Boris Mikhailovich and Marina Viktorovna Ledkovsky

Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky (1894-1975)

and

Marina V Ledkovskaya (born Fasolt) (1924-2014)

Early life of Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky

On 26 April, 1894, Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky was born in the Vasilyevo-Khanzhonovsky village, Taganrog District (a naval base), of the Don Cossack Host Region, in the Russian Empire. This is near Novocherkassk.

He was born into the family of Archpriest Mikhail and Sophia Ledkovsky, an Orthodox Christian priest (according to some other source, an inspector of the Department of Control) of the Don Diocese. He grew up in the Agrafënovka settlement. Thus, he was raised to be an Orthodox Christian in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church.

At home, Boris Mikhailovich received a versatile musical upbringing, which was in the forefront of his primary and secondary education as well. All this foundation prepared him for his future life, and it seems clear that he had been given special gifts. From the age of 14, he was leading the church choir in his father's parish. He graduated from the Novocherkassk Theological School (1909). Then he studied at the Rostov Real School of the College of Teachers. (A "Real School", from German "Realschule" is a school which concentrates on natural and mathematical subjects.)

During the last 2 years of study, he conducted a student orchestra, and composed musical pieces for it.

Rostov Real School

Higher education

In 1914 (at the beginning of World War I) Boris Mikhailovich entered the Moscow Conservatory (trumpet class), but he dropped out in the second half of the 1914-1915 academic year.

Moscow Conservatory

While he was in Moscow, Boris was greatly influenced by the musicians of the circle of the Synodal School of Church Singing and the Synodal Choir. He joined the "New Direction" in Russian sacred music, and he regarded M M Ippolitov-Ivanov and A D Kastalsky in particular as his teachers. He, himself, sang in church choirs there.

Military service

In October, 1916, Boris Mikhailovich was drafted into the army. As a volunteer, he joined the 65th Infantry Reserve Regiment. However, he dropped out later due to illness, in February, 1917.

On 17 April, 1919, he joined the third battalion of the artillery brigade of the Volunteer Army as a gunner. Then, he served in the Markovsky artillery brigade (in the control of the second division), from 9 May, 1919, to 1 November, 1920, and he participated in all its campaigns. As a scout, he was awarded the Saint George Cross, fourth degree. On 23 August, 1920, he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant.

White Army, exile

As part of the First Army Corps (headed by General A P Kutepov), Boris Mikhailovich was in a military camp near Gallipoli (now Gelibolu, Turkey). According to some sources, he directed one of the church choirs there.

In 1921, he went (together with the Russian military units) to Bulgaria. In Sofia, he directed the choir of Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Bulgarian Orthodox Church), and he was an assistant choirmaster at the Sofia Opera House.

Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

Don Cossack Choir

Until 9 March, 1926, Mr. Ledkovsky sang in the Don Cossack Choir (under the direction of S A Zharov) in Bulgaria, and in Austria.

Paris, France

In 1926, having moved to Paris, France, Boris Mikhailovich headed the "Gallipoli choir", which sang at services in the Saint Sergiy of Radonezh Church (93, rue de Crimée in the 19th arrondissement of Paris). The choir sang also at various concerts. The choir was named for the Gallipoli peninsula (Thracian Chersonese) and city, and for the World War I campaign site.

Saint Sergius Temple and Institute, Paris

For some time, likely during the 1930s, Boris Mikhailovich led the choir of the Temple in honour of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" in Paris.

In 1937, Boris Ledkovsky and his family moved to Berlin, Germany. Boris Mikhailovich became the “regent” (director) of the Choir of the Don Cossacks “Ataman A M Kaledin”.

World War II 1939-1945

In 1939, World War II had begun between Nazi Germany with the Axis Powers, and the United Kingdom with the Allied Powers.

In 1939, Boris Mikhailovich sang in Berlin with the Cossack choir in a Russian-Ukrainian restaurant. After having founded the “Choir of the Black Sea Cossacks”, in 1940-1941, Boris and the choir gave concerts in Germany and in other countries.

Choir of the Black Sea Cossacks

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

After the start of the war between Germany and the USSR (the Great Patriotic War) in 1941, the Don Cossack Choir was abolished, and Boris Mikhailovich led the choir of Saint Vladimir's Church (ROCOR) in Berlin.

In 1942, Boris Mikhailovich wrote the music for the Divine Liturgy of Saint James ("the Righteous", Apostle of the Seventy), which had been re-created by Archimandrite Philip (Gardner). On 14 June, 1942, Boris directed the choir at the time of the appointment of Archimandrite Philip (Gardner) to be Bishop of Potsdam, Germany.

In 1942-1943, Boris Ledkovsky was ordered (by government authorities) to make recordings produced by “Polydor Records” and “Deutsche Grammophon”. This was by order of “Vineta” (a division of the Eastern Department of the Reichsministry of Public Education and Propaganda). These Cossack and mixed choirs under the leadership of Boris Mikhailovich sang Russian, Ukrainian, and Cossack songs ; Orthodox Church hymns ; excerpts from Russian operas, Soviet songs, dance music, and others. Some recordings were made jointly with the “Romanov Chapel” (a balalaika orchestra). Amongst the recorded Church works was the “Song of the Virgin” by Boris Ledkovsky.

After the war, Boris Mikhailovich led the choir of Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate) in Berlin, at which time he organised various concerts in Germany by the Russian Cathedral Mixed Choir.

Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Berlin

Marriage, 1943

In 1943, Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky was married to Marina Viktorovna Fasolt. They received from the Lord 4 children : Alexander (also a Church musician of note), Dimitri, Tatiana, and Michael.

Marina Viktorovna Ledkovskaya (born Fasolt) was born on 12 May, 1924, in Berlin, Germany. She was the daughter of Victor F J F Fasolt and Sophia Dimitrievna Fasolt (born Nabokov).

For a time, the new family lived in Teupitz, which is a town of the Dahme-Spreewald district in the Lower Lusatia region of Brandenburg, near Berlin, Germany. In this town, their first child was born.

Munich, Bavaria, 1948

In 1948, Boris Ledkovsky and his family moved to Munich, Bavaria. This was situated in the American occupation zone, and such a move was important for this family and for very many others as well. At this time, there was a great danger that the authorities of the Allied Powers could “repatriate” them to the USSR. Such a return to the homeland meant almost certain death upon arrival. In this territory, although they were stateless, there was hope of survival.

In Munich, Boris Ledkovsky re-created the “Choir of the Black Sea Cossacks”, which had performed with great success in Germany and other countries. The repertoire of the choir included Russian sacred music (D S Bortnyansky ; G F Lvovsky , A D Sheremetev ; S V Panchenko and others), as well as Russian folk-songs, Cossack songs, popular city songs (“Hey, let’s go”, “Stenka Razin”, and others), including the compositions and settings by Boris Ledkovsky.

Emigration to North America, 1951

Boris Mikhailovich emigrated with his family to the USA in 1951.

At first, Boris Ledkovsky led the choir at Saint Sergius Church on "Tolstoy Farm".

Director of the Choir of the Synodal Cathedral of “The Sign of the Theotokos”, New York, 1952

In 1952, Boris Ledkovsky received the position of choir-director at the Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" of the ROCOR Synod in New York. He served there for 23 years.

ROCOR headquarters and Sign of the Theotokos Cathedral

Boris M Ledkovsky, 1960s

For a time, he also led a mixed youth Russian Chamber Choir, and another, the “Capella” choir.

The work of Boris Ledkovsky was especially significant in the context of the choir of the ROCOR Synod (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia). Under his leadership, this synodal cathedral choir became one of the best singing groups of the Russian "diaspora". The choir had been organised by Mr. Ledkovsky in 1952. Its membership began with singers who had performed under his leadership in Europe during the 1940s, and who had moved likewise to the USA.

In the repertoire of the New York Synodal Choir, which (as was commonly believed in ROCOR) took its succession from the Moscow Synodal Choir, there were samples of the use of Znamenny chant, compositions by A D Kastalsky, S V Rachmaninov, M M Ippolitov-Ivanov, A T Grechaninov, A G Chesnokov and P G Chesnokov, N A Rimsky-Korsakov, A K Lyadov, N I Kompaneisky and others.

The Synodal Choir released a recording in 1965. Bishop Philip (I A Gardner) wrote that : “This disc will remind the old Muscovites of the Moscow choirs of the flourishing heights of the Moscow Church music tradition just before World War I, and the characteristic style of the Moscow repertoire” (see “Old Moskvich : a recording by the New York Choir of the Russian Synodal Church” (New York : Russian Thought, 1965) no. 2315, 1 June). The repertoire included also sacred music by emigrant composers (I A Gardner, I A Kolchin, Metropolitan Filaret (Voznesensky), N D Nabokov, A J Swan, B M Ledkovsky).

Teaching at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 19531-1968

From 1953 until 1968, Boris M Ledkovsky served on the teaching-staff at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He taught Liturgical Singing ; and he led the choir at the seminary, both at its New York City location, and (after 1962) at its Crestwood/Yonkers location. Later, he prepared the way for his successor at the seminary, Professor David Drillock.

It is useful to keep in mind that as he taught singing to the seminarians, Boris Mikhailovich was preparing future pastors (many of whom became priests of parishes in Canada). His teaching, and his publications as well, were an important influence in Canadian parishes of more than one diocese, most particularly those using the English language. His publication of a setting for Great Vespers in the eight tones for Sundays in Kievan Chant was particularly influential in the English-speaking communities in Canada (and, of course, in the USA).

Saint Vladimir's Faculty, 1958

Boris Mikhailovich, upper left corner

Professor Ledkovsky became one of the most influential Orthodox Church musicians of the twentieth century, playing a key role in changing the style of singing in North American Orthodox churches. In his compositions, Ledkovsky attempted to convey what he so often referred to as “tserkovnost” (i.e., churchly), drawing inspiration from the old Russian chants. He emphasized the importance of the text—and that the music should never predominate over it—and composed music in service of the sacred words sung in liturgical settings. One of his students, David Drillock—who would go on serve for many years himself as the Seminary's Professor of Liturgical Music—recalled, “I became very close to Professor Ledkovsky and can remember so vividly how, when I would excitedly show him some piece of music that I had heard and was asking him why we shouldn’t sing it, he would look at me, shake his head, and simply reply, ‘Nu, David, eto ne tserkovno’ (But, David, this is not churchly).”

Under Professor Ledkovsky's direction, the St. Vladimir's Seminary Male Choir achieved such a high level that the choir gave several public concerts in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

On 14 November, 1958 the following was announced in "Amerikanski Srbobran" :

 A one year course in the training of Psalm readers and choir directors has been opened at St. 
 Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary here, it was announced by Seminary officials.  The 
 course of lectures to train directors and readers will be given in the evenings, four times a week, 
 in two-hour periods.  The director of courses is Boris Ledkovsky.  'The lectures are designed to 
 serve a most pressing need of our Church', he said.  'Subjects will include Sacred Music, 
 Liturgical Practice and Church Slavonic'.  Secretary of the training program is Mr. Nicholas Ozerov, 
 at the Seminary, 537 West 121st Street, New York 27, N. Y., to whom all inquiries should 
 be directed.

In 1961 the first recording by the Seminary choir was produced. Boris Ledkovsky directed and, for the most part, the selections were settings of chant done by Ledkovsky along with a few of his own compositions. Professor David Drillock described the transformation that the work of Mr. Ledkovsky and others helped set in motion during those years throughout the Church in North America :

 Already as a result of the annual Lenten visits to parishes on the east coast and the annual 
 concerts which we gave in New York City, and especially by the lectures given by Fr. Alexander 
 [Schmemann] throughout the entire country in churches and college campuses, an awareness 
 that liturgical worship and church singing were not only vestiges of an ‘ancient, colourful rite’, but 
 something that was relevant and meaningful to contemporary life was beginning to take hold.

Mr. Ledkovsky and the male choir, 1964

Then, in 1964 a recording of the Divine Liturgy in English was made, with Professor Ledkovsky directing. The choir was recognised, as one reviewer for The New York Times put it, as “almost a professional chorus” ; and amongst church people, it was known not only for its “prayerful” renditions of church music, but also as the choir most responsible in America for arousing interest in the ancient liturgical chants of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The record-sleeve

(Although that 1964 album is no longer in publication, the recording has been posted on the internet. Other recorded compositions and arrangements by Professor Ledkovsky may be downloaded via “Musica Russica”.)

Towards the end of his life, Professor Ledkovsky’s work at St. Vladimir’s Seminary was limited to one rehearsal a week, though he also continued to compose music for the choir, which Professor Drillock would adapt to English. Boris Mikhailovich was commissioned by the Seminary to write a setting for Great Vespers, which in turn was adapted for English and published by Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in 1976. However, Professor Ledkovsky did not live to see the published work, since he reposed from suffering with lung cancer.

Repose, 1975

On 6 August, 1975, Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky fell asleep in Christ at Freeport, Long Island, New York.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Lay-person took place at the Sign of the Theotokos Cathedral in the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia in New York City.

After the funeral obsequies, the body of Boris M Ledkovsky was transferred to the Holy Trinity Monastery Cemetery at Jordanville, New York. His body was interred near the wall of the cemetery’s Dormition Temple.

Boris M Ledkovsky grave-marker

Marina Victorovna Ledkovskaya

Boris Mikhailovich was survived by his wife Marina Victorovna.

Marina was a pioneering scholar of Russian women’s studies.

In 1979, she had been appointed full professor jointly at Barnard College, New York, and Columbia University, New York, and she remained in this responsibility until her retirement in 1996.

Marina Victorovna

Repose of Marina Ledkovskaya, 2014

On 24 November, 2014, the wife of Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky, Marina Viktorovna Ledkovskaya (born Fasolt) fell asleep in the Lord.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Lay-person were offered in the Sign of the Theotokos Cathedral in New York City.

After the completion of the funeral obsequies, the body of Marina Viktorovna Ledkovskaya was interred in the Holy Trinity Monastery Cemetery at Jordanville, New York.

Marina V Ledkovsky grave-marker

Reflections

Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky is remembered as a musician of high culture, who composed at a professional level. His own music and his interpretations as a conductor were distinguished by "liturgical style" (Gardner's term), artistry, and taste. His work was of great importance for the preservation and continuation of the Russian choral tradition, and for the education of Orthodox Christian youth.

Most of the compositions of Boris Ledkovsky (186 works) were published in the Printing House of Saint Job of Pochaev at Jordanville, New York.

As a composer of sacred music, Boris Ledkovsky professed the main principles of the “New Direction” : the complete or partial preservation of authentic Church chants ; and the processing of chants and free creativity in their style. Mr. Ledkovsky strove to make his music correspond to the performance capabilities of the amateur Russian choirs outside Russia, which were often rather small. His compositions formed an integral part of the liturgical repertoire of ROCOR parishes. Following the post-communist revival of the Orthodox Church in Russia, his works became widespread in use in Russia.

The successor of Boris M Ledkovsky was his son, Alexander B Ledkovsky (1944-2004), who, after the repose of his father and until 20 January, 2002, directed the choir of the ROCOR Synod. Like his father, he was also a composer. Alexander Borisovich toured with this choir in various cities of the USA, and he made several recordings. In addition, A B Ledkovsky directed the choir of the Russian Choral Society in New York, the youth Russian Chamber Choir, and the male choir "Cappella" ; he was one of the first to create an internet site with Russian sheet music. Beyond continuing the choral performance traditions established by his father, A B Ledkovsky devoted himself in his last years to expanding his father's work of harmonising festal liturgical texts according to the chant-based principles of the renowned "Moscow School of Church Singing".

Alexander B Ledkovsky

Alexander Borisovich Ledkovsky was succeeded in leading the Synodal Choir by Irina Mozyleva, and then by Peter Fekula.

After 2019, Vadim Gan became the permanent director.

Vadim Gan

Writings

Musical compositions and articles :

List of some choral works  :

• Annunciation : Exapostilarion (B Flat Major)

• Dormition : Exapostilarion

• Pascha : Exapostilarion no. 1 (Boris Ledkovsky)

• Great Litany

• Hiermosi of the Canon of Pascha

• It is truly meet (G major)

• Na rekah Vavilonskih (By the Waters of Babylon)

• Pascha Stichera

• Prokeimena and Alleluias for the Divine Liturgy

• CD : Chants of the Russian Diaspora – All-night Vigil (Lent and Easter), Disc 3

Recordings by various musical recording companies :

• ‘Recording : ‘”Sing to our God, Sing” : “Sing Praises to the Lord our God” : Choral Pieces by Masters of Russian Sacred Music’ sung by “The Russian Synod Cathedral Choir of New York, B M Ledkovsky, Director’ (RCA Custom Records, New York, 1965).

• ‘CD recording’ by “Russian Synod Cathedral Choir of New York (ROCOR Synodal Choir, B M Ledkovsky, Director of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign” (New York, 2007).

• ‘Orthodox Liturgical Music’ sung by “The Saint Vladimir's Seminary Choir, Professor B Ledkovsky, Director” (East Patterson, NJ : Kooch Recording).

• ‘A Concert of the Russian Synod Choir in Jerusalem, B Ledkovsky, Conductor’, by “The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem” (S 1, 1974).

• ‘Orthodox Liturgical Music, vol. 3, The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom’ by “The Choir of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Director Professor B Ledkovsky” (Recording by St Vladimir’s Theological Seminary, 1964).

• ‘Orthodox Liturgical Music’ sung by “The St Vladimir's Seminary Choir, Professor B Ledkovsky, Director” (East Patterson, NJ : Kooch Recording).

• ‘Legacy of Russian Church Music’ sung by “Cappella Russian Male Chorus, B M Ledkovsky, Conductor” (Cappella Russian Male Chorus, S l, sa).

• Black Sea Cossacks Choir, Boris Ledkovsky (Apple Music, 2015)

List of articles about B Ledkovsky by various authors :

• ‘Schwarzmeer-Kosaken : Eine Stunde der Bessinnung in der Lutherkirche’ in “Pfälzische Volkszeitung”, no. 207 (6 September, 1950).

• ‘Ein konzertliches Erlebnis : Der Schwarzmeer-Kosaken-Choir in der Christuskirche’ in “Lippische Landes-Zeitung” (3 October, 1950).

• Bogolyubov, S M, ‘Spiritual Celebration : Concert of the Metropolitan Choir’ in “Orthodox Russia”, no. 6 (28 March 11, 1956).

• Aleksandrov, P, ‘” (New York : 4 June, 1954) New Recording of Russian Church Chanting’ in “New Russian Word”.

• R, Ya, ‘Letters from Jerusalem : New York Synodal Choir in Israel’ in “New Russian Word” (New York : 8 September, 1972).

• R, Ya, ‘Letters from Jerusalem : New York Synodal Choir in Israel’ in “New Russian Word” (New York : 8 September, 1972).

• R, Ya, ‘Russian Synodal Choir Concert’ in “New Russian Word” (New York : 18 May, 1973).

• Gardner, I A, ‘B M Ledkovsky’ in “New Russian Word” (New York : 17 December, 1974).

• Gardner, I A, ‘Recording of the New York Synodal Choir’ in “New Russian Word”, no. 23578 (New York, 16 March, 1975).

• Gardner, I A, ‘B M Ledkovsky, Church Choir Director’ in “New Russian Word”, no. 23141 (New York, 23 September, 1975).

• Gardner, I A, ‘In Memory of B M Ledkovsky’ in “Russian Thought”, no. 3075 (30 October, 1975).

• ‘The Death and Funeral of B M Ledkovsky’ in “Orthodox Russia”. no. 17 (1975), pp. 11-12.

• Sedykh, A, ‘Concert of the Synodal Choir’ in “New Russian Word” (New York : 10 June, 1976).

• ‘On the 100th Anniversary of B M Ledkovsky (1894-1975)’ in “ZRAG”, vol. 26 (1994), pp. 388-391.

• ‘In Memory of the Deceased : The Death of A B Ledkovsky’ in “Orthodox Russia”, no. 5 (2004), pp. 12-13.

• ‘From the Memoirs of M V Ledkovskaya : Boris Mikhailovich Ledkovsky (1894-1975)’ in “South Russian Musical Almanac”, no. 1 (2005).

• Ledkovskaya, M V B, ‘M Ledkovsky (1894-1975)’ in “Tr. MRPS, 2002-2003 : Sat. Art., Rev., Arch. doc. M.” (2005), pp. 393-404.

• Ledkovskaya, M V B, ‘Friends and like-minded People : Gardner, Ledkovsky, Hoekke’ in “Russians Abroad : Music and Orthodoxy” (2013), pp. 517-530.

• Alexandrov, E A, ‘Biography of B M Ledkovsky : Russians in North America (Headman, San Francisco, St Petersburg , 2005), pp. 304-305.

• Kazantsev, N, ‘In Memory of the ascetic Russian Orthodox Church Choir Director’ in “Our Country : Buenos Aires”, no. 2767 (19 February, 2005), p. 5.

• Dvukimenny, A A, ‘Orthodox Choral Culture of Russians Abroad and the Work of B M Ledkovsky’ (Dipl. Reference MGK (Moscow), 2011 : Rkp).

References

Wikipedia biography

Choralwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography

Russian Religious Workers Abroad biography

Russian Academic Dictionary biography

Ledkovsky family tree

Geni.com reference for Boris Ledkovsky

Geni.com reference for Marina Ledkovskaya

Additional information :

Chuvakov, V N, comp. “Unforgotten Graves : Obituaries of Russians abroad, 1917-1997”, 6 volumes, vol. 4 (Moscow, 2004), pp. 109-110.

“Collection of spiritual and musical Compositions by B M Ledkovsky” (Munich, 1979).

(Dovganyuk), Hieromonk Eutychius, “Project of a Guide to the Necropolis of the Holy Trinity Monastery” (Jordanville, 2005).

Ledkovskaya M V ‘Friends and like-minded People : Gardner, Ledkovsky, Höcke : Letters from B M Ledkovsky to I A Gardner attached’ in “Russian Diaspora : Music and Orthodoxy : International Scientific Conference in Moscow, 17-19 September, 2008” (Moscow : Alexander Solzhenitsyn House of the Russian Diaspora, 2013). ISBN : 978-5-98854-047-2.

Popov, A B, “Dictionary of Russian emigration”

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.

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

Wikipedia article about the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York

Holy Trinity Monastery Cemetery in Jordanville, New York

Russian Orthodox Church web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Orthodox Church

Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Archdiocese of Canada listing

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

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Metropolitan (Saint) Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky)

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Biography of A B Ledkovsky

Biography of E A Ledkovsky

Ancestry.com reference for Boris Ledkovsky

Ancestry.com reference for Nicholas Ozerov

Findagrave reference for Boris M Ledkovsky

Findagrave reference for Marina V Ledkovsky

Russian Wikipedia article about the Synod Cathedral Choir of New York

Russian Wikipedia article about the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing

ROCOR Choir of the Synodal Cathedral of “The Sign of the Theotokos”

Remembering Eminent Church Musician Boris Ledkovsky 50 Years after His Repose (6 August, 2025)