Russian Church opens center for troubled teenagers

Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk Province, Russia, March 14, 2025

Photo: diaconia.ru     

The Russian Orthodox Church opened and consecrated a new center for rehabilitating troubled teenagers yesterday.

The opening ceremony for the St. Moses the Ethiopian Center for Social Adaption of Adolescents in Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk Province, was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Ekaterinburg, reports the Synodal Charity Department.

The center was established by the Orthodox Mercy Service under the Social Service Department of the Ekaterinburg Diocese in October 2024. Today, several teenagers who have broken the law are already undergoing rehabilitation there, working with professional educators and psychologists. The teenagers also go hiking, skiing, fishing, and play chess.

The length of stay at the center is determined by the judicial authorities.

This is the second project in Russia that serves as an alternative to juvenile correctional facilities for teenage criminals. The first was the St. Basil the Great Center in St. Petersburg, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. 400 young men and women have completed the rehabilitation course. Of all the teenagers participating in the center’s program, more than 85% do not commit repeat offenses.

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