On the phenomenon of Russian Orthodox entrepreneurship — a social class that did not merely develop the economy, but shaped Russia as a cultural and spiritual endeavour: building churches and hospitals, opening schools and museums, and supporting science and the arts.
At the heart of the narrative are 33 saintly entrepreneurs, glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church. Through their life stories, the paradox of ‘holy business’ is revealed: people engaged in trade and manufacturing managed to transform their labour into service to God and their neighbour, and their wealth into an instrument of charity.
