Society for Religious and Moral Education

Categories / Religion. Church/Reigious Organizations
SOCIETY FOR RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EDUCATION, a religious educational organization. It was founded in 1881 in response to the murder of Emperor Alexander II by a member of People’s Will (Narodnaya Volya) organization with the aim of "asserting and disseminating of true notions of Orthodox faith and piety in all strata of the Russian people by means of theological discussions, readings and publishing of literature". The ruling Metropolitan was the curator of the society headed by the council comprised of priests under the supervision of Archpriest Philosoph Ornatsky. The council annually convened meetings of clergy to discuss problems of missionary work. The discussions were held by the clergy of St. Petersburg eparchy in churches, missionary stations and public halls. By 1917, the number of members of the society exceeded 1,000 people. The society included: Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood of Sobriety (before 1914), Religious Education Union (mostly engaged in sermons in hospitals, alms-houses and prisons), School Committee (responsible for two schools, in addition to other courses), the Christian Community of Students, Society of Church Singers, and the Circle of Teachers of Holy Scriptures. In 1909, the Anti-Sectarian Mission was opened with departments in parishes. A bookstore and an athenaeum were a part of the society’s Central Assembly Hall, located at 20 Stremyannaya Street. The society published the Orthodox Russian Word journal and religious literature for people. Its spiritual centre was the Holy Trinity Church at 21 Stremyannaya Street. Kazan Church (was located at 23 Panfilova Street, but was not preserved), two churches dedicated to St. Serafim of Sarov (22 Novo-Alexandrovskaya Street and 28 Trefoleva Street, both not preserved) and the stone church of St. John the Baptist at 16 Lesnoy Avenue, now rebuilt, were erected in the workers' suburbs; St. Serafim Church on Grafskaya Station and the Church of Christ the Saviour in the Dunes (not preserved) were erected in the suburbs. In 1918, the society was closed, its property was seized.

Reference: Отчет о деятельности Общества распространения религиозно-нравственного просвещения ... за 1915 год. Пг., 1916.

V. V. Antonov. Alexander II, Emperor
Ornatsky Filosof Nikolaevich, Protopresbyter
Lesnaya Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 16
Novo-Alexandrovskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 22
Panfilova St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 23
Stremyannaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 21
Stremyannaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 20
Trefoleva St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 28
Отчет о деятельности Об-ва распространения религ.-нравственного просвещения ... за 1915 год. Пг., 1916 St. Petersburg Eparchy
Brotherhood of Sobriety Dedicated to Alexander Nevsky