Sorokin, Sergey Pitirimovich

Father Pitirim Sorokin (1889-1968) is a famous Russian-American sociologist.
Mother Elena Petrovna Sorokina (Baratynskaya) (1894-1975) - cytologist. In exile with her husband since 1922 she defended her doctoral dissertation in 1925 at the University of Minnesota (USA). Professor, taught at several universities in America, collaborated with the Radcliffe Institute and the Harvard Research Group on Plant Physiology.
Elder brother Peter (1931-2015) is a physicist, researcher in the field of lasers , winner of several prestigious prizes in physics, worked for a long time at IBM , a member of the Supervisory Board of the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation in the United States.

Sergey Sorokin graduated from Harvard University, defended his thesis at Harvard Medical School, worked there as an instructor and researcher, and received the title of professor at Harvard and Boston Universities. His research interests are in cell biology ( cytology ).

Some scientific publications

• Sorokin SP A morphologic and cytochemical study on the great alveolar cell // Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. - 1966. - Vol. 14, N 12. - P. 884–897.
• Sorokina H., Sorokin SP Fluctuations in the acid phosphatase activity of spherosomes in guard cells of campanula persicifolia // Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. - 1968. - Vol. 16, N 12. - P. 791–802.
• Sorokin SP, Kobzik L., Hoyt RF, Godleski JJ Development of surface membrane characteristics of "premedullary" macrophages in organ cultures of embryonic rat and hamster lungs // Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. - 1989. - Vol. 37, N 3. - P. 365–376.
• Sorokin SP, Hoyt RF, Bartlett RA A simple fluorescence method for serotonin-containing endocrine cells in plastic-embedded lung, gut and thyroid gland // Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. - 1979. - Vol. 27, N 3. - P. 721–727.

From early childhood, Sergei Sorokin was brought up in an atmosphere conducive to the development of creative qualities. Many Russian emigrants - representatives of the creative intelligentsia were frequent guests in the Sorokins' house. Sergey Sorokin received his name in honor of a close friend of the Sorokins family, the famous Russian conductor Sergei Alexandrovich Kusevitsky , who directed the Boston Symphony Orchestra for about 25 years.
In Boston , where S.P. was born and raised Sorokin, there was a Russian choir, led by enthusiast and professional Orthodox chant Igor Fedorovich Studentsov. It included students, university professors and ordinary residents of the suburbs of Boston, who loved choral singing. Sergei Sorokin first sang in the choir, and then began to show interest in the compositional construction of church hymns and their history. For many years, working in his laboratory, Sergei Pitirimovich devoted research to cell problems, and while at home - studied church music and wrote himself.
Musical works of S. Sorokin began to be performed at various concerts. The first public concert entirely consisting of his works was held at Bates College (Maine) in 1974. In 2000, on the basis of the original recordings of the Cambridge Russian choir of 1971-1972, the CD "Choral chants of Holy Russia" prepared by Sergei Sorokin was released. (Choral Songs of Holy Russia: The Cambridge Russian Choir (USA) Igor Studenzoff, Conductor; Sergei P. Sorokin, Record Producer). ^[one]
Having completed the teaching and research work, Sergei Sorokin completely surrendered to his favorite business - composing music. In the summer of 2011, the presentation of the "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" by Sergei Pitirimovich Sorokin took place in the Resurrection Cathedral of the Vologda Kremlin . Here, in the Big Sophia Cathedral, a disc of the Liturgy was recorded and a score was published. ^[2]
Musical samples of Sergey Sorokin were often accompanied by artistic sketches. In the period from 1960 to 1979, Sergey Pitirimovich draws Christmas cards for parents and friends of the family. Their theme is connected with the biblical plot, Christian symbolism on them is interwoven with an illustrated art story about the main events of the Sorokins. At the same time, they have a lot of imagination, artistic fiction and associations associated with Christmas. 17 such postcards are currently handed over to Russia for the organization of museum exhibits. ^[3]

As many guests of the house in Winchester, in which the Sorokins lived and in which Sergey Pitirimovich now lives, note that the room is literally saturated with all Russians. To this day, the house has been preserved as it was under Sergei’s parents: Dobuzhinsky’s full-wall paintings with views of St. Petersburg and Moscow, an old samovar, balalaika and other items of Russian utensils; an old harpsichord in the hallway and a large concert grand piano in the room where portraits of mother and father Elena Baratynskaya and Pitirim Sorokin, the score of Tchaikovsky , Rachmaninov , Mussorgsky hang; the father’s huge office, which remains the same as it was in 1968, in the year of the death of Pitirim Sorokin , finally, endless shelving of books, old phonograph records, albums.
The home collection consists of numerous works by P.A. Sorokin and works on Sorokin (books, including manuscripts, magazines, drafts, research materials), unique historical materials (personal and business correspondence, archival documentation), as well as photo , video and audio archives of the Sorokin family. In total, the collection has at least 7 thousand units of materials.
Today S.P. Sorokin continues to carefully preserve his father's legacy. For this, in April 2011, the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation was created in the United States. Among the main objectives of the Fund:

• preservation and protection of international copyright of the heritage of Pitirim Sorokin;
• popularization of scientific work of Pitirim Sorokin;
• assistance in scientific research in various fields of sociology;
• assistance in conducting charity, scientific and educational events in the framework of popularizing the work of Pitirim Sorokin

Sergei Sorokin visited Russia three times with his friend and colleague Richard Francis Hoyt. For the first time - at 76 years old during the celebrations of the 110th anniversary of the birth of his father. In 2009, he visited St. Petersburg and the Komi Republic, in 2011 - in Vologda. During his visits, Sergei Pitirimovich visited many memorial sites related to his father's life: the village of Turia, where his father was born, the building of a second-class gymnasium in the village of Gam, where P. A. Sorokin received his first education, the building of the Faculty of Sociology in St. Petersburg, 31 -th house on the 8th line of Vasilyevsky Island, where P. A. Sorokin lived before leaving abroad. To get acquainted with Russian culture, Sergey Sorokin also visited many cultural heritage institutions: from the Hermitage to rural local history museums.

1. Official site of the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation, USA (Pitirim A. Sorokin Foundation)
2. Information portal "Pitirim" of the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation
3. Sorokin S.P. Family life with Pitirim Sorokin // The Return of Pitirim Sorokin: Materials of the International Scientific Symposium on the 110th Birthday of Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin / Ed. Yu.V. Yakovets. - M: Moscow Public Science Foundation; IFC, 2000. - S. 35-60.
4. Sergey Sorokin: from America with love ... // IRSI.
5. Sergei Sorokin: “Father said that America is changing, not he” // Newspaper, 04/14/2009.
6. Sergei Sorokin: “Father kept kinship with the Komi people” // Red Banner, 05/29/2009.
7. Sergei P. Sorokin. Old Friends (inaccessible link) (music video presentation).
8. "Litany" performed by the Cambridge Russian Choir (composition from a music disc prepared by S.P. Sorokin).
9. "The Only Begotten Son" (video clip of the music concert by SP Sorokin in Vologda, 2011).
10. “Come worship” and “Trisagion” (video clip of the concert of music by SP Sorokin in Syktyvkar, 2009).