Moscow, June 3, 2026
Photo: diaconia.ru
The Russian Orthodox Church marked Children’s Protection Day on June 1 by opening its 87th shelter for women and a new humanitarian aid center at the Church of the Dormition of the Holy Virgin in Ostankino, Moscow.
The new shelter can house six families simultaneously, with stays tailored to each resident’s needs. Staff help women navigate a personalized path out of crisis—covering social and legal issues, job searches, and family reconciliation. Three families have already moved in, the Russian Church reports.
The adjoining humanitarian center offers free clothing, strollers, cribs, medicine, food, and hygiene products to families and single mothers.
Photo: diaconia.ru
Since 2012, more than 1,800 women have received temporary housing through the Church’s House for Mom program, and roughly 100,000 people have received humanitarian assistance. The Church has also established more than 270 humanitarian aid centers across Russia.
The opening ceremony was attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Arseny of Zvenigorod, who led a moleben at the Ostankino church before consecrating the new shelter’s premises.
Attendees included His Eminence Metropolitan Matthew of Pskov and Porkhov, Moscow children’s rights commissioner Olga Yaroslavskaya, and other public figures.
Both the shelter and the wider network accept families with children and pregnant women regardless of citizenship or religious affiliation. Special attention is given to pregnant women seeking additional medical evaluation in Moscow clinics following a fetal abnormality diagnosis.
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