Московское Вегетарианское Общество как провозвестник толстовского учения
Moscow Vegetarian Society as a Propagator of Tolstoy’s Teachings

Summary/Abstract: The Moscow Vegetarian Society was founded in 1909 by Ivan Gorbunov-Posadov (1864–1940), an exemplary Tolstoyan and children’s writer. In his speech on the day of the inauguration, he outlined the goals of the association, the foremost being the promotion of vegetarianism, emphasizing how adherence to vegetarianism ultimately led to a life based on mutual love and non-resistance to evil. A board of directors, consisting of sixteen members, was immediately formed, and Lev Tolstoy was appointed as an honorary member. Active until 1929 (its lease contract was strategically revoked by the Mossovet to liquidate it), the Vegetarian Society undertook various initiatives to spread vegetarian culture and Tolstoyan principles. Two periodical publications were established, a small market for vegetarian literature was organized (mostly published by the Tolstoyan publishing house, “Posrednik”), a small library, a kindergarten, and the capital’s first vegetarian cafeteria were set up. Public readings, lectures, and conferences on philosophical and moral topics were also organized. Based on the Association’s archive kept in Chertkov’s personal fund (f. 345, NIOR RGB) in Moscow, and as yet not subject to systematic study the essay aims to demonstrate how the Vegetarian Society served as an outlet for the grand idea that led from evil to good and truth, based on ideals of brotherhood, love, and non-violence, which if unanimously embraced would surely have realized the kingdom of heaven on earth.

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