The first organization using this name was founded in St. Petersburg in 1870 by L. I. Kornilova, Serdyukov, L. V. Sinegubov, and Vera Figner, and aided arrested Narodniki.
The society received funding for its activities from charity concerts, literary readings, fundraising events, and voluntary donations from the intelligentsia.
One of the most active organization in the 1910s was a group assisting political prisoners held in the Shlisselburg Fortress, directed by M. L. Lihtenshtadt, A.
In 1918 the Moscow Committee of the Political Red Cross was created by Nikolai Muravyov, Catherine Peshkova, and M. L. Vinaver.
This organization aided relatives of those arrested by making inquiries about where the prisoners were held, providing them with material assistance, and petitioning the authorities for their release.