By Vera Zakharova
What makes people give their time and money to others?
The answer for this question is essential for the history of charity as well as for social psychology.
Both those who give and those who take face a number of moral dilemmas.
The majority of ";Western democracies"; have developed more or less effective social structures to protect and provide for the poor and the needy in their communities.
Russia has never had such firm state structures.
The idea of communal life and the enthusiasm of the first years of Soviet Russia created many places where homeless children could be brought up with adequate diet, standards of living and education.
Gradually these organizations evolved into what we know now as state children';s homes.
Old people';s homes evolved in a similar fashion.
The reputation of both categories of institution has sunk lower and lower in recent years.
The State system was not able to support the disabled or the simply destitute (in official doctrine, the latter category did not exist).
The majority of non-governmental institutions helping the homeless or sick children, the disabled and the poor are run or supported by Western partners (The Union of Russian Samaritans, Psalm 23, Red Cross, The Blue Raven).
Even state children';s homes are supplied by Western humanitarian aid.
However questionable some aspects of the activities of institutions of this kind can be --; for example, misuse of funds or insufficient understanding of the local situation --; they do provide many with a place to sleep, food, clothes and even medical care.
There are more and more young people who come to Russia for various reasons and who are ready to give some of their time to volunteer work.
But the information about the activities of non-govermental organizations which are the first to be interested in volunteers and open enough to take them is mainly spread by word of mouth.
Here is a roundup of some of the more prominent charities in St Petersburg:
Russian-German Exchange (Deutch-Russischer Austausch)
Address: 104 Nevsky Prospect. Tel 273-91-49.
RGE is the first attempt to create an institution with permanent representatives in St Petersburg that not only supports various projects but accumulates information.
It concentrates on social work, youth work, the human rights movement and the mass media.
The group has contacts with state and private bodies and it runs seminars and exchange programs.
It aims to establish structures that will be able to function independently, without Western support.
RGE's successful projects include a soup kitchen for homeless people, a medical seminar and a month-long placement for about 50 Russian journalists in German newspapers. The group is ready to provide potential volunteers with useful addresses or even take a few of them for a placement.
One thing is essential it seems --; ";We';ve realized that good knowledge of Russian is very important.
";There';s no much sense to go to children';s homes if you do not speak their language,"; says Maria Marginter, a spokeswoman for the group.
Peter';s Children
Meetings are on every second Thursday in the Tbilisi room of the Nevskij Palace Hotel, 57 Nevsky Prospect. Tel. 275-7785 (Kathy).
The women from Peter';s Children do not see Russian as being essential.
As one of them says, ";You can do painting with kids and a gesture or a smile can say a lot.";
Work with children is very demanding. ";They see every newcomer as their possible foster-parent,"; says Margareta von der Borch, a student from Berlin who has been involved for the last few years.
The Union of Russian Samaritans
Address: 22 Tramvayny Prospect. Information center, Tel 255-2835 (Oleg, Irina).
A subdivision of Germany';s Arbeiter Samariterbund, the Union of Russian Samaritans is another organization interested in volunteers'; help.
Social workers buy food, cook and do all kinds of housework for the poor and the disabled.
The chairman of the Union, Vladimir Smiryagin, welcomes volunteers.
He did add that ";Young people from the West must be aware of the terrible conditions in which many elderly St Petersburg residents live --; otherwise they may get a serious psychological shock.";
The Memorial Society
Address: 8 Izmaylovsky Prospect. Tel 259-9145.
Memorial is a society consisting of old people, victims of political repression.
They help people in their homes, deliver humanitarian aid parcels and translate annotations to German medicines. Very few in the society speak Russian, so they need volunteers with some Russian.
The society does occassionally organize short language courses which volunteers can attend before they start work with the organization.
Janusz Korczak Society.
(Write to: Volunteers Work Project, Janusz Korczak Society, Syezzhinskaya 25-19, 197198 St Petersburg.)
The society, is working on The Organization of Volunteer Work for Foreign Students project.
They are trying to find institutions willing to take young foreigners as helpers. Interested persons can write to the society for more information and application forms.
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