Brotherhood of Sobriety Dedicated to Alexander Nevsky

Categories / Religion. Church/Reigious Organizations
ALL-RUSSIAN BROTHERHOOD OF SOBRIETY DEDICATED TO ALEXANDER NEVSKY was formed in 1898 on the initiative of A. V. Rozhdestvensky (1872-1905), senior priest of the Holy Resurrection Church on Obvodny Canal Embankment as a Society Against National Drunkenness, and as a department of the Society of Religious and Moral Enlightenment and functioned in St. Petersburg Eparchy. In 1914, the Society was transformed into a Brotherhood headed by the council supervised by the Arseny, Archbishop of Novgorod. The network of the brotherhood covered the entire country. The Brotherhood published four magazines in its printing house, as well as hundreds of books, brochures and leaflets, and supported libraries and schools. The brotherhood held public readings, discussions, lectures, processions of the cross, and rendered financial assistance to the poor. In 1912 and in 1914, the Society organized All-Russian congresses, which discussed measures of fighting drunkenness. In St. Petersburg there were six departments of the brotherhood headed by priests (uniting 70,000 people). Bolsheokhtinsky, Liteiny, Novoderevensky, Pokrovsko-Ushakovsky and Pitirimovsky departments had their own churches and chapels, as well as missionary courses, libraries and poor people’s housing. The main church of the Society was the Holy Resurrection Church on Obvodny Canal Embankment. People joining the brotherhood gave an oath to abstain from drinking wine and observe special codes of behaviour. In 1918, the brotherhood was closed, its finances were confiscated by the Soviet Government.

Reference: К истории Всероссийского Александро-Невского братства трезвости. П., 1916; Медведев А. В. Священник Александр Рождественский и созданное им Александро-Невское общество трезвости // С.-Петерб. епарх. ведомости. 2000. № 23. С. 85-93.

V. V. Antonov. Abamelik-Lazarev Semen Semenovich
Antonov Viktor Vasilievich
Arseny (Avksenty Georgievich Stadnitsky)
Rozhdestvensky Alexander Vasilievich
Obvodny Canal Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
К истории Всероссийского Александро-Невского братства трезвости. Пг., 1916
Медведев А. В. Священник Александр Рождественский и созданное им Александро-Невское общество трезвости // С.-Петерб. епарх. ведомости, 2000 Society for Religious and Moral Education
St. Petersburg Eparchy