Patronage in Russia as a sociocultural phenomenon

This article discusses the essential features of Russian patronage and its sociocultural value, as well as the causes of its origin. It theoretises that patronage is gratuitous support of the culture representatives and mutual assistance between a creator and a patron as a result of the creative process. Particular attention is paid to the issues associated with the history of patronage in Russia. The authors reveal the value of this phenomenon for the Russian culture. Much attention is paid to the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.