International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science Vol. 3 No. 8 October, 2015 About history of women's charity Korotkova S.A. Phd in History, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Political Science National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow), 13Iliynka, Moscow, 103070 Email:
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[email protected] Abstract This review is devoted to the history of foreign and Russian women's charity from the first centuries of Christian history to the present day. After the first two centuries of Christianity deaconnesses started instructed women, visited the sick, the poor, and Christians in prisons. In the age of the Crusades women began to found spiritual communes, the first commune was established in XII century in Belgium. Such movement became widespead in European countries in middle ages and modern history. In XX-XXI centuries this work goes on. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Diana, Princess of Wales, actress Audrey Hupburn and others involve in humanitarian activity and social activism. In Russia Christianity charity developed in a special direction: love for the poor. KievanRus had the most well-organised system of ''social care'' in medieval Europe. The history of charitable organisations in Russia can be divided into two stages. The first stage, from mid-16th century to 1862, is the period when charitable organisations were establishing themselves in Russia. The second period, from 1862 to 1906, is the golden age of Russian societies of charity and mercy. Our contemporaries continue the traditions of charity. Among them we can name RaisaGorbacheva, Russian actresses, ChulpanKhamatova and Dina Korzun, Natalia Vodianova and other.