In 1765, by decree of Her Imperial Majesty Catherine II, the oldest public organization, the Free Economic Society, was formed. It was independent of the Government, which is why it was called Free. The special position and rights of the organization were confirmed by each successor of Catherine II during his accession to the throne. And even more than that, quite often the Free Economic Society received impressive sums from the treasury to implement their ideas.
The Goal of the Free Economic Society
A whole group of courtiers representing the interests of liberal-minded nobles and scientists, headed by M. V. Lomonosov, stood at the origin of the formation of the organization. At that time, these people put forward very revolutionary ideas:
- Development of the monetary economy.
- Industrial production growth.
- The abolition of serfdom.
True, Elizaveta Petrovna, who ruled then, did not support them. And only Catherine II allowed the project to begin and encouraged it in every possible way. Free Economic Society opendeclared the primacy of the interests of the state, which should develop based on efficient economic activity.
Getting Started
And back in 1765, finally, the Charter of the organization was adopted. The establishment of the Free Economic Society contributed to the solution of the tasks of "increasing the people's well-being in the state by bringing management to a better state." The first step was to hold a competition among 160 specialists representing various states. The main topic was the distribution of the right to land owners to bring maximum benefit to their country.
The main merits of IVEO before the Empire
The creation of the Free Economic Society was of great importance for the state. Among the merits of the organization both to the reigning dynasty and to the people of the country, it should be noted:
- Initiation of the abolition of serfdom.
- Universal Primary Education.
- Beginning of the work of statistical committees.
- Establishment of the first cheese factories.
- Distribution and popularization of new species and varieties of various cultivated plants (in particular, potatoes and others).
Publishing and educational activities
The members of the organization tried to convey their work on the intensification of agricultural production, increasing the industrial power of the state and many other topics to the widest possiblethe masses of the population. The Free Economic Society of Russia published both monographs and periodicals. The library of the organization consisted of almost two hundred thousand monographs, and in the collection of Zemstvo publications there were more than forty thousand copies of brochures and books. At various times, such prominent thinkers of the Russian Empire as I. F. Kruzenshtern, A. M. Butlerov, G. R. Derzhavin, D. I. Mendeleev, N. V. Vereshchagin, P. P. Semenov-Tyan were members of the Society -Shansky, V. V. Dokuchaev, A. and L. Eulers, A. S. Stroganov, V. G. Korolenko, L. N. Tolstoy, A. A. Nartov, A. N. Senyavin and many others.
Contribution to the defense of the country
The First World War forced to mobilize everything that the Russian Empire had. The Free Economic Society did not stand aside either. In its structure in Moscow, a special unit was created for the needs of the troops - Voentorg. His tasks included providing officers who were directly involved in hostilities with various goods at reduced prices.
Collapse and rebirth
The activities of the IEVO structures were severely undermined by the world war and subsequent revolutions. And after the events of 1917, the organization of Russian economists ceased to exist. Work resumed only after many years. In the seventies of the last century, the restoration of the public association of leading economists began. At this time, the need arose again to improve the economic activity of the state. It was then that economists organized their own organization - the NEO. The newly formed Community carried out work throughoutcountry. Already at the end of the eighties, the transformation of the NEO took place. It became known as the "All-Union Economic Community".
Modern activities of the VEO
In the early nineties, a significant event took place. The Organization of Russian Economists again regained its former historical name. Now it has become known as the Free Economic Society of Russia. A great contribution to the restoration of the work of the organization was made by Professor Popov. Today VEO operates in every region of Russia. This organization employs thousands of scientists and various specialists. The VEO seeks to use historical experience to play a major role in understanding the problems facing the national economy of the country. The organization pursues the goal of raising Russian entrepreneurship. This large army of economists and administrative workers must find a new approach to solving the pressing economic problems of the country's development.
Research
The organization is engaged in major scientific programs. The most famous of them:
- "Russia and the 21st century".
- Development of women's business.
- Research on national and economic security issues.
- Programs related to the development of small and medium businesses.
Modern VEO Editions
In Russia, the organization again began to publish "Scientific Works". BehindIn the first three years of activity, 4 volumes were printed, which are devoted to the most pressing problems of the domestic economy. Scientific Works publishes articles by Russia's most famous economists. WEO also issued:
- Analytical and informational publications.
- "Economic Bulletin of Russia".
- Monthly "The Past: History and Management Experience".
Revival of views
With the help of the active work of the VEO, the tradition of holding various national competitions was restored. At the end of the 1990s, the Moscow government and the VEO held reviews in which young scientists, many students and pupils took part. Two topics were considered: "Russia and the beginning of the 21st century" and "Moscow - the basis of the country's economic development." Being a part of the International Union, which united the workers of the economic sector, the VEO is working to improve the country's integration ties in the current system.
VEO developments
Among the numerous works, a few stand out:
- Employment of the population, unemployment problems.
- Investments, finances and the possibility of cash investments.
- Further improvement of the banking system.
- Caspian Sea: problems, choice of directions and priority solutions.
- Environmental issues.
- Increased economic growth.
All proposed work of the VEO is supported and approved by the President and the Government of the Russian Federation.
