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Father Alexander Nemchenko operates one of the few rehabilitation centers available to Russian alcoholics, where individuals grappling with their substance abuse find solace and support. The center is always bustling, filled with men who share heartbreaking stories of lost families and diminished lives. For these individuals, such centers provide a last refuge; without them, many express a grim belief that they would not survive.
Despite the opportunities presented by the end of communism, millions remain ensnared in a cycle of addiction with limited prospects for recovery. A common outcome for those who become too inebriated is a stay in one of many "sober cells," which are perpetually overcrowded—a situation exacerbating the ongoing crisis.