The Volunteer Movement in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic: A Resource of Civil Society and the Social Base of Volunteering

In the contemporary world, characterized by growing social uncertainty, the fragmentation of traditional forms of solidarity, and simultaneously a demand for consolidation, the volunteer movement serves not only as a tool for targeted assistance but also as a barometer of the maturity of civil society. It is precisely within regional communities, where ethnocultural traditions of mutual aid intersect with new institutional practices, that the real processes of the formation of volunteering take place. The article presents the results of a sociological study of the volunteer movement in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (April–May 2025, questionnaire survey, N=550). The findings demonstrate that a sustainable value foundation for the development of volunteering has been formed in the republic, integrating traditional norms of mutual assistance inherent to North Caucasian society with modern civic practices. An intensive influx of new activists is observed, indicating the high attractiveness of volunteer activity across various age and social groups. The motivational structure of volunteers combines altruistic aspirations (helping vulnerable categories, solving socially significant problems) with rational demands for personal development, professional skill acquisition, and the expansion of social networks. The volunteer movement in Kabardino-Balkaria is in a phase of dynamic institutional formation, which creates opportunities for its further organizational consolidation, as well as risks associated with the need to develop effective coordination mechanisms and prevent emotional burnout among activists. The results contribute to the regional sociology of volunteering and can inform targeted youth and social policies in multi-ethnic regions of Russia.