The Problem of Volunteer Self-Identification as a Feature of the Development of the Volunteer Movement in Russia

This article presents the results of a study dedicated to the self-identification of volunteers. The author exam-ines the issue of participants in the volunteer movement refusing to perceive and represent themselves as vol-unteers. Based on an expert survey of leaders from various volunteer organizations – social, environmental, patriotic, and tourism-oriented – the author identifies several reasons for this phenomenon. The reluctance to identify as volunteers may be linked to internal value systems (mentality, religiosity, upbringing), contradictions of true and declared volunteering, a desire to avoid time-consuming reporting, and potential reputational risks. Additionally, the indistinct separation of volunteering from other socially significant activities – such as charity, good neighborliness, and civic activism – is highlighted as a contributing factor. The author also considers the ambiguity in the use of the terms “volunteer” and “voluntarist” as a probable cause.