Public Service Person's Day

In the USSR, children from a very early age were instilled with love for the Motherland and work, respect for parents and reverence for older people Every Soviet citizen, in addition to studying and working, was obliged to participate in socially useful activities Schoolchildren collected scrap metal and waste paper, took charge of children and poor students, and helped veterans of the Great Patriotic War Every autumn, students and intellectual workers went to collective farms to harvest crops - “to harvest potatoes” Participation in subbotniks, duty in the DND, bailing out colleagues who abused alcohol, and other socially useful work were considered commonplace He was the moral norm of Soviet people Altruism is still a part of people's lives today September 20 is the Day of Socially Useful Person It is celebrated by all who give freely of their time and money to help others Despite its critical attitude towards tsarism, the Soviet Union continued the traditions of selfless concern for the well-being of people established in the Russian Empire Thus, in 1860, the publishing house “Public Benefit” was founded in St Petersburg, which was engaged in the publication of works of art for youth, historical treatises and works on natural science Free assistance for the development of science and art from patrons was a common occurrence in the Russian Empire Merchants Savva Morozov, Pavel Tretyakov, Alexey Bakhrushin and Savva Mamontov opened museums and theaters and were engaged in the revival of ancient crafts and folk crafts Princess Maria Tenisheva took part in educational activities - thanks to her, a vocational school for the children of workers, an art studio, evening courses and a club were opened Books under the brand "Printing House of the Public Benefit Partnership" continued to be printed until 1917 The work of patrons did not go in vain after the Bolsheviks came to power - their collections of works of art became exhibits of the Russian Antiquity Museum in Smolensk, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts AS Pushkin in Moscow The traditions of Russian merchants continue today Public benefit is one of the motives for the activities of representatives of large businesses who sponsor cultural foundations and donate paintings and sculptures by ancient masters and other works of art to museums and galleries of the Russian Federation Russian actors take an active part in charitable activities Thanks to the foundations and their campaigns, expensive treatments and medical services become available to children and adults Socially Useful Person Day is also a holiday for volunteers who help people with Down syndrome free of charge Volunteers provide them with psychological and informational support, work as escorts, and place “sunny children” in foster families The holiday, which falls on September 20, is celebrated by owners of homeless animal shelters, volunteers participating in nature conservation activities - in short, all people for whom altruism and social benefit are not an empty phrase, but are considered the norm of life