Дейността на петербургския руско-български дамски благотворителен комитет през Балканската война 1912 г.
Activities of the Petersburg Russian-Bulgarian Ladies Charity Committee during the 1912 Balkan War

Touches to the Russian donation for Bulgarian heroes and war orphans

Summary/Abstract: In the early days of the Balkan war, which began on October 5th, 1912 against Turkey, a Russian-Bulgarian Ladies Charity Committee was spontaneously founded in St. Petersburg. It included Bulgarians who resided in the city of Neva, and Russians who sympathized with the Bulgarian cause. The purpose of this committee was to assist the Bulgarian army that was fighting against the enemies at the most difficult Thracian Front. The Committee worked in parallel with The Slavic Charity Society and other similar newly established Russian unions and organizations. It coordinated its activities with the Bulgarian government and personally with the Bulgarian plenipotentiary Sava Bobchev. On the basis of the newly published archival materials and documents, the article clarifies moments from the history of the establishment and organization of the Russian- Bulgarian Ladies Charity Committee, its links with the Bulgarian representation in St. Petersburg and the specific use of the collected volunteer amounts. In the article, for the first time, attention is paid to Queen Eleonora’s participation and activity as a representative of the Bulgarian Red Cross and her help in the rational packing of consignments, containing sanitary materials, food and clothes necessary for the needs at the battlefield. The paper gives an opportunity to trace the voluntary participation of representatives of all branches of the Russian community to assist to allied countries against Turkey and in particular to Bulgaria and its “valiant and incredible brothers in arms”.

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