THE PROBLEM: As traditional centers of intellectual forces and materials and human resources, Moscow and St. Petersburg have soon become leaders in religious and diaconical work as well. The process of regenerating religious education and social work has been much more difficult in regions.
The aim of the project:
to establish a center of religious education in the Nizhni Novgorod Region for promoting diakonia, religious education, book-selling and publishing work at the Diocese of Nizhni Novgorod.
To achieve its goals the project has set up a “Church Shop”. It has become one of the largest Orthodox book-trade organisations in the region. It has purchased Orthodox books and church utensils in bulk directly from publishers and producers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. The Church Shop has established a network of retail book-trade dealers in Nizhni Novgorod. It has provided goods for many parishes in the region and can deliver them in bulk. It also runs a Book by Mail service through which any Orthodox believer can order a book or a church article from a catalogue. The Church Shop has also rendered services to parishes, Sunday schools and libraries in acquiring and replenishing Orthodox libraries through its central book collector.
According to the project, the brotherhood has organized its own publishing body and a small printing house to produce some of its editions. The brotherhood has published a number of religious and educational books which are in great demand in the Nizhni Novgorod and other regions. Since February 1993 it has published “The Orthodox Word” newspaper, which has been distributed free. There have been 40 issues, with 3 special issues. It has a circulation of 10.000 copies and has come out in 8 A3-type pages.
The Center has also developed diakonical work. Thus, it has regularly delivered food and humanitarian aid to the sick and the elderly in the Nizhni Novgorod Region, using the bus bought under the project.