Social and cultural phenomenon of Russian patronage of the arts

In article patronage as a sociocultural phenomenon is considered, his intrinsic features are marked out. It is noted that patronage is disinterested aid to representatives of culture, communicative connection of the creator (object) and the patron (subject) in creative process. For article the questions connected with patronage history in Russia are fundamental. The author emphasizes a huge role of this phenomenon in development of the Russian culture. The special attention is paid to a turn of the 19-20th centuries.