Faithful Volunteers

Russian Latter-day Saints believe in being good citizens of their country and communities and have devoted time and talents to volunteer service for a variety of causes. Some branches in Russia have established traditions of participating in subbotniki, during which they help clean parks or other areas of their cities. “Activities like these raise our civic awareness,” a participant of one project in Ufa observed, “and help residents of the city with very different beliefs find a common language and teach the rising generation to be responsible for the future of their native land.”

Church members have also volunteered individually to support community events. In 2014 Church members served as volunteers during the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Several Saints supported the 2018 World Cup in Moscow, serving as translators and guides. Commenting on these efforts, Aleksandr Podsobliaev, president of The Religious Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia, said, “Our members, of course, could not stand idly by. … We are grateful for the opportunity to make our humble contribution to the success of this international event.”