Trinity Synodik. Memorial Day of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormylya, † 2009)

Matthew (Mormyl)
(1938 - 2009), archimandrite, monk, charter director and senior choir director of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra choir, director of the joint choir of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Honored Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy In the world Mormyl Lev Vasilyevich, born March 5, 1938 [1] in the village of Arkhonskaya, former Terek region (now the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania) in an Orthodox family. My grandfather's sister on my mother's side, Mother Sophia, was a nun in the monastery of the Holy Great Martyr George on the Kura River, near the city of Georgievsk in the Caucasus.

In 1959 he graduated from the Stavropol Theological Seminary.

From 1959 to 1963 he studied at the Moscow Theological Academy. He successfully defended his candidate's thesis on the topic: “The Resurrection of Christ as presented by Russian theologians and apologists,” for which he was awarded the academic title of Candidate of Theology.

Since 1961 - charter director and senior director of the choir of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, director of the joint choir of the Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.

In December 1962 he was tonsured a monk.

On March 30, 1963, he was ordained as hierodeacon.

On March 29, 1964 he was ordained hieromonk.

From 1963 to 1974 - teacher at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary (Church Charter, Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments and Liturgics).

In 1968 he was awarded the rank of abbot.

In 1971 he was awarded the rank of archimandrite.

From 1969 to 1974 - teacher at the Regency Class of the MDA.

In March 1984, he was awarded the title of associate professor of the Moscow Academy of Sciences.

In 1988 he was confirmed with the rank of professor at the Moscow Academy of Sciences.

In 2004, he was awarded the title of Honored Professor of the Moscow Academy of Sciences.

He was a member of the Synodal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church for Divine Services.

He taught History of Biblical Criticism of the New Testament (Master's degree) and Sacred Scripture of the New Testament and Liturgics (Bachelor's degree) at Moscow theological schools.

He died on September 15, 2009 at the age of 72 after a long illness. On September 18 of the same year, a funeral service took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which was led by the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Archbishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky. Concelebrating with him were: the vicar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archbishop of Sergiev Posad Feognost (Guzikov); Bishops Seraphim (Zaliznitsky) [2], Barnaul and Altai Maxim (Dmitriev), Bryansk and Sevsky Theophylact (Moiseev), Saratov and Volsky Longin (Korchagin), Gatchina Ambrose (Ermakov), Podolsk Tikhon (Zaitsev) as well as the brethren of the Lavra, teachers and students of Moscow theological schools, choirs of the Lavra and the Academy accompanied their teacher with solemn singing. His former students from different dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church came to say goodbye to their mentor. Father Matthew was buried behind the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Awards

• patriarchal charter (1964)
• pectoral cross (1965)
• Order of the Holy Cross of the Church of Jerusalem (1968)
• Order of St. Prince Vladimir III degree (1968)
• pectoral cross with decorations (1970)
• Patriarchal charter (1973, on the day of Holy Easter)
• Order of St. Prince Vladimir II degree (1976)
• Patriarchal charter (1985, in connection with the 300th anniversary of the Moscow Theological Academy)
• Order of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh II degree (March 19, 1987, in connection with the 650th anniversary of the founding of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra)
• second pectoral cross with decorations (June 9, 1988, in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus')
• Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow, III degree (March 6, 1998, in connection with the 60th anniversary of his birth (for many years of service to the Holy Church))
• Order of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, II degree (May 2, 2008, for many years of hard work and in connection with the 70th anniversary of his birth)

Excerpt characterizing Matthew (Mormyl)

- What is this? asked Pierre. - Here's a new poster. Pierre took it in his hands and began to read: “The Most Serene Prince, in order to quickly unite with the troops that are coming to him, crossed Mozhaisk and stood in a strong place where the enemy would not suddenly attack him. Forty-eight cannons with shells were sent to him from here, and His Serene Highness says that he will defend Moscow to the last drop of blood and is ready to fight even in the streets. You, brothers, don’t look at the fact that public offices have been closed: things need to be tidied up, and we will deal with the villain in our court! When it comes down to it, I need young people from both towns and villages. I’ll call the cry in two days, but now there’s no need, I’m silent. Good with an axe, not bad with a spear, but best of all is a three-piece pitchfork: a Frenchman is not heavier than a sheaf of rye. Tomorrow, after lunch, I’m taking Iverskaya to the Catherine Hospital, to see the wounded. We will consecrate the water there: they will recover sooner; and now I’m healthy: my eye hurt, but now I can see both.” “And the military people told me,” said Pierre, “that there is no way to fight in the city and that the position...” “Well, yes, that’s what we’re talking about,” said the first official. – What does this mean: my eye hurt, and now I’m looking at both? - said Pierre. “The count had barley,” said the adjutant, smiling, “and he was very worried when I told him that people had come to ask what was wrong with him.” “And what, count,” the adjutant suddenly said, turning to Pierre with a smile, “we heard that you have family worries?” What if the countess, your wife... “I didn’t hear anything,” Pierre said indifferently. -What did you hear? - No, you know, they often make things up. I say I heard. -What did you hear? “Yes, they say,” the adjutant said again with the same smile, “that the countess, your wife, is going abroad.” Probably nonsense... “Maybe,” said Pierre, looking around him absentmindedly. - And who is this? - he asked, pointing to a short old man in a pure blue coat, with a large beard as white as snow, the same eyebrows and a ruddy face. - This? This is one merchant, that is, he is an innkeeper, Vereshchagin. Have you heard perhaps this story about the proclamation? - Oh, so this is Vereshchagin! - said Pierre, peering into the firm and calm face of the old merchant and looking for an expression of treason in it. - This is not him. This is the father of the one who wrote the proclamation,” said the adjutant. “He’s young, he’s sitting in a hole, and he seems to be in trouble.” One old man, wearing a star, and another, a German official, with a cross on his neck, approached the people talking. “You see,” said the adjutant, “this is a complicated story. Then, two months ago, this proclamation appeared. They informed the Count. He ordered an investigation. So Gavrilo Ivanovich was looking for him, this proclamation was in exactly sixty-three hands. He will come to one thing: from whom do you get it? - That’s why. He goes to that one: who are you from? etc. we got to Vereshchagin... a half-trained merchant, you know, a little merchant, my dear,” the adjutant said, smiling. - They ask him: who do you get it from? And the main thing is that we know from whom it comes. He has no one else to rely on other than the postal director. But apparently there was a strike between them. He says: not from anyone, I composed it myself. And they threatened and begged, so he settled on it: he composed it himself. So they reported to the count. The count ordered to call him. “Who is your proclamation from?” - “I composed it myself.” Well, you know the Count! – the adjutant said with a proud and cheerful smile. - He flared up terribly, and just think: such impudence, lies and stubbornness!.. - Ah! The Count needed him to point to Klyucharyov, I understand! - said Pierre. “It’s not necessary at all,” the adjutant said fearfully. – Klyucharyov had sins even without this, for which he was exiled. But the fact is that the count was very indignant. “How could you compose? - says the count. I took this “Hamburg newspaper” from the table. - Here she is. You didn’t compose it, but translated it, and you translated it badly, because you don’t even know French, you fool.” What do you think? “No,” he says, “I didn’t read any newspapers, I made them up.” - “And if so, then you are a traitor, and I will bring you to trial, and you will be hanged. Tell me, from whom did you receive it? - “I haven’t seen any newspapers, but I made them up.” It remains that way. The Count also called on his father: stand his ground. And they put him on trial and, it seems, sentenced him to hard labor. Now his father came to ask for him. But he's a crappy boy! You know, such a merchant's son, a dandy, a seducer, listened to lectures somewhere and already thinks that the devil is not his brother. After all, what a young man he is! His father has a tavern here near the Stone Bridge, so in the tavern, you know, there is a large image of the Almighty God and a scepter is presented in one hand, and an orb in the other; so he took this image home for several days and what did he do! I found a scoundrel painter... In the middle of this new story, Pierre was called to the commander-in-chief. Pierre entered Count Rastopchin's office. Rastopchin, wincing, rubbed his forehead and eyes with his hand, while Pierre entered. The short man was saying something and, as soon as Pierre entered, he fell silent and left. - A! “Hello, great warrior,” said Rostopchin as soon as this man came out. – We’ve heard about your prouesses [glorious exploits]! But that's not the point. Mon cher, entre nous, [Between us, my dear,] are you a Freemason? - said Count Rastopchin in a stern tone, as if there was something bad in this, but that he intended to forgive. Pierre was silent. - Mon cher, je suis bien informe, [I, my dear, know everything well,] but I know that there are Freemasons and Freemasons, and I hope that you do not belong to those who, under the guise of saving the human race, want to destroy Russia. “Yes, I’m a Freemason,” answered Pierre. - Well, you see, my dear. You, I think, are not unaware that Messrs. Speransky and Magnitsky have been sent where they should be; the same was done with Mr. Klyucharyov, the same with others who, under the guise of building the temple of Solomon, tried to destroy the temple of their fatherland. You can understand that there are reasons for this and that I could not exile the local postal director if he were not a harmful person. Now I know that you sent him yours. crew for the rise from the city and even that you accepted papers from him for safekeeping. I love you and do not wish you harm, and since you are twice my age, I, as a father, advise you to stop all relations with this kind of people and leave here yourself as soon as possible. - But what, Count, is Klyucharyov’s fault? asked Pierre. “It’s my business to know and not yours to ask me,” cried Rostopchin. “If he is accused of distributing Napoleon’s proclamations, then this has not been proven,” said Pierre (without looking at Rastopchin), “and Vereshchagin...” “Nous y voila, [It is so,”] - suddenly frowning, interrupting Pierre , Rostopchin screamed even louder than before. “Vereshchagin is a traitor and a traitor who will receive a well-deserved execution,” said Rostopchin with that fervor of anger with which people speak when remembering an insult. - But I did not call you in order to discuss my affairs, but in order to give you advice or orders, if you want it. I ask you to stop relations with gentlemen like Klyucharyov and get out of here. And I'll beat the crap out of whoever it is. - And, probably realizing that he seemed to be shouting at Bezukhov, who had not yet been guilty of anything, he added, taking Pierre by the hand in a friendly manner: - Nous sommes a la veille d'un desastre publique, et je n'ai pas le temps de dire des gentillesses a tous ceux qui ont affaire a moi. My head is spinning sometimes! Eh! bien, mon cher, qu'est ce que vous faites, vous personnellement? [We are on the eve of a general disaster, and I have no time to be polite to everyone with whom I have business. So, my dear, what are you doing, you personally?] “Mais rien, [Yes, nothing,” answered Pierre, still without raising his eyes and without changing the expression of his thoughtful face. The Count frowned. - Un conseil d'ami, mon cher. Decampez et au plutot, c'est tout ce que je vous dis. A bon entendeur salut! Goodbye, my dear. “Oh, yes,” he shouted to him from the door, “is it true that the countess fell into the clutches of des saints peres de la Societe de Jesus?” [Friendly advice. Get out quickly, that's what I tell you. Blessed is he who knows how to obey!.. the holy fathers of the Society of Jesus?] Pierre did not answer anything and, frowning and angry as he had never been seen, left Rostopchin. When he arrived home, it was already getting dark. About eight different people visited him that evening. Secretary of the committee, colonel of his battalion, manager, butler and various petitioners. Everyone had matters before Pierre that he had to resolve. Pierre did not understand anything, was not interested in these matters and gave only answers to all questions that would free him from these people. Finally, left alone, he printed out and read his wife’s letter. “They are soldiers at the battery, Prince Andrey has been killed... an old man... Simplicity is submission to God. You have to suffer... the meaning of everything... you have to put it together... your wife is getting married... You have to forget and understand...” And he, going to the bed, fell on it without undressing and immediately fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, the butler came to report that a police official had come from Count Rastopchin on purpose to find out whether Count Bezukhov had left or was leaving. About ten different people who had business with Pierre were waiting for him in the living room. Pierre hastily dressed, and, instead of going to those who were waiting for him, he went to the back porch and from there went out through the gate. From then until the end of the Moscow devastation, none of the Bezukhovs’ household, despite all the searches, saw Pierre again and did not know where he was. The Rostovs remained in the city until September 1, that is, until the eve of the enemy’s entry into Moscow. After Petya joined Obolensky’s Cossack regiment and his departure to Belaya Tserkov, where this regiment was being formed, fear came over the countess. The thought that both of her sons are at war, that both of them have left under her wing, that today or tomorrow each of them, and maybe both together, like the three sons of one of her friends, could be killed, for the first time just now, this summer, it came to her mind with cruel clarity. She tried to get Nikolai to come to her, she wanted to go to Petya herself, to place him somewhere in St. Petersburg, but both of them turned out to be impossible. Petya could not be returned except with the regiment or through transfer to another active regiment. Nicholas was somewhere in the army and after his last letter, in which he described in detail his meeting with Princess Marya, he did not give any news about himself. The Countess did not sleep at night and, when she fell asleep, she saw her murdered sons in her dreams. After much advice and negotiations, the count finally came up with a means to calm the countess. He transferred Petya from Obolensky’s regiment to Bezukhov’s regiment, which was being formed near Moscow. Although Petya remained in military service, with this transfer the countess had the consolation of seeing at least one son under her wing and hoped to arrange for her Petya in such a way that she would no longer let him out and would always enroll him in places of service where he could not possibly end up. into battle. While only Nicolas was in danger, it seemed to the countess (and she even repented of it) that she loved the eldest more than all the other children; but when the youngest, the naughty one, who was a bad student, who broke everything in the house and who was boring everyone, Petya, this snub-nosed Petya, with his cheerful black eyes, a fresh blush and a little fluff on his cheeks, ended up there, with these big, scary, cruel men who they fight something there and find something joyful in it - then it seemed to the mother that she loved him more, much more than all her children. The closer the time approached when the expected Petya was supposed to return to Moscow, the more the countess’s anxiety increased. She already thought that she would never see this happiness. The presence of not only Sonya, but also her beloved Natasha, even her husband, irritated the countess. “What do I care about them, I don’t need anyone except Petya!” - she thought.

Used materials

• Biography on the official website of the Moscow Theological Academy:
• “Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) was awarded the Order of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, II degree,” official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, May 2, 2008:
• Biography on the Russian Orthodoxy website:

[1] This is the case in all sources, but the date of birth is indicated on the grave monument: March 5, 1937 - “A meeting of graduates of the Moscow Theological Academy of 2005 took place” // official website of the Moscow Theological Academy, July 16, 2015 -

[2]

Biography

Lev Mormyl was born on March 5, 1938 in the North Caucasus, in the village of Arkhonskaya in the former Terek region (now the Prigorodny region of North Ossetia-Alania)[6], in a Cossack family with hereditary musical traditions.

In 1956 he graduated from high school and, intending to become a priest, entered the Stavropol Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1959. In the class of church singing he studied with the famous regent, connoisseur and lover of everyday melodies - V. P. Pestritsky, a follower of the tradition of the singing school of the famous choral conductor and teacher K. K. Pigrov (1876-1962). Since 1957, after graduating from the first class of the seminary, he served as a psalm-reader and regent of the left choir in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Essentuki, where he met the well-known regent in the North Caucasus, Deacon Pavel Zvonik (d. 1964), who had a huge influence on him and laid the foundation for the formation in a young seminarian of his own regency style.

From 1959 to 1963 he studied at the Moscow Theological Academy.

In the spring of 1961, he submitted a petition to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and on June 21, 1961, he was accepted among its novices and appointed charter director and senior regent of the monastery choir.

Since 1961 - charter director and senior director of the choir of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, director of the joint choir of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.

In December 1962, he was tonsured a monk with the name Matthew in honor of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. On March 30, 1963, he was ordained a hierodeacon, and on March 29, 1964, a hieromonk.

In 1963, he successfully defended his candidate’s thesis on the topic: “The Resurrection of Christ as presented by Russian theologians and apologists.” From 1963 to 2005 - teacher of the Moscow Academy of Sciences and Regency School (Church Charter, Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments and Liturgics).

In 1968 he was elevated to the rank of abbot, and in 1971 to the rank of archimandrite.

From 1969 to 1974 - teacher of the Regency class. In March 1984, he was awarded the title of associate professor. In January 1988 he was confirmed with the rank of professor. In 2004, he was awarded the title of Honored Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy.

He died on the night of September 15, 2009[7][8], and was buried on September 18, behind the altar of the Church of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Publications

articles

• Defense of the dissertation // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1969. - No. 9. - P. 16-17
• Eortology and theology of the Nativity // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1985. - No. 1. - P. 71-78; No. 2. - pp. 64-66.
• Liturgical traditions of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra // Theological works. 1989. - No. 29. - P. 194-200.
• Caucasian Cross of Russia (Russian). Internet version of the newspaper “Russian Herald” (April 23, 2008). Access date: July 2, 2009.
• Intercession Church of the Moscow Theological Academy // Meeting: student Orthodox magazine of the Moscow Theological Academy. 2010. - N 1 (29) - pp. 26-32
• Liturgical science at the Moscow Theological Academy // Theological Bulletin: anniversary issue. 2010. - No. 11-12. - Sergiev Posad: Moscow Theological Academy, 2010. - 1204 p. - ISBN 978-5-87245-161-7 - pp. 242-255.

notes

• Choruses for the 9th song of the canon for the Presentation of the Lord // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1987. - No. 2. - P. 77-78.
• Greatnesses from the service of the Baptism of Rus' // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1988. - No. 2. - P. 76-77.
• From the chants of the feast of the Baptism of Rus' // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1988. - No. 3. - P. 75-76.
• Stichera on the Sunday of All Russian Saints // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1988. - No. 4. - P. 74-75.
• Christmas festive triptych: sheet music supplement to the anniversary recording of the choir of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. - [B. m.]: Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 1999. - 104 p. Christmas holiday triptych: music collection. - M.: Blago: Holy Trinity Novo-Golutvin Convent, 2010. - 104 p. — ISBN 978-5-88149-422-3

interview

• I have never built anything on someone else’s foundation... Archival copy dated November 30, 2012 on the Wayback Machine // Moscow Regency Singing Seminary. Collection of materials 1998-1999. - M.: Saint Cyprian, 2000. - P. 66-91.
• “As the Church is, so am I.” Conversation with Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) (Russian). Orthodoxy and modernity (May 26, 2009). Access date: July 2, 2009.

Literature

• Chapnin S.V.
  Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate: Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. 2009. - No. 11. - P. 90 - 93
• Archim. Matthew (Mormyl) (March 5, 1938 - September 15, 2009) // Theological Bulletin: anniversary issue. 2010. - No. 11-12 - P. 935-944.
• Georgy Polyachenko
  “I sing to the Lord until I am” // rusk.ru, 09.13.2012
• Karmanov K. L.
  Musical creativity of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) // Bulletin of the Ekaterinburg Theological Seminary. - 2012. - No. 1. - P. 145-184.
• Plotnikova N. Yu.
  Archim. Matthew (Mormyl) // At the Holy See: Liturgical music of Orthodox clergy / Comp.: G. A. Smirnov. - M., 2012. - P. 76-80
• Siluan (Tumanov).
  Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) - musician and confessor - in his memoirs and the memories of his contemporaries // Bulletin of PSTGU. Series 5: Questions of the history and theory of Christian art. — 2013. — No. 2 (11). — P. 205—211.
• Longin (Korchagin), Metropolitan.
  The word is master here, sound is the servant // Orthodoxy and modernity. Saratov, 2015. - No. 35 (51). — P. 10-17.
• Tugarinov E. S.
  Matthew (Mormyl) // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M.: Church-Scientific, 2021. - T. XLIV: “Marcellus II - Mercury and Paisius.” — P. 384-385. — 752 p. — 30,000 copies. — ISBN 978-5-89572-051-6.
• Denisov N. G., Filatov N. A.
  Knight of the Regency Service Father Matthew (Mormyl): materials, memories, research. - St. Petersburg: Pushkin House, 2017. - 542 p. — ISBN 978-5-91476-077-6.
• Makina A.V.
  Regency case of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) // Bulletin of the Adygea State University. Series 2: Philology and art history. — 2021. — No. 1 (192). - pp. 164-168.
• Naumenko T.I.
  Offering to the Great Regent // Musical Academy. 2021. - No. 2. - P. 111-113.
• Starostina T. A.
  On the individual refraction of everyday harmonization in Matins of the Great Heel of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) // South Russian Musical Almanac. - 2021. - No. 1. - P. 10-17.
• Starostina T. A.
  On the methods of variation in the harmonizations of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) (using the example of the litany genre) // Bulletin of Musical Science. — 2021. — No. 2 (20). — P. 33-43.
• Kireev F. S.
  Genealogy of the great regent of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) // Genealogy of the peoples of the Caucasus. Tradition and modernity. Collection of scientific articles. — Vol. X. - Vladikavkaz: SOIGSI VSC RAS, 2021. - 268 p. — pp. 64–70
• Starostina T. A.
  On the principles of variation in the treatments of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) using the example of the Cherubic Song // Bulletin of PSTGU. Series 5: Questions of the history and theory of Christian art. - 2021. - No. 29. - P. 138-154.
• Starostina T. A.
  On the musical logic of the Matins cycle of the Great Heel of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) // Bulletin of PSTGU. Series 5: Questions of the history and theory of Christian art. - 2021. - No. 33. - P. 134-144.

Creation

A special merit is the creation and dissemination of a special culture of singing in large male church choirs, the education and development of singing talent among tens of thousands of MDAiS seminarians - who became clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church. As a church composer, he created a number of new liturgical chants, including those dedicated to significant dates in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church:

• Resumption of the celebration of All Saints who shone in the Russian land (1963)
• 50th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church (1967)
• 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' (1988-1989)
• 2000th Anniversary of Christianity (2000)

As a liturgist and canonist (statutor), he participated in the preparation of some local councils of the Russian Orthodox Church and the compilation of services (composition of liturgical texts) for the newly glorified saints.

The famous verse “To sing beautifully to the grave...”

[9] is often mistakenly attributed to him, although the real author is opera singer Yuri Arkadyevich Shklyar.[10]