Development of legal basis of Russia’s social activity in the pre-revolutionary period

Social legislation formation was caused by rapid industrial development and necessity of human rights protection. The article offers a structured analysis of social legislation development in Russia in the pre-revolutionary period. The research aim is to identify the specific features of formation and development of Russia’s social functions in the pre-revolutionary period. To achieve this objective the following tasks are set: firstly, to identify the characteristics of labor legislation development, taking into account Russia’s economic development, secondly, to analyze the main features and trends of social functions, arisen in Russia, thirdly, to determine the patterns of modern development of state social activity in terms of building a social state. The legislation development was gradual, taking into account the specific character of socio-economic and ideological development of the European countries and Russia. One can single out several factors, significantly influenced social legislation development in the period under review: emergence of the public care under Peter the Great by means of mostly repressive measures; formation of labor relations in the form of exploitation with regard to serfdom; development of factory legislation by regulating labor of minors at first, and working and rest time then; emergence of state care of the helpless and people who are not able to work; first attempts to establish social insurance for employees in the beginning of the 20th century. The process of formation and development of the social legislation was successive, each stage reflected the specific character of state and society development. As a result, rather mature social functions of the Russian state, implemented by the social legislation, were established.