Women’s Philanthropy in the Russian Empire in the Early Nineteenth Century

The participation of women in philanthropic societies in the early nineteenth century provided women a 'path into public life' and ultimately 'redefined the boundaries between masculine and feminine spheres' in imperial Russia. The voluntary associations that appeared in response to the Napoleonic Invasion of 1812, were small in number and often short-lived. However, according to Rosslyn, they represented the first instance when Russian women 'emerged from the private domestic sphere' and 'claimed a place in associational life and in civil society'.