Andrew Karelin was a member of a large number of different societies: the Nizhny Novgorod Society of Art Lovers, the Imperial Society of Lovers of Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography, the 5th Photographic Department of the Imperial Russian Technical Society, the Russian Photographic Society in Moscow, the French National Academy of Arts. The Karelin family was actively involved in charity work. In the drawing school founded by Karelin most of those in need studied for free. Approximately 40 people were involved into the school’s studies.
Karelins’ works were depicted in the art department of the All-Russian trade, industrial and art exhibition of 1896. In 1901, Andrew and Olga initiated the foundation of the Nizhny Novgorod Society of Art Lovers.