The role of the Russian state as an institutional agent of charity in overcoming social inequality

The article substantiates the legitimacy and the possibility of referring charity to social institutions. Social inequality is interpreted in the context of the study as a stimulus and determinant for the development of the institution of charity, which is expressed in a change in the role of institutional agents, among which the state comes first. Some types of social inequality, which are inherent in Russian society are described, directly or indirectly due to the monetary (income) difference. The efforts of the state as an institutional agent of charity are aimed at overcoming the following types, such as inequality in place of residence, education, age, familistic inequality, housing inequality. The novelty of the research lies in the substantiation of the fact that the state, by regulating the activities of charitable, socially oriented non-profit and volunteer organizations, by determining the directions of their charitable activities, becomes indirectly an institutional agent of charity.