History of insurance
Before we start talking about the phenomenon of insurance, note the original meaning of the word. "Fear" - based on this meaning cognate to it "insurance". The fear element, destroying crops, the fear of robbers and plunderers, that fear led people to recognize the need for insurance.

Insurance has developed gradually, over time more and more perfected, but its origins go as far into the past that it is impossible to establish the exact date of its occurrence.

But let's start from a distance.

Already over two thousand years before our era there was kind of insurance. For example, participants trade caravan had to negotiate in advance the fact that the assault, theft, natural troubles they suffer losses together. This provision was written into the statute books of the Babylonian king Hammurabi.

Interested in the insurance industry in the Roman Empire, which practiced the idea of ​​"vspomolazhivaniya", which was later adopted and other nations. It was that there were so-called college, joining the who (making, of course, pre-payment), the family received some money in case of death of a family member to cover expenses for burial. A similar situation was in medieval Germany, where merchant guilds were formed, assists people who have suffered damage caused by theft or robbery.

As time began to happen the separation of certain types of insurance. By the beginning of the XVIII century has separated itself three kinds: loss of cattle insurance, fire insurance and marine insurance. The latter occurred in the XIII century, appearing legitimate consequence of the development of merchant shipping and flotovodstva in countries such as France, Holland, England.

The development of production and technology led to the strengthening and expansion of insurance companies in European countries, as well as increase the services they offer. There is private insurance, but due to the stratification of society into rich and poor, it is not so widely spread, few could afford to insure their lives from accidents, yet these people are.

In the first half of XX century insurance gets more intensive development, is the monopolization of the insurance, the accumulation and concentration of capital insurance, investment funds in insurance industry, industry and agriculture. But by the middle of the XX century began to emerge the largest syndicates and companies. Legendary is a corporation, "Lloyd", which consisted of about 30 000 private insurance companies.

Throughout the history of insurance existed (and there will be) a lot of companies I want to bring some of them exist, by the way, to this day:

- Allianz (German Allianz AG) - formed February 5, 1890 in Berlin.

- Munich Re - the German company, founded in 1880.

- American International Group - a U.S. company, was founded in 1919.

The increasing development of insurance and the emergence of a large number of insurance companies led to the differentiation of its insurance business:

liability insurance;
social insurance;
health insurance;
car insurance;
private insurance;
liability insurance;
insurance business.
And these are just some of the types of insurance available today!

Currently, insurance is a separate and certainly a very powerful element in the financial system of the state, as abroad, and in the Russian Federation.

But it's time to move on to the story of a mother, that is to say about our country. In Russia, as we know, even under the influence of the West everything is "a little" not as "they."

So, Russia.

The first mention of insurance, though not in the context in which we perceive it, are found in the first Russian law - the "Russian Truth" Yaroslav the Wise. It was pointed out that the losses are divided into the murder of the whole district in the case if the offender is not caught. Later this system was enshrined in the Code of the Cathedral in 1649.

Despite the rapid development of insurance abroad in Russia was not a specialized insurance company right up to the XVIII century. There was no such organization, but the need for it grew. And above all, the merchants and industrialists. They, in turn, did not wait for prosperity of the Russian insurance, and began to refer to foreigners. The consequence was sneaking nepatriotizma outflow of gold from Russia, which services to overseas companies paid. The state has seen that in the Russian Empire needed a system of insurance for the first time and tried to establish per se. After the manifesto of Catherine II on June 28, 1786 was created by the State Loan Bank, and during his State Insurance expedition. Insured mainly buildings and goods from fire. But in 1822 an insurance mission was closed, because the treasury was replenished, and the clientele of their insurance needs are not satisfied.

There have been several attempts to establish a system of insurance, but they have an equally unsuccessful. However, in 1812, when the war has destroyed Moscow and other cities ruthlessly burnt out, leaving only a lifeless stones, a new strong need for insurance. The result is a project of the insurance joint-stock company, established in St. Petersburg in the year 182. Called the project - "Saint-Petersburg Phoenix." However, under unknown circumstances, some of its founders abandoned the implementation and the project was closed ...

Soon came the first insurance company. Insure it against fire and guided by the rules "of the St. Petersburg Phoenix." There is a society in 1827 by order of Nicholas I. There was a society of a sufficiently long period of time - 90 years, and the contribution to the insurance business in any way detract from the impossible. Second Fire Insurance Company appeared later in 1835, and there was 83 years old. Then the company began to emerge, such as the "anchor", Warsaw, Commercial, North, "Russian Lloyd", "Salamander", "Volga", "Life" (personal insurance), insurance company of animals, etc. And in the XIX century there was a mutual insurance. Alexander II issued a decree on municipal mutual insurance societies, October 10, 1861, and soon there was Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tula, and later Poltava mutual insurance company. And by the end of the XIX century a wave of mutual insurance company engulfed the whole of Russia. Finally in 1909, was created "Russian Union of mutual insurance companies."

Prior to that, in 1885, was repealed the ban, introduced a century ago by Catherine II in the activities of foreign insurance companies, and then in Russia began a wholesale opening of foreign insurance companies: "New York", "Ekvitebl" (USA), "Urbain" ( France) ...

However, moving on to the historical streets. In 1905, life insurance contracts are concluded directly by state savings banks. Been actively developing insurance.

But in 1918 the insurance business was nationalized, and all contracts have been canceled. The state controlled all types of insurance. And during the Civil War in December 1920 was canceled private insurance.

Russia signs of life insurance began in the 20s, ie, under the NEP. They began to renew such insurance as property and private, and passenger insurance of any kind of transport has become mandatory since 1931.

Insurance in Russia again began to flourish, and in 60-80s acquired by voluntary insurance.

But after yet another upheaval - collapse of the Soviet Union - the state policy in relation to the insurance begins to steadily change. There has been a widening of the scope of services offered by insurance companies, and not without significance that has arisen in opposition to the state and negosudarsvenny insurance sector, as in market conditions rapidly increasing number of insurance companies.

There was sufficient democratic development of the insurance, but the crisis in 1998 led to the decline of many insurance companies. However, in 1999, many documents have been adopted and aims to strengthen the regulation and insurance activities.

Now in Russia there are about 1200-1100 insurance companies - not a small figure. The very same system of insurance is always certain stages, improved ...