Kitezh is a point of light in the midst of what could otherwise seem a gloomy situation. Since 1992, Kitezh has functioned as a non-government, non-profit Partnership of Foster Families who offer homes and education for orphaned Russian children in a rural area 300 km south of Moscow in the Kaluga region. Despite harsh economic conditions, this dedicated group has built a thriving rural working community that provides an education and a home with foster families for orphaned Russian children from extreme social situations. Kitezh is already a viable alternative to the institutionalized care provided by the state. At the moment there are 45 children and 20 adults living in Kitezh. The Foundation for Purposeful Living is one of many supporters of the Kitezh community as they work to build houses for new families, then expand the school, the church, a community center, dining hall and other educational facilities.
Kitezh is known as a place of happiness and joyful refuge for Russian children who have been abandoned or orphaned. The Kitezh way of fostering and educating children has already proved to be a real alternative to the State system of orphanages and childcare institutions. The relationship between Kitezh and the Foundation for Purposeful Living is the latest example of the relationships that can grow from the multifaceted support available through the Foundation. Two members of the Kitezh community visited volunteers of the Foundation for Purposeful Living this summer (Maxim, top left and Irena, bottom right). This visit was an outstanding opportunity for mutual sharing and learning. Before the guests’departure, Kitezh received a grant from the Foundation for Purposeful Living to help sustain their outstanding volunteer work. We were inspired and we thought you would be too. Here is a quote from one of the founding families of the Kitezh community:
“One can only save a child by helping him to change his own image of the world, purge it of viruses, from dirt and pain which prevent him from seeing reality…. We [are] a therapeutic community, concentrating on the creation of an environment in which those in our care can develop.” For more information, see the Kitezh web site, and see this article and video from Russia Today.