solving the most important social problems of the region.The author comes to the conclusion that there is a stable correlation between the number of "eternal contributions" and the level of development of educational institutions and public welfare institutions in the territory under consideration.Donations made by merchants in the form of targeted contributions covered all categories of the needy population, including orphans, the elderly, the sick and the poor.The study demonstrates that charity in the region has developed progressively, from individual donations to the creation of organized forms of assistance in the form of relief societies and charitable foundations.Merchants acted not only as a source of financing, but also as an organizer of charitable activities, which contributed to the formation of an effective system of social support for the population of Transbaikalia.The results obtained allow us to speak about the significant contribution of the trans-Baikal merchants to the development of the social infrastructure of the region and the formation of traditions of charity, which remain relevant at the present time.