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House of Hope on the Hill by Max Sher
When I was contacted by Courrier Japon to take part in This Day of Change: 1/20 Project, I immediately thought of the House of Hope on the Hill – a privately-sponsored and free detox centre located outside St. Petersburg – as a possible subject for a story. I’ve always believed any non-governmental grassroots activity in this country should get the attention it deserves and so desperately needs. I wanted to make a small essay to tell their story, which is a story of success because, according to what I learned, the recovery rate at this institution is much higher than in any other detox centres, governmental or private. A really symbolic moment on that day for me was the baptism of a woman patient who decided not only to convert to Christianity, but also to take a new name – Nadezhda, Russian for “Hope.” Founded in 1998 by a former American business executive who was an alcoholic, the House of Hope on the Hill, which can accommodate about 30 patients at a time, is still the only free Alcoholics Anonymous centre in a country where alcohol abuse is one of the most acute and inveterate social problems. According to research, about 20 percent of male deaths in 2002 could be attributed to alcohol. For many patients and their families desperately seeking a cure, the House is often the last glimmer of hope. It was purposely situated at one of the highest places in the plains around St. Petersburg in order to give patients perspective. The village of Perekula is located about 10 km outside St. Petersburg and is only accessible by foot or car. This allows patients to cut all links to outside temptations while undergoing treatment, which lasts 28 days. Now into its 11th year of existence, the House of Hope is not only struggling to raise a steady source of funding, but also has to fight the overall apathy, sometimes even hostility, of society and Russia’s infamous red tape.
