The events of the XXVI World Russian People's Council were held at the Orthodox Educational Center "Usovo-Spasskoye" on November 27-28, 2024.
The charity section was headed by Archpriest Mikhail Potokin, Acting Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service, and Anna Gromova, a member of the Bureau of the Presidium of the VRNS, head of the Elisavetinsko-Sergievskoe Educational Society Foundation. The section was attended by Alexey Zarov, director and chief physician of St. Alexy's Hospital, heads of two branches of the hospital, employees of the Synodal Department for Charity, clergy, sisters of mercy, representatives of church social projects, non-profit and public organizations. The participants of the section discussed the activities of sisterhoods, assistance to people in need who suffered in the conflict zone and returned from the front.
"Spiritual life is intimate, it is always hidden from outsiders," said Archpriest Mikhail Potokin. — And the first thing that a person who has not yet come to Church and hesitates can see is our care for the destitute, the sick, those in prisons and all the suffering. These are acts of mercy that cannot be hidden. They become a sermon and a testimony of the love that is present in the Church. And today we have gathered to share our experience and discuss how to do works of mercy."
Anna Gromova told about the history of the development of the Russian Red Cross Society under the patronage of first Empress Maria Alexandrovna, and then Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Alexey Zarov made a presentation on the development of sisterhoods of mercy through training in professional care programs.
"Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Princesses Olga and Tatiana took training courses for sisters of mercy and then worked at the Tsarskoye Selo Infirmary," said the director and chief physician of St. Alexy's Hospital. — So now professional education is becoming the starting point for the organization of the sisterhood. After all, a sister of mercy cares for the seriously ill and wounded, and for this, first of all, she needs skills and knowledge." Since 2019, the hospital's training center has been training younger nurses in patient care. Over five years, 160 courses have been conducted in 55 regions. Thanks to the visiting courses, sisterhoods have been established in Gorlovka, Berdyansk, Novoaydar, Lugansk, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Danilovo, Yaroslavl and Volgodonsk.
The conference was attended by employees of the Synodal Department of Charity. The head of the homeless assistance department, Andrey Yakunin, spoke about medical care for homeless people in Tyumen. The curator of social activities in the Far Eastern Federal District, Priest Nikolai Vorozhbit, described the difficulties of organizing social activities in the Far East. The head of the Service for Spiritual and Psychological Assistance to Families, Priest Yevgeny Lischenyuk, raised the topic of pastoral support for those who returned from the front. Natalia Yeremicheva, head of the Moscow Church Headquarters for Refugee Assistance, shared her experience in organizing assistance to injured civilians.
The section was also attended by the head of the social department of the Rostov Diocese, chairman of the Mercy-on-Don service, Priest Yevgeny Osyak, representatives of the sisterhood in the name of the Holy Martyr Elizabeth in Lakhta Elena Kabakova and Yulia Bugaeva, head of the Elisavetinsky branch of St. Alexy's Hospital Elena Kazinova, sister of the Gorlovka Sisterhood named after Martyr Eugene doctor Elizabeth Dvoryanova, elder sister Marfo-The Mariinsky Sisterhood of Belgorod Elena Himchenko, Head of the St. Luke's branch of St. Alexy Hospital, the main sister of the Pereslavl Diocesan Sisterhood of Mercy Julia Tovstaya, head of the social department of the Rybinsk Diocese Priest John Perevezentsev, Deputy Dean for Scientific Work of the Historical and Philological Faculty of the Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities Elena Kozlovtseva, Director of the Orthodox educational center "Usovo-Spasskoye" Andrey Milanovich, Chairman of the Sverdlovsk regional branch of the Russian Red Cross Irina Levina, head of the city districts of Klin Alyona Sokolskaya, the rector of the church in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Demyanovo estate is Archpriest Oleg Denisyuk, head of the consulting center for maternity and childhood support "Cradle" of the Perm diocese Elena Leonova.