The word "volunteer" comes from the Latin root meaning "voluntary". Volunteers help those who are in trouble, and after February 24, there were many more such people — the UN estimates the number of Ukrainian refugees at almost eight million people.Three years ago, in our issue about philanthropists, one important conclusion was made — the motivation to help others, as a rule, is associated with helping yourself, sometimes even unconsciously.However, now the circumstances of our life and the world around us have changed so much that we decided to ask these questions again — what motivates volunteers to help others? And how do those they help and the authorities of the countries where they live treat them? Collected stories of volunteers from Europe, Russia and Georgia