In our series of portraits of the Silver Age today’s hero is, perhaps, the most unusual. A legend of a man. The only one who was granted in
Russia the loftiest title – Great Archdeacon of All Russia. His name – Konstantin Rozov.
Contemporaries wrote: “At the start of the 20th century there were four chief highlights in Moscow: the Moscow Bolshoi and Arts theatres, the Tretyakov art Gallery, and the singing of the Synod choir at the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The services at the Assumption cathedral were simply inconceivable without Konstantin Rozov…
At the time the idols of Russia’s intellectual circles were bass Chaliapin and the great actor Kachalov. Rozov, however, was the allround favorite. Thousands of people came from all of Russia just to hear him…
From the recollections of contemporaries: “A many-thousand strong throng of people moves towards Red Square near the Moscow Kremlin. There is a flurry of anticipation in the crowd… People are saying excitedly: Rozov, Rozov!
This was a famous all across Russia archdeacon, renowned for his rare bass timbre and remarkable ability to conduct church services with lofty and majestic flair. Thronged by clergy, he would rise to the elevated Lobnoye site to announce an important Royal decree. He smoothed his curly hair and finally, his rich voice cuts through the silence: “We… by God’s grace…”
People listened with bated breath. His voice resounded all across the square, rolling across it in powerful waves…
Konstantin Rozov served at Russia’s principal Orthodox churches – the Assumption Cathedral and the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. As it is presupposed for a deacon, he conducted the service, read out the Gospel, led the singing in the central chants. He was the one who knew how to do this in a way that would simply mesmerize the people gathered in the church.
Everything about him was remarkable: gigantic stature, (over two meters!), a remarkably handsome face, eyes that radiated warmth, an astounding ability to find the time to speak to every parishioner who approached him. He was the possessor of a fantastically beautiful and powerful bass voice. It’s not accidental that his gift was compared to Chaliapin’s.
He was proclaimed the great Archdeacon of All Russia in 1921. Imagine an almost inconceivable scene: already at the height of communist terror, а gigantic crowd gathers near the Christ the Savior Cathedral, and it is protected by numerous mounted militia units. People come for the solemn church service in celebration of that remarkable event in the history of Russian Orthodoxy: the Great Archdeacon of All Russia is then greeted by 25 thousand people!
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