Minsk Charitable Brotherhood Society, founded in 1907, aimed to combat begging by accustoming the poor to labor. Unlike church brotherhoods, it was a secular organization that helped people find work and provided earnings to those in need.
The main principle of the society was encapsulated in the motto: "Do not feed, but teach to earn." Its members sought jobs for the poor, assisted them in finding employment, and strived to create conditions under which a physically healthy person could not live off alms. This was a sober, pragmatic approach that divided those in need into two groups: those who truly required support, and those who were capable but unwilling to work. The society's activities reflected the spirit of progressive charity of that time, when philanthropy was becoming a science, not merely an emotional impulse.
Unfortunately, the history of this organization proved to be short-lived. The outbreak of the 1917 revolution and the radical change of the state system led to the disappearance of private charitable societies. The functions of social care were transferred to the state.
Received 1 Kopek.
Minsk Charitable Brotherly Love Society.
