Russkaya Serda and Russkiye Kazyli are ancient villages in the autonomous republic of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation. The former is absolutely deserted, and the latter has about ten houses left. But... “islands of eternity” have survived here—Orthodox churches, albeit dilapidated. Hieromonk Vyacheslav (Shaporov) is the rector of both churches. He also heads the parish in honor of St. Barsonofiy of Kazan in the city of Kazan. Besides, he is the Chairman of the Kazan Diocese’s Department for Combating Drug Addiction and Alcoholism. We have talked with Fr. Vyacheslav on the restoration of both houses of God and human souls.
Members of the Kovcheg (“Ark”) community at the Russkiye Kazyli Church
—Is an Orthodox village church in Tatarstan a rarity or a common occurrence?
—Before the Russian Revolution there used to be no fewer Orthodox Christians in our parts than Muslims. There are a number of villages here situated close to each other where Russians, Tatars, and Kryashens (an ethnic group close to the Tatars in blood, but Orthodox in faith) had lived alongside each other. They had coexisted peacefully for centuries. Orthodox Christians and the Kryashens used to pray in churches, and the Tatars in mosques. But in the twentieth century many villages became deserted due to the Revolution and the Civil War. Their residents would leave for the virgin lands, later they went to the cities, and even now they are still moving away. It so happened that the Russian villages were affected more than the others. The situation is a little better in the Tatar areas, although young people are moving to cities.
—There are no residents left in Russkaya Serda. Who attends the church there? And how are you restoring it?
—The nearest village to us is inhabited by Kryashens. They make up a significant part of our parish. There are also Russians, including those of Old Ritualist background. And about half of our parishioners are baptized Tatars. Our church was built in 1774. Unfortunately, during the Soviet era it was closed and fell into serious disrepair. We are restoring it as best we can. Volunteer and charitable organizations are helping us. Specifically, the Archangel Michael Fund from Moscow raised money for a memorial cross, which we installed beside the church—it became a symbol of our struggle against desolation. Then it helped us raise the money for our church windows and doors: we have installed them—and this is a great joy. More recently, they gave us an icon of St. Gabriel (Urgebadze) of Samtavro with a piece of his mantiya. This icon is very important for our community; as a “fool for Christ”, St. Gabriel often pretended to be drunk, and in this way found an approach to souls suffering from this passion. And he helped many get back on their feet. Thus, many alcoholics pray to him for the deliverance from alcoholism.
The Transfiguration Church and the memorial cross —How do you manage to combine two activities: restoring churches and restoring human souls?
—With God’s help. Both are my obediences. Some of those under my care live, pray and labor at the church, which helps them return to a sober and active life. It is easier to overcome addiction if a person takes work and service on himself, observes a strict routine, lives with other people and thus curbs his pride—a passion that particularly contributes to the development of addictions. A proud person is constantly dissatisfied—it seems to him that he deserves a better place in life, and that others “do not give him his due”. Community work, coupled with work on the rehabilitation program, help overcome this.
—What rehabilitation programs do you use?
—Our methodology is based on the Orthodox rehabilitation program for addicts, approved by the Synodal Department of the Diocese of Kazan. It was compiled by Bishop Methodius (Kondratiev) of Kamensk and Kamyshlov. However, we started working in 2005, even before it was approved, and created a program for the Orthodox therapeutic community based on the experience of Fr. Sergei Belyakov and his Sapernoye Center near St. Petersburg. He was one of the first to start working in this field. The working methods we use have undergone an expert examination by the Anti-Drug Commission of the Republic of Tatarstan. Our task is not only to sober people up, but also to convert them to God and help them integrate into Church life. Firstly, because no one will stay on this earth forever, and we all need to prepare our souls for Eternity. And secondly, faith is a powerful incentive to think seriously about your life. In our days, even children ask: “Why should I behave?” And try to explain it to them without referring to God! If everything in life is relative, a person only looks for his own pleasure—often ephemeral.
Sobriety Class
—As I understand, some people under your care live in the city. What is their daily routine?
—In the morning they have common prayer, and then all of them go to work. Those at our center in Kazan work at a factory. It is not an ordinary factory—the whole team there consists of former alcoholics and drug addicts, so we have gained a lot of experience working with such people. For them work is important primarily for their discipline. Overcoming themselves, their bad habits and laziness, is conducive to their rehabilitation. They have a shortened working day. On returning home they have a meeting, then they discuss their day with a psychologist: how they spent their day, what situations they had, what thoughts and feelings were aroused in them, how they behaved, and how they should have behaved if they made a mistake. They also watch themed movies. On the weekends they rest, but they also pray and attend services.
—How is the life of the rural part of your community built?
—Those entrusted to us who live in the countryside keep house themselves, clean the church, and read the services. Most of the people there had no place of residence before joining us. We provide them with housing, food, and clothing. There is psychological aid here too, but less often, only twice a week. All of them have talks with the priest. Those who are Orthodox receive Communion monthly.
—Do you help people who are not Orthodox Christians?
—There are Orthodox, Muslims, and non-believers in our Kovcheg community. Of course we don’t force anyone to believe and pray. Faith is a gift, a Divine revelation that a person accepts by his free will. We rejoice when this happens. We saw an ethnic Muslim convert to Orthodoxy, but a Russian refuse to do so. If a person resists Christianity, criticizes it and argues, what can you do with him? But many of those who are undergoing rehabilitation here get baptized. It may be even easier for former alcoholics and drug addicts to come to God than for those who have never fallen to such a grievous state. Someone who has endured harsh trials usually has experience of Divine help. Any one of them can tell you about events in their lives that can only be called miracles. But often someone else who has experienced miracles and even acknowledges them still argues and resists the faith!
—How do non-believers fit into your routine with common prayer and services?
—They stand in church (some sit), watch and listen. According to our rules, prayer is one of our therapeutic activities that they undergo together in a group. We try to help people see Orthodoxy. We say, sit, look, listen, and if you have any questions, ask them. Over time, they get used to it, and even those of them who have not converted to the faith see benefits for them in this and thank us.
—Is your discipline strict?
—Of course. Otherwise, it is impossible to get away from addictions that primarily affect the will. People learn about us from their acquaintances. We go to drug dispensaries, and they recommend us there. Many addicts become interested in our program, but when they hear that we adhere to a strict discipline and work hard, not many join us. Yes, you have to work hard, force yourself, humble yourself, and follow a routine. Of course, some people leave without completing their rehabilitation. We don’t keep anyone by force, but we try to explain that they need to stay in the community. Generally, rehabilitation takes a year, at least six months. It is vital not only to cleanse the body, but also to develop the habit of responding correctly to the challenges of life and temptations. We are trying to create a microclimate where a person gives up drinking or taking drugs and begins to recover. But when he returns to his familiar environment, he naturally faces problems—and he is used to solving them—or rather, escaping from them—with the help of alcohol or drugs. So, he quickly slides back into addiction if he has not acquired the habit of responding correctly to the challenges of life. Fortunately, most of them get through the whole rehabilitation, and this helps them stay sober after returning to society.
The Transfiguration Church in Russkaya Serda
—How is the medical care of those entrusted to you arranged?
—We have a contract with a private addiction clinic. They provide detoxification for newcomers free of charge if needed. Medical care is also provided in connection with concomitant diseases—some have HIV, others have hepatitis, others have come are after surgery. We have qualified doctors in our community. Most of our employees are former addicts who were trained as teachers, psychologists, and clinical psychologists. They know all the approaches and behavioral specifics of our community members.
—What money does your center live on?
—Parishioners help a lot: they bring clothes, money, and groceries. Sometimes we get grants from the State. Relatives of our community members provide support too, but this happens infrequently, and we do not require it. Rehabilitation in our center is free. But sometimes it does happen; for example, once a man was brought to us in serious condition. We took him to detox, and then left him here. Later the friend who had brought him donated a dome to our church. The money earned by those under our care remains with them and helps them make a fresh start in life, and rent an apartment after rehabilitation.
Hieromonk Vyacheslav (Shaporov) with those under his care
—Are there any cases when you can’t help a person?
—It all depends on his degree of degradation. It’s no secret that alcohol abuse, all the more so drug addiction, destroys the entire body. For instance, a woman was brought to us who behaved very strangely—she would run down the street and throw objects out of her window… The doctors couldn’t even say right away what the cause of her condition was, whether drugs or psychiatry. They sent her to a private center and tried to involve her in the therapeutic process… She stayed there for over a year, partially recovered, but now we can say that it is something physiological—she has problems with her brain that developed from drug use, and unfortunately, she cannot get away from them completely.
—Do you often have stories with happy endings?
—That’s what we work for. Most of these stories are quiet, but there is a living soul behind each. For example, Yuri stayed with us for over a year, and last September he completed rehabilitation. Before joining us, he was homeless and had lost all his teeth. Now he has returned to normal life—he has gotten new, false teeth, he’s renting an apartment, and he has a job. Another man went to Sakhalin where he is happily married and has children. The problem of addictions is global: and what can we do about it? This problem needs to be divided into two parts. You and I cannot solve it for the whole world, not even for the whole country. But we can and should give help to an individual family, and even more so to an individual person if he wants it himself. Getting away from an addiction is a gift from God. Falling into it is a Divine punishment, a disgrace that everyone sees. Family and friends turn away from you; it gets to the point when a mother breaks with her son because it becomes unbearable to live with him. In the end the addict plunges himself into despair by his actions. He can deceive himself as much as he likes, but alcohol and drugs only lead to destruction and death. The image of God is clouded in such a person. But still, in the depths of his nature, this image survives—and this is the basis for help.
The Transfiguration Church in Russkaya Serda —How can you help someone start fighting addiction before he reaches the bottom?
—The most important thing is probably the cultivation of honesty and responsibility. Nowadays people until the age of thirty-five are considered to be young adults, and for many, awareness comes even later. The sooner we pay attention to the problem, the better. It never happens that one day a person suddenly wakes up as an alcoholic—he has walked to this for years. And his close ones turned a blind eye to this: they forgave what should not have been tolerated and covered up his wrong actions, attempt to save him from the consequences of his mistakes.
—What about Christian forgiveness and love?
—Real love wishes useful and eternal, not pleasant and temporary things for the beloved. True, we must forgive, but not necessarily deliver from the consequences. After all, the Lord forgives us, but punishment in this life is sometimes inevitable for our good. Loved ones should not take on roles that are extrinsic to them, and they should not try to be the addict’s “rescuers”. He should be responsible for his own work, for his family. And when he comes to realize it, he becomes conscious that he has no time to drink. However, relatives often do everything right, but five to ten years late: they come to understand how they should act when it’s already too late. What exactly needs to be done depends on the degree of degradation. There are three stages of alcoholism development: episodic, systematic use, and formed dependence. Dependence has development and stagnation. It is necessary to understand what is happening to a person at the moment, and take appropriate measures. If he has reached the stage where it is hard to expect strong-willed actions from him, it is one situation; and if he still works and is not indifferent to his family, it is another situation.
—And yet, can you give some general advice?
—The focus should be on recovery. We support a person’s good traits, actions and decisions aimed at recovery, and help him in this. And everything aimed at the opposite direction is his responsibility, and we do not provide help with that here.
—What traits lead a person to alcoholism?
—As experts say, everything depends on his upbringing and the experience that he has adopted from his parents. Of course, anyone who drinks every day will become an alcoholic. Scientific research has shown that smoking is often the first step towards more serious addictions. If a teenager starts smoking, he may well go over to the bottle or a syringe. Any addict has a personality split into a healthy part and an unhealthy one—the one that wants to live the way it is used to. Both tobacco and alcohol initially provide temporary relaxation, the illusion of solving a problem, and this becomes a trap for the brain. A person is stressed and tired; he lights a cigarette, drinks—and feels better. His brain remembers that sequence, and next time he will have the desire to solve the problem in the same way. This is how addiction develops. It occurs especially easily and quickly in those who started smoking and drinking in adolescence.
—What sinful passions are most often the precursors of the “demon drink”?
—From my experience I can say that alcoholism is a problem of proud people. The more proud, obstinate, and disobedient someone is, the more likely he is to become an alcoholic. Drug addiction more often occurs as a result of the pursuit of pleasure and hedonism. And, of course, with both alcohol abuse and the use of psychoactive substances, all the passions in a person grow progressively worse. They say that alcoholics and drug addicts have their own mysticism—a demonic one. It becomes particularly noticeable when the final stage of addiction begins. Delirium tremens is a manifestation of the dark spiritual realm made manifest.
—How can we protect ourselves and our loved ones from alcoholism? After all, no one is immune to it.
—It would be better not to start drinking at all. A human being is born sober. Let him stay that way—why should he need any psychoactive substances? I sometimes walk over four miles to celebrate church services, especially in the summer. And I noticed that early in the morning, particularly at weekends, there is no one on the street except drunkards who are either already lying down or still drinking. And most of them are young and middle–aged people, since they usually do not reach old age. What am I driving at? People are not born alcoholics, but become that way. A person can drink for ten, fifteen years without suspecting that he has a problem. As a rule, people realize their problem after losing their jobs, family, and health. Alcohol is a drug, a mutagen, and a poison simultaneously. Even by consuming it a little at a time, a person puts himself at risk: you never know what it will lead to. So, I would endorse the practice of the countries where alcohol is not sold to people under the age of twenty-one, since brain development lasts up to the age of twenty. It has also been proven that drinking alcohol and smoking are associated with the development of cancer.
At the Church of St. Barsonofy of Kazan
—But drinking wine is blessed by the Church...
—The Church does not forbid alcohol consumption. God created everything for the good, but we can turn it to our detriment. People should have a conscience and awareness of what they are doing, why, and what it will lead to.
—A person who has recovered from alcoholism or drug addiction at always at risk of returning to them. What should above all be kept in mind to avoid this?
—It often happens that someone has quit drinking and thinks that everyone owes him, because he is a “hero” who has “accomplished a feat”! Although in reality, with God’s help, he just got away from a bad habit that he had himself acquired. Thus, such people must thank the Lord and try to help others—many do it, and it helps them stay sober. They realized their tragedy, got out of it with the help of doctors, priests and psychologists, and now they are extending a helping hand to their fellow sufferers.
