Viranovsky, Nikolai Georgievich

Nikolai Georgievich Viranovsky came from a noble family of Viranovsky

• Father - Lieutenant General Georgy Nikolaevich Viranovsky ( 1867 - 1920 ), Russian military leader, participant in the Russian-Japanese and World War I , participant (1918−1920) of the White Movement during the Civil War . Cavalier of the orders of St. George 3rd and 4th degree.
• Mother - Elena Arturovna, nee Luix, daughter of a Belgian subject, Odessa architect, Arthur Gustavovich Luix ^[1] and Elise, nee de la Roche.
• Brothers - Boris ( 1893 - 1968 , a participant in the Civil War in the armed forces of the All-Union Socialist League , was in exile in France, repatriate); George ( 1896 - 1926 ; participant in the Civil War in the ranks of the Volunteer Army (2nd cavalry Drozdovsky regiment) and the All-Union Socialist League, in exile).
• Wife - Klavdia Petrovna, nee Orlova ( 1914 - 1989 ), daughter of the famous Odessa archpriest.
• Children - George ( 1935 - 2013 ), composer, professor, music historian; Elena (born in 1937 ); Natalia, in the marriage of Kalugin (born in 1949 ), church regent, composer.

Almost immediately after the birth of Nicholas, the family moved to Odessa. When the father sailed to Siberia, the family remained in the city. He received his primary education in the Children's Town named after the Comintern at the 4th station of the Big Fountain , where his mother worked.

As a child, he was an altar boy and sang in a church choir in the Alexander Nevsky Church. In 1926 he became the psalmist of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa. In 1927 he graduated from short-term theological courses at the Odessa Diocesan Administration, in 1929 - three-year choirmaster courses under the direction of N.P. Novikov, and in 1933 - Odessa Music and Drama Institute (muzdramin).

Serving as a staff-bearer of the bishop in the Preobrazhensky Cathedral, at the same time, in order to avoid the threat of expulsion from the city as a “unearned element”, he went to work as a stoker, later as a worker at the All-Ukrainian Film and Camera Plant named after V. I. Lenin. However, due to the illness, Nikolai Georgievich returned to the cathedral as a psalmist and subregent.

In 1934 , simultaneously with the performance of singing duties in the bishop’s choir, Nikolai Georgievich got a job at the Odessa Opera House . Subsequently, he organized a choir in the military garrison of Ochakov . After the choir took first place at the naval Olympiad in the Odessa garrison, Nikolai Georgievich was invited to the Odessa House of the Red Army.

In the second half of the 1930s he worked in the Ukrainian Drama Theater and choirmaster of the House of the Red Army. In 1940 he again moved to the Odessa Opera House.

With the outbreak of World War II, Nikolai Georgievich was appointed air defense service chief of the theater’s air surveillance. As a member of the concert crew of the theater, he performed on the Belarusian front. In connection with a leg wound received during one of the air raids, he remained in occupied Odessa.

During the occupation, Nikolai Georgievich returned to church service, becoming regent and psalmist in the church of St. Gregory the Theologian and the martyr Zoe. In May 1944, by order of the patriarchal representative hieromonk Sergius (Larin), he was appointed regent of the right choir of the St. Elias Cathedral . In 1947 - 1954 he was a regent psalmist in the churches: Saints Cyril and Methodius, St. Demetrius of Rostov, the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem.

In 1954, Archbishop Nikon (Petin) appointed Nikolai Georgievich as a subregent, and in 1956 - as regent of the bishop's choir in the Assumption Cathedral in Odessa. In this position he was until his death.

He was a teacher of church singing at Odessa Theological Seminary from 1955 to 1982 ^[2] .

The system of classes was solemn, it was enough to listen to N. G. Viranovsky's opening remarks about the composer and the chant with which he began rehearsal work, as everyone immediately felt the seriousness of the regent's attitude to his work. He considered in time the said joke as a necessary discharge for the team at work. The regency case of N. G. Viranovsky was inherent in many individual traits. His choir management was always distinguished by prayer, soft sounding, he never allowed the upper voices to drown out the lower ones, he constantly worked on ensemble sound. The basic principle of the relationship between the leader and the choir staff, which Viranovsky followed his whole life, was the deep humanity and mutual respect of the singers and the regent. N. G. Viranovsky was a deep-believing man, always seriously preparing for services, and especially for great holidays, he knew the church charter very well. With his knowledge and talent, he was able to educate a number of students, who later became regents of choral groups. ^[3]

He was buried at the second Odessa city cemetery near the church of St. Demetrius of Rostov.

Nikolai Georgievich is the author of more than 30 musical compositions for the choir. Part of the heritage is lost. His works are known as:

• Troparion Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Troparion of the Iveron Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary ^[4] .
• Great litany
• Polyelei

In addition, Nikolai Georgievich wrote the lamps of all the twelve holy days.

• 1965 - Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir , 3rd degree
• 1975 - Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir , 2nd degree
• 1979 - Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh , 2nd degree
• Bishop’s blessed letter from Archbishop Sergius (Petrov)
• Order of the Holy Apostle Mark, Alexandria Church

• Nikolai Georgievich Viranovsky [obituary] // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1985. - No. 9 .
• Nikolaidi A., deacon. Names dear to the heart // St. Andrew's Bulletin. - 2005. - No. 12 .