On September 25, 2023, the annual “Mercy in Russia” Conference was held in Moscow and dedicated to the social service of religious organizations and the International Day of Charity. From the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the event was attended by Pastor Oleg Goncharov, director of Public Relations for the Euro-Asian Division (ESD), and Alexander Leukhin, deputy director of ADRA Russia.
The conference was organized by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Moscow and the Central Region “Moscow Muftiate” of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia (DSMR) with the support of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of Moscow. It was devoted to discussing the following issues: charitable activities of religious organizations; collection of humanitarian aid; and the formation of public opinion in the field of implementation of social and humanitarian projects.
The conference participants discussed the topic of protecting traditional Russian values, including, of course, mercy and mutual assistance. They were talking about the practical implementation of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, adopted about a year ago, which approved the Fundamentals of State Policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values (Decree of November 9, 2022, N 809).
The conference was opened by Albir Hazrat Krganov, Mufti of Moscow, head of the DSMR, and member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. In his speech, he said mercy, charity, and specific targeted assistance are especially relevant for society at the present time. Konstantin Blazhenov, deputy head of the Moscow Department of National Policy and Interreligious Relations, noted that in recent years, public institutions and religious organizations in Russia have shown coordinated and effective work in the implementation of charitable, social, humanitarian, and volunteer activities.
Alexander Brod, chairman of the Coordination Council of the All-Russian public organization “Lawyers for Human Rights and Decent Life” and member of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, said how important it is to summarize Russia’s experience of mercy, find foreign partners in these difficult times, and think about improving legislation in order to help those who need it through joint actions.
“It is necessary to support the development of small and medium-sized businesses, charitable programs and projects, the availability of medical treatment, as well as the creation of special institutions for those who cannot work and need constant care; this is our common cause, the legislative and executive authorities, civil society, and human rights defenders," said Brod.
In his address, Alexander Semenovich, a Russian businessman, reminded the audience of the motto of the famous Russian doctor of German origin, Fyodor Petrovich Haaz: “Hurry to do good.” Dr. Haaz, in addition to his medical practice, visited prisoners and those suffering in hospitals during the cholera period; he donated himself and united people who were ready to sacrifice. And when Dr. Haaz passed away, thousands of Russians of different nationalities gathered to see him off on his last journey.
“This example is always in our memory, and, undoubtedly, there are similar people in our time, in every region of our country—those who give their lives on the altar of mercy, serving their neighbors and helping the suffering. Let us hasten to do good!” Brod exclaimed as he challenged the audience.
In her speech, Olga Timofeeva, chairperson of the State Duma Committee on the Development of Civil Society—Issues of Public and Religious Associations, announced the upcoming changes to the Federal Law “On Charitable Activities and Volunteering.” The corresponding bill was adopted in the first reading on September 21 and is now being finalized at the State Duma Committee for the Development of Civil Society. Considering religious organizations carry out a lot of charitable work, Timofeeva invited them to get involved in finalizing legislative norms.
In his address, Oleg Goncharov, member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation and secretary general of the Russian Association for the Defense of Religious Freedom, emphasized that this conference is of great importance and benefit:
For many believers I meet as a pastor, the issue of mercy lies in the words of the Savior: “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3 [RSV]). And many believers are modest people who do a lot for our society, but speak little and modestly about themselves. What is the benefit of this meeting? Firstly, a good example inspires. When we share with each other not only here, but also carry this information further to our religious media—talk about those charitable projects and works of mercy that have been implemented—this motivates people to action. They learn and see inspiring examples of help among representatives of various faiths and themselves embark on the path of serving society. Secondly, such conferences help in matters of coordinating this work with government officials, primarily at the local level. If in Moscow, the interaction of various structures is organized at the highest level, then when I go to the regions, I see that the situation there is not always such a good environment, and therefore, I would like to ask representatives of various faiths and religions who are present here to communicate with their fellow believers in the regions so that we do not oppose or interfere with each other in the field of charity and mercy, but, on the contrary, help in coordinating with each other and representatives of regional authorities. And the third point that I would like to emphasize is that very little is known about us abroad. I have just returned from an international conference, which was attended by representatives of 30 countries, and I was convinced that our international colleagues lack reliable information about what is happening in Russia in the field of implementing social projects and serving society. Therefore, I urge you to talk about works of mercy and charity, not only on our domestic platforms, but also to your fellow believers abroad, thus providing genuine information about the life of religious associations in Russia, about our relationships with the authorities, society, about those works of mercy that we do here.
Leukhin spoke about the work that the organization does in Russia. Recalling the history of ADRA’s (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) service in the countries of the former USSR, Alexander Vladimirovich shared, “The organization provided first aid in December 1988, when, as a result of the devastating earthquake in Armenia, according to official data, 25,000 people died, 140,000 became disabled, and 514,000 people lost their homes . ADRA responded to the call of the USSR government and provided humanitarian assistance to the affected population worth several million dollars. Also, with the support of ADRA Germany, a children’s rehabilitation center was built.”
Many ADRA projects in Russia that began in the 1990s, such as charity canteens, targeted humanitarian assistance, and others, continue to this day. Based on this historical foundation, ADRA continues its activities, providing humanitarian assistance and bringing positive social changes to the life of modern Russia. ADRA provides assistance to victims in the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), and Kherson region. Volunteers distribute food and clothing and provide all possible assistance in restoring destroyed housing. ADRA thanks all the people who donate to this good cause, especially members of the Adventist Church in Russia.
Another ADRA project that was presented at the conference was a project to provide assistance to flood victims in Primorye. Taking into account the assistance from the state and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provided food and hygiene kits to those in need, ADRA Russia decided to provide direct financial assistance so people could use these funds to restore destroyed housing and purchase building materials and household appliances. With the information of social assistance centers in Primorsky, 85 families received financial assistance totaling ₽1.3 million (approx. US$13,000).
Leukhin also spoke about the ADRA plan: the development of volunteerism, psychological and medical assistance projects—projects of social significance aimed at strengthening traditional values. There was a call for the creation of a community of charitable organizations based on spiritual values, with the support of religious organizations.
Other speakers and representatives included the following: Almaz Faizullin, deputy head of the Department for Interaction with Religious Organizations of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Internal Policy; Evgeny Primakov, head of the International Humanitarian Cooperation; Vladimir Zorin, chairman of both the Commission for the Harmonization of Interethnic and Interreligious Relations of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and the Expert Council under the Patriarch of Moscow; Hieromonk Grigory Matrusov, chairman of the Department of Social Ministry of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church; and several others.
All speakers emphasized that the experience of social service among representatives of religious associations of the Russian Federation is multifaceted and has centuries-old traditions, helping to maintain an atmosphere of friendship and harmony in modern society.
Summing up the results of the conference, Krganov thanked the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and other faiths for their cooperation in matters of mercy. He also proposed that the authorities legislate the potential of religious organizations in active charitable and social activities.
The original version of this story was posted on the Euro-Asia Division Russian-language news site.