Libraries of Temperance Societies in the Moscow Diocese: Organization and Development (Late 19th — Early 20th Century)

In the late 19th century and especially in the early 20th one, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) actively established temperance societies (TS), whose missions included education and spiritual and material support for people who had embarked on the fight against alcoholism.

Libraries played a key role in the work of TS. The purpose of this article is to analyze the organization and activities of TS libraries in the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church at the turn of the 20th century. A review of the historiography on this topic revealed a lack of specialized works covering this subject.

This study identified organizational, resource, and human-factor-related challenges faced by TS libraries, their organizers, staff, and users. An analysis of methods for expanding library collections and readership was conducted, and the effectiveness of TS libraries was determined. Difficulties in acquiring library collections were one of the main problems faced by this category of libraries. Various approaches were used to address this challenge, enabling them to reach a wide range of readers who were not TS members, especially young people. Thus, TS libraries became cultural and educational centers.

This work is based on archival documents, periodicals, and reports on the activities of TS libraries from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The article utilizes statistical and source study methods, as well as comparative analysis.

The relevance of this work is linked to the recent rise of the temperance movement in Russia, with a growing demand for pastoral assistance in this area. There is a clear need to create and develop centers (libraries) where specialized literature on alcohol addiction and other types of addictions, consistent with Christian principles, can be obtained.

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