Paul and Marie Miklashevsky

Pavel (Paul) Ilyich Miklashevsky (1920-2011)

and

Baroness Marie Catherine Alice von Hahn (1930-1988)

Paul may be spelt Pavel.

Miklashevsky may be spelt Miklachevsky, Miklaszewski.

The spelling “Miklashevsky” in English approximates the Russian pronunciation of the name. The spelling “Miklachevsky” is the French spelling which approximates the Russian pronunciation. The documents often use the French spelling. The third alternative spelling “Miklaszewski” is the Polish spelling which approximates the Russian pronunciation.

— compiled and edited from several sources

Parents of Pavel Ilyich Miklashevsky

Pavel Ilyich Miklashevsky was the son of General Ilya Mikhailovich Miklachevsky (born in Odessa, Russian Empire, 1877) and Countess Ekaterina Alexeievna Miklachevsky (born Bobrinsky) (born in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, 1883).

Before the October Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Ilya Mikhailovich had been in the service of the Imperial Life Guard. During the 1916 Brusilov Offensive of World War I, he had received the Order of Saint George for his bravery. In early 1917, he had been appointed Commander of the Life-Guard. In 1918, after the revolution, he made his way through Ukraine to the Volunteer White Movement Army, and he participated in the Russian Civil War that followed the revolution.

In October, 1918, Ilya Mikhailovich participated in the formation of the consolidated-guard Cuirassier Regiment (originally : a team of horse scouts under the consolidated-guard infantry regiment of Colonel M N Moller) in Novorossiysk. He continued to form a regiment after he was sent to Northern Tauria as part of the Crimean-Azov Volunteer Army of General A A Borovsky (famous for “Borovsky’s Raid”).

Ilya Mikhailovich was with the retreat to the Ak-Manai positions and the reformation of the Crimean-Azov army in April, 1919. He was in the 3rd Army Corps of the Consolidated Cuirassier Regiment, and he was appointed the head of a separate cavalry brigade. In early June, 1919, this brigade participated in the breakthrough of Ak-Manai positions, during which, on 5 June, 1919, he was seriously wounded because he was in the front lines. Even before he had recovered from his wounds, Ilya Mikhailovich was given the command of the 2nd Cavalry Division, and in July, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division. He participated in the battles of Nizhin, Bakhmut, Glukhov (in the Sumy region), and others.

On 4 December, 1919, he became seriously ill with typhoid fever. After his recovery, he was in the cavalry of General P Wrangel. However, when he recovered, the southern parts of the White Army were in the last days of their struggle in the Civil War. The last military and civilian personnel left Russia with General Pyotr Wrangel on 14 November, 1920. When the army was evacuated to Gallipoli, Thrace, General Ilya M Milachevsky's family accompanied him (as did many other families) into exile. Then he, the Combined Cavalry Division and his family arrived in Belgrade, in the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Countess Ekaterina Alexeievna Bobrinskaya was born in Saint Petersburg. Her father, Alexei Alexandrovich Bobrinsky, was a senator of the Russian Empire, who emigrated after the Russian Revolution to Nice, France. Her mother belonged to the Polovtsov family, and she reposed in Christ in 1920. Her father, Alexei A Bobrinsky, married a second time in Constantinople in 1920 to Raisa Petrovna Novikova, who emigrated with him to Nice, France.

Early life of Pavel Ilyich Miklashevsky

On 3 January, 1920, Pavel Ilyich Miklashevsky was born in Kislovodsk, in the (Stavropol Governorate, in the North Caucasus) region of the Russian Empire.

Pavel Ilyich had an older sister, Nadezhda Ilyichina (born 1910, who later married Vladimir Epanchin and moved to North Carolina in the USA), and an older brother, Yurii Ilyich (born 1915, who later moved to South Africa and married).

Exile : France, 1920

At the time of the birth of Pavel Ilyich, the family had already fled south to the Crimea-Caucasus region, where he was born. It may be said that Pavel Ilyich was already born in exile, although the family was still on the territory of what remained of Russia. Then the family of Pavel Ilyich left for Gallipoli with the retreating White Army, and from there to the Kingdom of the Serbs, the Croats and the Slovenes. Ultimately, they settled in Nice, France. Much of the family managed to remain together.

In Nice, Paul completed the French primary and secondary education.

In Nice, Paul and his family attended Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and it was in conjunction with their life in the cathedral parish that Paul was raised in the Orthodox Christian Faith in the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe.

Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice, France

Higher education

After having completed his secondary education, Paul continued his studies at the prestigious "École des Hautes Études Commerciales" in Paris, from which he graduated in the 1930s.

World War II (1939-1945) ; Military service

Paul was mobilised into the French Army in 1940. However, after demobilisation, he successfully resisted deportation to Germany as a compulsory worker. In order to do this, he had bicycled south from Paris (always under the protection of the darkness of night) until he managed to arrive at Nice. This was in the territory of the so-called Free Zone of "Vichy France". This escape was prudent, considering that he was a Russian, and in Germany itself he might have perished. Although it was somewhat safer, the South of France was still officially under Nazi control.

From 1946 to 1949, he was a member of the French Occupation Forces, in which he served as an interpreter in Vienna, Austria.

Later, Paul worked as an interpreter for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Paris.

Marriage, 1951 ; marriage failure

On 30 September, 1951, Pavel Ilyich married the Princess Elizabeth Sergeievna Obolensky in Nice, France.

However, by 1954, this marriage had ended in a divorce.

Move to Canada, 1954

Pavel Ilyich emigrated to Montréal, Québec, Canada, in 1954.

After his arrival in Canada, he visited the USA together with his grandmother.

Paul I Miklashevsky, 1954

Then Paul became a Chartered Financial Analyst. As such, he specialised in the mining sector. Paul I Miklashevsky first worked for the brokerage firm “Maison Beaubien”.

Next, he was employed for a time by the United Nations Organisation in New York City as an interpreter.

Later, he rejoined the newly-merged “Maison Beaubien Lévesque” firm, where he remained until his retirement in 1989.

Throughout his life, his gift was to serve as a financial advisor, the general term usually used to describe his occupation.

Due to his father’s long service as a high-ranking officer with the “Elite Chevalier Guards” of the Russian Empire, Paul Miklashevsky was a long-standing member of the Association of the Former Chevalier Guards and their families “Kavalergardskaya Semya” (Cavalry Guard Families) in Paris.

It was during all these activities that he met his future wife.

About Marie Catherine Alice Baroness von Hahn

Marie Catherine Alice Baroness von Hahn was born in Riga, Latvia, on 4 August, 1930.

She was the daughter of Joachim Edmund Theodor Baron von Hahn (a. Sawersch) (born 1891, Menton, France ; died 1982, Vancouver, British Columbia) and Carola Annemarie Agathe Barbara Baroness von Hahn (Countess von Koskull) (born 1905, Kurland, Sweden ; died 1999).

Marie’s siblings were Hardwin, Joachim, Phillip, Jacobina, Eric, and Cecil.

Her father’s family is a part of the greater Keyserlingk noble family. Her father's brother was Cécil Theodor Kurt, Baron von Hahn (born on October 29, 1897, in Braslaw, Vitebsk, Belarus), who lived in Ottawa, Ontario, after immigrating to Canada, until his sudden repose in 1967. His wife was Dina Antoinette Cornelie, Princess de Lieven, whom he had married in 1923. They became parishioners of Saint Nicholas' Russian Orthodox Church in Ottawa, Ontario.

Her mother’s family is a part of the Koskull family of Swedish baronial nobility connected with Latvia-Livonia.

Marriage in Canada, 1964

On 17 October, 1964, Paul Miklashevsky married Marie Catherine Alice Baroness von Hahn in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Marie lived at that time.

Marriage, 1964

After their marriage, Paul and Marie settled in Montréal, Québec, and they became active members of Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral.

At this time, Bishop Sylvester (Haruns) had recently arrived in Montréal as the new diocesan bishop for the Archdiocese of Canada. Previously, he had served as a bishop in Nice, France, where Paul had grown up from childhood.

Marie became a well-respected French teacher at West Hill High School (the second one) in Montréal, Québec.

Multi-talented, Marie acquired a knitting machine, and she developed her ability into a knitting business. From this, she branched into hand-knitted goods. Later on, she co-ordinated the knitters at "The Sign" parish, whose knitted sweaters were sold at Holt Renfrew.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Montréal

Parish founders, 1977

Thirteen years after their marriage, both Pavel and Marie became founding members of The Sign of the Theotokos Church in Montréal in 1977.

The founding priest of this community, Archpriest John Tkachuk, had been the second priest at Saints Peter and Paul's Cathedral, and eventually there gathered around him a group of parishioners who were concerned about increasing the use of the English language in worship and in teaching. Before long, Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) blessed Father John to serve a Divine Liturgy in English, early on Sunday mornings at the cathedral’s side-chapel of Saint George.

After some time, and some differences of opinion amongst some parishioners, it seemed appropriate to try to establish a distinct Orthodox Christian mission-community and Sunday-school that used the English language. Enough persons were found to petition Archbishop Sylvester for its foundation, and the blessing was thus given in May, 1978. The first services began in September, 1978.

One of the motivations for Paul in particular in engaging this move was the fact that Marie was not yet an Orthodox Christian, nor was she a Russian-speaker. She had already learnt much about the Orthodox Christian Faith, but the Slavonic language was something of an obstacle for her.

Father John Tkachuk later commented that the community would not have come into being without them both. He said :

 Marie was not only the inspiration for ‘The Sign’ (as she had served with me on the Preconciliar 
 Committee for the 1977 All-American Council held in Montreal even before she was ‘received’ into 
 Orthodoxy), she was also the sustaining light and pillar for the community both before and after 
 the founding of ‘The Sign’.

Marie was, in fact, received into the Orthodox Christian Church after that All-American Council.

Father John Tkachuk also pointed out the significance of the dedication of this mission community which Archbishop Sylvester had blessed. It was that from its very beginning, the city of Montréal had been dedicated to the Virgin Mary (as seen in the portion of the city called “Ville Marie”.

Both Marie and Paul Miklashevsky served for many years in various elected posts at “The Sign”.

Paul served in financial offices (for instance, as treasurer) and his wife Marie served in administrative ones (for instance, as warden).

Together, they were aptly described as “pillars of 'The Sign'”, who welcomed everyone into their hearts and home. Warm, loving, kind, embracing, generous hospitality was truly characteristic of their home together, and of Pavel Ilyich after he was widowed.

Paul and his wife Marie grew along with “The Sign” and its founding pastor, beginning at Saints Peter and Paul’s Cathedral. After first meeting in a house-church, the community met in a store-front on rue Saint-Antoine ; then it moved to Old Montreal in Ville-Marie, after which it settled in Westmount, in the basement of Saint-Léon’s Roman Catholic church on Clarke Avenue.

Pavel Ilyich himself was a part of the further development of “The Sign” as the parish bought a former Oriental Orthodox building on Boulevard Saint-Joseph at rue Resther. He lived to see the community well-established in the new “nest”. The 2 “pillars” remain pillars in their blessed repose.

View of Saint-Léon-de-Westmount church, side-door entrance for "The Sign"

Paul and Marie had a summer property in the hills near Fitch Bay, in the Eastern Townships of Québec. Nearby was the Hermitage of the Transfiguration, and the Hermit-priest-monk Gregory (Papazian). They would visit him there, and attend services in the monastic chapel.

Bereavement, 1988

On 11 May, 1988, Paul’s sister Nadezhda (Nadine) Epanchin reposed in the Lord in North Carolina. After the funeral services, her body was interred at Markham Memorial Gardens in Durham, North Carolina. Her husband Vladimir Epanchin had reposed in Sea Cliff, New York, in 1976.

Repose of Marie, 1988

On Saturday, 9 July, 1988, after a very long illness, Marie Miklashevsky reposed in the Lord at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montréal.

On Monday, 11 July, at 7:30 p.m., the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person was served by Archpriest John Tkachuk at the of the Theotokos Church in Montréal (at that time located on Clarke Avenue in Westmount, Montréal (in the basement of the Église St-Léon).

On Tuesday, 12 July, at 9:30 a.m., the Memorial Divine Liturgy was served, followed by a short Panikhida (Memorial Service) by Archpriest John Tkachuk at the Sign of the Theotokos Church in Montréal.

After the conclusion of the funeral, the body of Marie Miklashevsky was interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montréal. The funeral arrangements were cared for by the Blythe Bernier Funeral Home.

Marie was predeceased by her father, and she was survived by her husband, her mother, and her siblings.

Studying, travelling and writing

At some time following the repose of Marie, Paul began to receive single men who would occupy one of the rooms of his home. They could help him to maintain the house, to care for it in his absence, and to help him in receiving visitors. The last such person, who was with him for some time, was Michael Claxton.

Paul Miklashevsky’s many interests included refining his ancestry dating back to the 1700s. These efforts also contributed to his comprehensive work chronicling the lives of his immediate families from 1914 to 1920 in his book, "Last Stand in Russia : Miklashevskys 1914-1920", published in 2005. The book describes some of the events of the Russian Civil War (1917-1923), concluding with the 'Battle of Tsaritsyn in 1920. The author describes in detail the families of Miklashevsky/Miklachevsky/Miklaszewski, Bobrinsky, Epanchin.

Paul was exceptionally well-travelled, and he had an insatiable desire for and interest in visiting historic churches throughout Europe. In addition, he participated in one of the pilgrimages “In the Foot-steps of Saint Paul”, which followed the missionary travels of the great Apostle.

Visit to some ancestral regions in Ukraine, after 1990

Paul was deeply interested also in the work done by his ancestors in supporting the Church in Ukraine, and amongst these was the Vydubychi Monastery in Kyiv, which he both visited and supported for the sake of his family’s historic involvement with this brotherhood (through Mikhail A Miklashevsky in the 17th century).

Mikhaïl Andreïevitch Miklashevsky

Paul and his brother also visited the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where his family had been influential in the past. Dnipropetrovsk was formerly called Yekaterinoslav. The Miklashevsky family was connected as well with Zaporozhian Cossacks in this region.

Paul was also very dedicated to his nephews, whom he visited annually. It was to them that he dedicated his book (“Last Stand in Russia : Miklashevskys 1914-1920”, privately published) which described their grandparents’ plight during the Bolshevik Revolution and their escape to France.

Permanent Temple of The Sign of the Theotokos parish, 2000

On 2 July, 2000, the Feast-day of All Saints of North America, the parish celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the new Temple, on the corner of Boulevard Saint-Joseph and rue Resther. In contrast to the dark basement in which the parish had sojourned for many years, now there was plenty of fresh air, and there was sunlight streaming in through the windows.

Paul had lived to see not only the move, but he also saw the early years of the development of the community he and Marie had helped to found in this new, and very visible site.

Sign of the Theotokos Temple

On 29-30 November, 2003, the parish of “The Sign” marked its 25th anniversary. Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) and Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) were present and participating in the Great Vespers of Saturday evening and the Primatial Divine Liturgy of Sunday. On this occasion in particular, Paul Miklashevsky was amongst those who received a gramota (certificate of blessing), since he was a founder. On this day, Father John Tkachuk ceremonially burned the mortgage outdoors at the banquet after the Divine Liturgy.

Paul I Miklashevsky with his founder's gramota

Repose of Paul, 2011

On Wednesday, 9 February, 2011, Paul (Pavel Ilyich) Miklashevsky fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 91 (after a short period of suffering from cancer).

On Wednesday, 9 February, 2011, in the evening, a Parastas (Memorial service) was offered in The Sign of the Theotokos Church by the Archpriest John Tkachuk.

On Wednesday, 16 February, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person was led in The Sign of the Theotokos Church by the Archpriest John Tkachuk.

On Thursday, 17 February, 2011, at 9:30 a.m., the Memorial Divine Liturgy was served, followed by a Memorial Litiya (Memorial Service) led by Archpriest John Tkachuk at The Sign of Theotokos Church.

Following the funeral services, the body of Pavel Ilyich Miklashevsky was interred at the Mount Royal Cemetery, next to that of his wife Marie Miklashevsky.

Paul Miklashevsky was survived by his nephew and godson Paul Epanchin of Henderson, North Carolina, and by his 2 other nephews, Alexis Epanchin of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Nicolas Epanchin of Berkeley, California (and their families).

Mount Royal Cemetery entrance

Reflections

Although both Paul and Marie Miklashevsky were descended from noble families, there was no sign whatever of any supposed superiority. On the contrary, Paul and Marie were joyful, affable, hospitable, kind human beings. They did not show partiality, and they genuinely cared about human beings as the Lord's creatures. Of course, they were aware of their family histories, and they cared about their relatives ; but of greatest importance for them was their hope in Christ whom they both loved and served.

They serve as a good and positive example of how we all can live a faithful, constructive, life-giving and fulfilling Orthodox Christian life.

Paul, with Nicholas Rumin

Paul, with Irina Lomasney

Paul Miklashevsky

Writings

“Last Stand in Russia : Miklashevskys 1914-1920” (Montreal, 2005).

References

“Geni” family of Pavel Ilyich Miklashevsky

“Geni” family of Marie Alice Milkashevsky

Additional information :

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Sobor, Montréal, Québec

Archdiocese of Canada listing for Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Sobor, Montréal, Québec

Sign of the Theotokos Orthodox Church, Montréal, Québec

Archdiocese of Canada listing for Sign of the Theotokos Orthodox Church, Montréal, Québec

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

Orthododox Church in America (OCA) listing for Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Sobor, Montréal, Québec

Orthodox Church in America listing for the Sign of the Theotokos Orthodox Church, Montréal, Québec

Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice, France

Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Russia