Water rescuers of the Russian Empire in the mid 19th and early 20th century: origins, structure, efficiency

The author analyses prehistory of the rescue services on seas and rivers of the russian empire, researches the efficiency of the official, charitable, commercial organizations which took part in rescue operations on waters. understanding of this process shows the complex appearance of types of rescue operations and their specialized structures. By the way, the disadvantages that organizations in this sphere faced in the early 20th century were a serious barrier for their development.