Care of the families of the Russian empire military services in the 18th – early 20th centuries (on the materials of the Tomsk province)
Authors:   Tomsk State Pedagogical University, Dunbinskaya Tatyana I. , Shevlyakov Alexander S. ,   Tomsk State University
Published: December 2024

The army in the life of the Russian state at all times of its existence was of the paramount importance. The presence of modern armed forces made it possible to preserve the independence of the country, ensure the stability of the existence of all spheres of society, and hope for a well-organized prosperous future.
The combat capability of the army depends not only on its equipment with various types of weapons, its tactical training, experience and wisdom of its commanders, but, in many respects, on the spiritual mood, the desire to defend their Motherland. Love for the Motherland begins with an individual perception of the world: love for the family, father's home, understanding that the family is a part of a diverse and multidimensional world called the Fatherland. Only the extreme situation of an enemy attack on this well-organized, beloved world, the threat of its loss, makes you forget about the mortal risk and rush to its defense. That is why it is so important for any military man to know that his family will be saved, taken care of, in case of loss of a breadwinner, children will receive support from the state, they will be given the opportunity to get an education and find their place in this difficult and rather cruel life.
The charity system for the families of military men has evolved gradually since the 18th century, since the time of Peter the Great, when a professional army appeared in Russia, and this system has been constantly improved. The amount of assistance to the families of military men from the state depended on many factors: from the gradual awareness of the need for such assistance by society to the financial and material capabilities of the state. The assistance was provided in accordance with the social origin and military rank division.
With the introduction in the country, in 1874, of universal conscription, a completely new system of army recruitment, it
was necessary to revise the entire system of supporting families of military personnel. It was necessary to increase sharply the scale of such assistance, for which it was necessary to involve the public, create charitable foundations, use 12 Проблемы отечественной истории / Problems of history of Russia local financial resources, and help of fellow villagers. This was new to the country. In fact, the permanent composition of the army is an officer; private soldiers are, in effect, all the male population of the country undergoing military training during military service. The article reveals the main stages of the creation and development of a system of state assistance to the families of soldiers and officers in the country, from the first steps in this direction, taken during the time of Peter the Great, to the systemic legislation of Russia on the care of families of military personnel drawn up by the beginning of the First World War. Based on the materials of the Tomsk province, a specific mechanism for providing assistance to the families of the dead military personnel by the state is investigated, specific figures and facts are given that characterize the amount of this assistance in kind or in cash. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the activities of state structures designed to provide charity to military families: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Guardianship of Empress Maria Feodorovna, the Alekseevsky Committee, etc. The example of the Tomsk province reveals public initiatives to help the children of soldiers and officers who died on the battlefields.