Priest
Saint Nikolai Lebedev was born in 1869 in the village of Berezhai, Tver Province. He studied at the Tver Theological Seminary on a state scholarship and graduated with honors in 1893. Refusing to continue his education at the Theological Academy, he became a psalmist in his native village, and in 1894 he was ordained as a priest in the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Vlassievo. In this village, which has an ancient history, he began to actively engage in the spiritual enlightenment of the parishioners, opening the Society of Sobriety in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in 1897, which was officially approved in 1899.
The Society of Sobriety aimed to counteract the abuse of alcoholic beverages and to educate parishioners in the spirit of Orthodox morality. The rules of the Society emphasized that members were obliged to maintain sobriety, attend church, and care for the spiritual and material well-being of the local population. Priest Nikolai actively fought against drunkenness and poverty, opening schools and shelters for children and alcoholics, as well as organizing various cultural events to attract people to spiritual life.
In 1901, he founded a shelter for alcoholics, where various crafts were taught, and in 1907, he opened a shelter for homeless children. His activities led to a significant increase in the number of members of the Society of Sobriety, which by 1904 numbered more than 17,000 people. For his merits in the fight against drunkenness and in the enlightenment of the people, he was awarded a kamilavka in 1906.
During the revolutionary events of 1905, Priest Nikolai did not abandon his flock, opposing socialists and revolutionaries, defending Orthodox values and calling for unity with the state. His life was dedicated to serving the people and combating social ills, which made him well-known and respected among the local residents.
