The article considers one of the most dramatic periods in the history of Russian refugees in Manchuria associated with the Soviet-Chinese military conflict on the Chinese Eastern Rail Road. At the turn of 1920s — 1930s many employees of the Road joined the ranks of the unemployed. Refugees from war zones flew to Harbin and other safe places. Difficult material situation of the emigrant colony became even more complicated due to the new refugee wave from the Soviet Union. Based on the archival documents, emigrant periodicals and historiographical sources, the article represents activities of Russian charitable institutions in Harbin which took over the task of providing assistance to soviet terror victims and war-affected people. The Harbin Russian Refugee Assistance Committee had a leading role in this work. The Committee had to solve not only charitable problems but also registered refugees to provide them with residence permits from the Chinese police. Due to mass exodus of refugees from the war zones the Committee had to extend its activity, the number of its members increased. Russian periodicals in Harbin also played an important role in organization of the charitable work integrating emigrant society around problems of disadvantaged compatriots. Through the media and public charitable actions emigrants were included in the orbit of common cause.