The study showed that parish initiatives are changing the Russian outback for the better: but a team approach and benefits for residents are importanttranslated

The initiatives of Orthodox parishes are changing the Russian hinterland in a positive direction, but it is important that they are implemented by a team of like-minded people, and they would be of practical benefit to the residents.

These are the results of a study conducted by the Vitamin C Charitable Foundation and the sociological workshop ZIRCON during the summer of 2026, the organizers told Foma magazine.

In the summer of 2026, the study authors studied 15 small settlements - from villages to cities with a population of up to 50,000 people. Sociologists have studied parish initiatives in education, improvement and tourism to understand what conditions contribute to the development of territories.

– We were looking for an answer to a practical question: what to invest in so that a small town or village really changes. It turned out that money works where there is an open parish, a team of residents and several activity centers. One grant or one bright leader is not enough,” commented Vladimir Emelyanov, director of the Vitamin C Foundation.

The researchers gave examples of several of the most striking locations of their work.

Thus, in the village of Ivanovskoe-on-Lekhta, Yaroslavl region, a school, the director of which is the rector...