ABSTRACT
The development of social work is a response to new challenges: it is a means of supporting those less fit for life’s struggle and a device for promoting social integration. Social work education was introduced to universities in 1991 and has since expanded rapidly. At the beginning of the transitional period, social pedagogy was a convenient model upon which to build Russian social work. The historical links of present day social work in Russia with what was termed ‘ideological work’ under communism also have certain repercussions in the professional culture. Social work practitioners in Russia turn increasingly to the West to use collective experience for guiding principles and professional standards. The system of social security in Russia consisted of three basic elements: provision for those unable to work; protection for those facing temporary hardship; and support for those incapable of managing life independently.
