Аbdullaev D.N. Philanthropy and the activities of russian charitable societies in Turkestan (the second half of the 19th - early 20th century)

DOI:10.22394/2225-8272-2024-13-1-166-174 EDN: OKLBUN

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the activities of Russian charitable societies in
Turkestan from the second half of the 19th to the early 20th century. The study provides a better
understanding of the role and significance of philanthropy at the interfaces between different cultures
and civilizations. The analysis of charitable societies’ activities identifies their contribution to the so
cial development of the region and assesses their impact on the formation of the Russian society
image in front of the residents. The study helps to trace the approaches evolution of philanthropy and
public participation during historical changes that took place in Central Asia from the second half of
the 19th to the early 20th century. Ultimately, the aim of the study is to identify the impact of Russian
charitable organizations on the social and cultural interaction and mutual understanding between
different ethnic and religious groups in Turkestan.
Due to the region’s features and the difficulty in obtaining reliable data, the research subject is
not carefully studied. Various restrictions and partial loss present special difficulties in accessing
archival materials. Moreover, a comprehensive and comparative analysis of various sources and
data should be done to form valid conclusions about the role and influence of Russian charitable
organizations in Turkestan. The research requires an interdisciplinary approach and extensive work
on the analysis of texts, archival materials, statistical data, and other sources to get an objective view
on philanthropic activities in Turkestan from the second half of the 19th to the early 20th century.
The author uses historical research methods to analyze the sources such as archival documents,
publications, and statistical data on philanthropy and charitable societies’ activities in Turkestan. The
historical analysis provide primary information about the goals, mechanisms and results of their activ
ities. A critical review and a historical reconstruction helps to recreate the chronology of events relat
ed to the activities of Russian charitable societies and to reveal their impact on the social develop
ment of the region. The goal of a comparative analysis is to compare the Russian charitable organi
zations’ experience in Turkestan with those in other regions. The interdisciplinary approach helps to
use the different fields of knowledge tools to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the philanthropy
history in Turkestan.
As a result, the author concludes that the study helps to enrich historical knowledge about the
region, especially in social and cultural interactions between different ethnic and social groups. The
historical review of Russian charitable organizations’ experience in Turkestan gives recommenda
tions for contemporary ones to help them develop effective activity strategies.
The research results can serve as the starting point for a new academic work in history, sociolo
gy, cultural studies and other disciplines related to philanthropy and social responsibility.