In Russia, Sobriety Day is celebrated annually on September 11, the day of commemoration of the Beheading of John the Baptist. The tradition of celebrating Sobriety Day was restored on July 25, 2014 by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (Journal No. 80). On this day, bishops and clergy are advised to perform prayer singing for those suffering from the ailment of drinking wine or drug addiction. This rite and the Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church for the establishment of sobriety and the prevention of alcoholism were approved by the same decision of the Holy Synod. In 2016, petitions for those suffering from the ailment of drunkenness and drug addiction were included in the liturgical sequences on Sobriety Day.
At the meeting of the Holy Synod, which took place on July 15, 2016, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the texts of petitions for those suffering from the ailments of drunkenness and drug addiction on the day of Commemoration of the Beheading of John the Baptist were approved for inclusion in the liturgical sequences (journal No. 69
In modern Russia, Sobriety Day has been celebrated annually since 2014. The holiday was first established by the Holy Governing Synod in 1913, and in 1914 it was decided to hold it annually. In Russia, wine shops were closed on this day and the sale of alcoholic beverages was stopped. In Soviet times, the tradition of celebrating Sobriety Day was interrupted, but in 2014 the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church restored the tradition of celebration. Since 2015, Sobriety Day has been held with the support of the Russian Ministry of Health.
The date of September 11 was not chosen by chance: on this day, Orthodox Christians remember the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. The prophet was beheaded by King Herod during a drunken feast. Strict fasting is observed on this day. It is known that many saints adhered to the tradition of completely abstaining from alcohol consumption. Among them are St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Alexander Svirsky.
Currently, there are more than 600 church organizations and projects in Russia to help alcohol addicts and their relatives, including sobriety societies and fraternities, outpatient and counseling programs, and rehabilitation centers.
A free church information and reference service on overcoming alcohol addiction has been opened. By phone +7(800) 775-36-26 and on the website www.protrezvenie.ru You can get information about rehabilitation centers, societies, and sobriety groups in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.