Armenian Philanthropic Society in the Context of the Social Policy of the Russian Empire of the XIX - Early XX Century

The authors examine in detail the activities of the Armenian Philanthropic Society and its role in the public life of the Russian Empire. The relevance of the research is conditioned by the importance of the study of the history of Armenian-Russian relations for the deepening and development of cooperation between these nations at present. The purpose of the paper is to reveal the role of the Armenian Philanthropic Society in the charitable activities of the Russian Empire in order to demonstrate the intensity and productivity of Armenian-Russian relations in different historical periods. The scientific novelty lies in the study of a large number of unique archival documents provided by the National Archive of Armenia. The materials of the study are both the archival documents directly related to the Armenian Philanthropic Society and the works of scholars dedicated to this subject. The methodological basis of the study is historical-genetic and comparative-historical methods, which allowed to deeply analyze the process of origin and development of charity in the Russian Empire in general and the activities of the Armenian Philanthropic Society in particular. The results of the study indicate the significant role of the Armenian Philanthropic Society in the public life of Transcaucasia, which it was able to occupy thanks to the tireless support of the Armenian population. The Society played a huge role in the consolidation of the Armenian national identity. During the years of its activity the society managed to become an example of realization of the charitable mission. A new trend in the charitable sphere emerged in the second half of the XIX century, during the era of the reforms of Alexander II. The Armenian Philanthropic Society, having defined fundamental national priorities in the realization of its mission, managed to fit safely into the Russian paradigm of moral values.