printSocio-Demographic Portrait of a Modern Archival Volunteer in Russia
Gorlova N.I.
Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Department Prof., Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Leading Researcher, All-Russian Research Institute of Documentation and Archival Affairs, Moscow, Russia. GorlovaNat@yandex.ru
Gorlova N.I. Socio-Demographic Portrait of a Modern Archival Volunteer in Russia. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 9. P. 147-153
This paper explores archival volunteering as a promising field within the contemporary Russian volunteer movement. Based on the first exploratory online survey (2025) conducted by the All-Russian Research Institute of Archival Science and Records Management, it analyzes volunteers’ motivations, activities, and roles, such as event support, digitization, and visitor assistance. The findings show that most archival volunteers are over 35, often hold higher education degrees, and are motivated by the preservation of historical memory and civic engagement. Participation is usually periodic due to employment commitments, yet strongly linked to personal research interests. The results offer practical insights for improving volunteer management in archives, including recruitment, training, and recognition.
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