Protodeacon Peter and Matushka Nadezhda Svetlovsky

Protodeacon Peter Grigorievitch Svetlovsky (1909-1995)

and

Matushka Nadezhda Nikolaievna Apoukhtine (1921-2018)

— From a 1994 article by the Archpriest Andrew Morbey, and a 1995 letter by the bishop (edited).

Peter may be spelt Petr, Pëtr, Petar, Petya.

Grigorievitch may be spelt Gregorievitch, Gregorievich, Grigorievich.

Nadezhda may be spelt Nadejda, Nadine, Nadia.

Matushka may be spelt Matouchka (in French).

Early life of Peter Grigorievitch in Finland

Peter Grigorievitch Svetlovsky was born in Finland on 16 February, 1909, the 6th of 9 children. His parents, the Archpriest Gregory and Matushka Nadezhda, had both been teachers in Novgorod, Russia, but met while on summer vacation in Finland. At that time, Finland was a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, and Tsar (Saint) Nicholas II served as the Grand Duke.

Father Gregory Svetlovsky had earlier completed his studies in the Novgorod seminary, and after marrying, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate. Twelve years later, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1901. He became rector of the parish of Savonlinna (Nyslott) in Finland, where Peter was born. The family moved to Terijoki (now Zelenogorsk) in 1917, where, 32 km (20 mi) across the Gulf of Finland, Kronstadt could be seen on a clear day.

Our Lady of Kazan Temple, Terioki (Zelenogorsk), Karelia, Finland

Father Peter well remembered serving as an Altar-boy during this period. The Svetlovsky family was a musical family where singing (both ecclesiastical and classical) was a favourite activity. In these early years, Peter gained the nick-name “the Deacon”.

In that same year, 1917, came the Bolshevik Revolution, the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, and the declaration of the independence of Finland from Russia (which had become the Soviet Union).

In 1927, when Peter was 18, the family moved to Vyborg (Viipuri).

Early work experience ; move to Paris ; Altar-service, 1927 and the following years

Then, in 1930, because of hard economic times (high unemployment) in Finland, Peter went to Paris, France, where he worked as an unskilled labourer, and where he studied to become a masseur. On Sundays, he sang in several different Russian Temples, and he sometimes served at the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where he would hold the metropolitan’s service-books. Following a concert celebrating the Pushkin Jubilee, at which Peter had sung an aria, Metropolitan Evlogy (Georgievsky) asked him why he did not arrange to become a deacon. Peter was happy at the suggestion, but it took him 10 years to find his wife. He also helped to build the chapel at Lourmel, where (Saint) Mother Maria (Skobtsova) and (Saint) Father Dimitry Klepnin were based, and he also sang there in the choir. When World War II arrived, Peter was conscripted to work for the Germans, although he was able to get back to Paris in time for Pascha in 1945.

Early life of Nadezhda Nikolaievna Apoukhtine

Nadezhda Nikolaievna Apoukhtine was the second child, the daughter of Colonel Nikolai Alexandrovitch Apoukhtine (1888-1938), a retired military officer, and his wife Nadezhda Dmitrievna Katkova (born Popova). Nadezhda Nikoaievna was born in Russia in 1921 (during the Russian Civil War). They had also 3 sons, Alexander Nikolaievitch, Dmitri Nikolaievitch and Serguei Nikolaievitch, who were born in France.

This was an émigré family which had fled to France after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and World War I. Her father had been a colonel in the 4th Rifle Regiment, the Imperial Family Life-Guards, and a hero of World War I. He had been awarded the Order of Saint George, 4th Class ("For the fact that, being in the rank of lieutenant, in the battle of 15 July, 1916, commanding the company, he broke the heavily fortified German line, and he personally began to cut with scissors wire barriers. Being wounded in the shoulder, he continued the bayonet fight until he broke through the entire strip of fortifications ; and, continuing to advance, he developed successes until a new severe wound brought him out of action"). He was given 6 other awards in recognition of his contributions during the war. After 1917, he went into exile in Germany, and then in France. Because Nadezhda had been born in France, she was generally known as "Nadine".

Marriage, 1945

On 21 October, 1945, after his return to France, Peter Grigorievitch Svetlovsky and Nadezhda Nikolaievna Apoukhtine were crowned in marriage in Paris.

The whole of the married life of Peter and Nadezhda always revolved around the Church and the Russian émigré community. Peter was by this time regularly singing with Mikhail Ossorguine’s choir at the “Institut Saint-Serge”. When he discovered that one of the cathedral deacons was moving to the USA, Peter, with some prompting, petitioned for ordination.

Diaconal ordination, 1947

On 25 September (8 October), 1947, the Feast of Saint Sergius, Peter Grigroievitch Svetlovsky was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Vladimir (Tikhonitsky) in the Saint Sergius Institute in Paris.

Saint Sergius Institute (Institut Saint-Serge) Paris

Diaconal service

At the Saint Sergius Institute, Deacon Peter immediately began an intensive 40-day programme of serving daily the Divine Liturgy and Vespers, under the instruction of Mr. M M Ossorguine. This 40-day programme of serving is what is customarily undertaken by all the newly-ordained men in all 3 major orders, where resources permit. At this time, the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral maintained a clergy staff of a rector, 2 assistant priests, a protodeacon and a deacon, and there was a full cycle of daily services. Father Peter soon was joined to the cathedral staff, where he was further trained by Protodeacon Nikolai Tikhomiroff (a well-known deacon who had been formed in Imperial Russia). Father Peter also accompanied Vladyka Vladimir on his visits to the Russian Exarchate’s parishes throughout France.

Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Boulevard Courcelles, Paris

Both before his ordination, and following it, Father Peter worked independently as a masseur. He had the blessing for this from Vladyka Metropolitan Vladimir, who had been saved by Father Peter from a particularly bad bout of lumbago the evening before they were to serve at the women’s monastery of the Protection at Bussy-en-Othe. He had some recollections of other occasions on which the Lord, through his hands, enabled people to recover more than quickly from a painful condition.

Not entirely satisfied with his secular trade, Deacon Peter noticed that the making and repairing of cassocks and vestments by the cathedral’s sisterhood (women’s auxiliary) left much to be desired. As a result, Father Peter determined to master the art of vestment-making. Thus began his famous career of outfitting metropolitans, bishops, priests, deacons, servers and seminarians on two continents. A Svetlovsky cassock is still a standard of perfection. They fit well, and they last well. In this (and in all his endeavours), Father Peter was aided and supported by his wife, Matushka Nadezhda.

In the course of their life, they received from the Lord 3 sons : Vladimir Petrovitch, Gregory Petrovitch, and Nicolas Petrovitch.

Father Peter’s classic Russian bass voice is well-documented in the instance of the visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras to the Paris cathedral. Father Peter intoned the “Mnogaya Leta” (many years, polychronion) at the end of the Divine Liturgy, as usual. However, when he came the last word “leta”, at the top of the scale and at his highest volume, the lights of the chandelier suddenly turned off — poof ! This was a story that he loved to re-tell with great humour and enthusiasm.

Father Peter was elevated to the dignity of protodeacon in Paris on the same day in 1952 that our Archbishop Sylvester was ordained to the Holy Episcopate at the cathedral on the rue Daru. It is said that Vladyka Sylvester related that he could thereafter always feel the bump on his forehead, which was acquired during the prostrations, as Father Peter led him into the Altar, and 3 times “helped” him down to make each prostration. In older days, it was almost a game for some who helped at ordinations, to be certain that the ordinand (of whatever rank) would be impressed by the occasion and always be able to remember it.

Deacon Peter Svetlovsky (first standing, on left) with Metropolitan Vladimir (Tikhonitsky) in Liège, Belgium, 1949

Emigration and transfer to Canada, 1952

By 1952, when many people were emigrating to North America, the Svetlovskys, also, had determined to leave Paris for that continent. The Canadian quota unexpectedly opened. Therefore, with the blessing of Archbishop Vladimir, and under the sponsorship of someone in Montréal, Québec, they voyaged by ship to Canada, and they arrived in Montréal. There, their friend and colleague, the Mitred Archpriest Oleg Boldireff (formerly the third priest at “rue Daru”) was the rector of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. After they settled, Father Peter and Matushka Nadezhda continued the service of vestment-making. They worked together as a competent team.

Transfer to the USA, 1958

In 1958, with an immigration invitation and affidavit from Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), the Svetlovskys moved to the village of Sea Cliff on Long Island, which is not far from Oyster Bay Cove, where The Orthodox Church in America chancery offices were to develop. In Sea Cliff, the demand for vestments was constant ; a house was purchased, where they established their home and business (they did their vestment-making and tailoring work in the basement of that house). For very many years, Father Peter served at the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Sea Cliff, along with the Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky. He also often accompanied (and frequently drove) Metropolitans Leonty (Turkevich) and Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) on their pastoral visits, and to special services.

Holy Protection Cathedral, New York City Our Lady of Kazan Temple, Sea Cliff, NY

One of the highest points of Father Peter’s career as a vestment-maker during this period of his life was the great honour bestowed on him in 1970, when, just prior to the glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska, he received a telegramme from Alaska, in which he was asked to make the black monastic mantiya to cover the saint’s relics. He began immediately, and after working through the night, he was able to send the mantiya in the mail to Alaska the following morning.

Protodeacon Peter reading the Holy Gospel at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Montréal

Retirement ; return to Canada, 1986

In 1986, Father Peter and Matushka Nadezhda Svetlovsky retired from their active service (after having served for more than 35 years in the USA and Canada), and they moved to Ottawa, Ontario in order to be nearer to their children and grand-children. Once again, Father Peter was serving together with his long-time colleague, the Mitred Archpriest Oleg Boldireff, who was now the rector of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa, and which would soon become the diocesan cathedral. Soon after his arrival, he accepted 2 persons as apprentices, who would learn this craft and trade, and who would try to carry on the tradition of quality which he had always maintained.

When the Russian-language Church of Saint Nicholas and the English-language Mission of the Holy Transfiguration merged to form the present Cathedral Church of the Annunciation to the Theotokos-Saint Nicholas, Father Peter and Matushka Nadezhda continued to make their own special contribution to parish life. Because they both had a very broad experience of life in the Orthodox Christian Church, both in Europe and in North America, and because they both had excellently-functioning memories, those who had the blessing and privilege to visit their home were delighted and edified by their many stories about events and persons in our Church’s life. The recollections came quickly, and they were told most entertainingly.

Annunciation-Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Ottawa, Ontario (Sketch by Dmitry Apoukhtine)

However, towards the end of that decade, Father Peter’s health began to decline.

Protodeacon Peter’s personality was certainly a strong personality ; indeed, his temper and stubbornness were legendary ! Nevertheless, this strength and determination were born of a deep devotion to Christ and to the Church. His was a clear sense of what is right and what is wrong, what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. This was based on his long experience and faithful service, right from childhood. His life of service was always selfless. There were many times when he was away from his family for periods of time, and he neglected his livelihood in order to drive or to serve with our metropolitans or other bishops who needed him in various dioceses and in various special events. More often than not, he would pay his own way, and sometimes he would subsidise the travel costs of others. He would also say that if a cleric or seminarian who lacked resources was in a particular need, he would make what was required at a very low (or no) cost to that person. His experience was that the difference would be made up later by the voluntary generosity of someone else who had abundant resources. His selfless attitude, and his provision for those in need were Biblical indeed.

It may be said about Father Peter that his life-long dedication to the service of Christ and the Church was a dedication caught first from his own parents. It was the foundation of his excellence as a vestment-maker. It underlay his acts of charity. It was the reason that he cared so much about serving correctly, and it emboldened him to teach and to correct others without hesitation. As he became harder of hearing, his words of correction became more and more audible to those throughout the small Temple that was the Ottawa cathedral at that time. This could produce some embarrassment, but it also produced both humour and affectionate memories. Nevertheless, at the basis of all was the spirit of being ready to do God’s will, a spirit inspired by his parents, and a spirit which he embraced and continued.

It was no secret that Father Peter did not care for the use of the English language or for some of the characteristic features of liturgical renewal in the OCA, just as his father before him could not tolerate some similar changes that had begun to occur in Finland. Despite this, Father Peter persevered in his fidelity to Christ and the Church. Precisely because of this, he remained to the end a witness of the ethos of the Russian Orthodox Church which has been so influential in shaping the life of the Archdiocese of Canada.

In due course, Father Peter’s deteriorating health and his great difficulty in breathing forced him into hospital. When the time came for his end, Father Peter was ready, and well-prayed-for. His family was nearby and praying, as was the Church.

Repose of Protodeacon Peter Svetlovsky, 1995

Protodeacon Peter Grigorievitch Svetlovsky reposed in Christ in Ottawa, Ontario on 7 July, 1995.

In peace, he was gathered to his fathers. Throughout the week-end in which his body lay in the midst of the cathedral in Ottawa while he was being prayed for, the Lord sent many a blessing of re-assurance and love to those who gathered. Wonders of love occurred. The truly paschal character which should mark the repose of every Christian believer indeed marked his falling asleep in the Lord. The example of Father Peter and Matushka Nadezhda is important for us all to observe and to follow. It is our responsibility to live a life which will enable those who follow us to “catch” the Orthodox Christian Faith which is rooted in love for Christ and His Church. They caught this love from their parents, and they passed it to their sons. It is the example of our lives in Christ which serves as the vehicle for our descendants to encounter the Lord, to encounter His love. In living our lives in this way, in harmony with the love of the Lord, blessings from the Lord will touch the lives of those around us.

Panikhidas, the Funeral Services, and the Memorial Divine Liturgy were offered for Father Peter at the Annunciation to the Theotokos-Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Ottawa. Afterwards, his body was interred at the Saint Nicholas Section of the Pinecrest Cemetery in Ottawa.

In 2015, the Archpriest Andrew Morbey shared with some friends some recollections about Protodeacon Peter Svetlovksy on the day of the anniversary of his repose. At the time of Father Peter’s repose, Father Andrew was the Dean of the Annunciation to the Theotokos-Saint Nicholas in Ottawa. Following are some of his comments, slightly edited for these purposes :

Some of the older clergy of the OCA in the USA and Canada might have a cassock or vestment made by him
(they endure !) or have heard of him and his wife. Protodeacon Peter and his sweet wife Nadia were the very
incarnation, the epitome, of the émigré Russians who came through western Europe, Paris in particular. It is
said that he brought the chandelier at 'Rue Daru' crashing down. As the New York Times might say : 'It ought
to be true [....] Perhaps it was !' [In fact, Father Peter said that it was on the occasion of his intoning the
'Many Years' at the end of the Divine Liturgy when the Patriarch of Constantinople visited that all the lights
in the chandelier suddenly went off when he reached his highest and loudest pitch — ed.]

I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to know them, to be corrected and inspired by them, to eat and drink
and spend so many wonderful lunches and dinners with them. I think that the Archdiocese of Canada might just
have something written to remember him, to celebrate them, I hope. I had the blessing to wash down his body
when he died, and to vest him. The nakedness of another clergyman is a humbling, moving experience. (I once
washed the body of a priest who died from an appalling hepatitis. He was in a body bag, we were clothed in
'hazmat' protective clothing. It was awkward, yet deeply moving. But not at all like washing down dear
Father Protodeacon, with whom I had made innumerable toasts [...]). [Of course, the washing of the body includes
putting clothes on him, and vesting him as a deacon.— ed.] I never actually served with Father Peter, as far
as I remember. He was, by then, too frail. However, he came and sat in the altar, breathing from a portable
oxygen tank, and we were terrified that everything might explode. Week in, week out — terror ! But at home,
regaling us with stories ! Sweet Matushka ! She was the very soul of that marriage. I really learned the best
of Russian cuisine from her, but also the true meaning of commitment in marriage and to the typikon [...].
Father Peter was wonderful — but impossible, really. May his memory be eternal ! May God grant every blessing
to his now surely terribly infirm Nadia ? - or Nadine, as I think the passport said. The last I spoke to her,
a few years ago, she was rather confused. [Nadine is the French rendering of Nadezhda, or its affectionate
form, Nadia. At the end of her life, Matushka Nadezhda was, indeed, quite frail from arthritis, quite
hard of hearing, and suffering from short-term memory loss at the age of 96 (in 2017). However, she
remained as faithful, serious and sweet as ever. She was amazed that she had lived to be 90, and then
said that if the Lord had blessed this much, she would accept the gift of however much more He would give.— ed.]

P.S. After his repose, as he lay in his casket in the postage stamp cathedral (as it was then), over a
Sunday, and with everyone downstairs for coffee hour, I heard from the Altar where I was slowly unvesting,
2 small children alone and unminded, discussing his nose, which they could see rising above the casket.
It was a serious conversation. It was so pure and beautiful !
Archpriest Andrew Morbey

For many years after the repose of her husband, Matushka Nadezhda very determinedly continued to make her way to the Temple for worship. Most of the time, she worshipped at the cathedral in Ottawa, where she had many friends (and admiring children of parishioners). Sometimes she went to the Church of Saint Xenia in Kanata, where her son attended. When she came, she always carried her Slavonic texts with her so that, despite her increasingly poor hearing, she would be able to follow the service (which she nevertheless knew by heart). As her arthritis worsened, she progressed from walking with a cane to walking with a walker, and then very obviously struggling to walk with the walker. Her presence in the Temple was a heart-warming and encouraging one for those who were attending. The many children in particular were loved by her, and they loved and respected her. She gave them a visible and wordless example about how to live as a Christian.

Matushka Nadezhda at age 90 years

From the time of her widowhood, Matushka Nadezhda was also a serious parish visitor. She regularly visited senior or ailing parishioners in their homes or in the hospital. Often she would ensure that the parish priest was aware that someone needed his attention. Her visits which were always accompanied by her Christian love, were not only appreciated, but they were also anticipated by those she encountered. Through her, many shut-ins were kept connected with parish life and news, and they were confident that they were remembered and cared-for. She did this until it was impossible for her to continue because of the intensity of the arthritic pain. She was an excellent example of Christian love and hospitality.

Ultimately, both her painful joints and the unavoidable stairs kept her from being present in the Temple, and it was necessary for the clergy to visit her regularly in the nursing-home where she now resided (not far from her former home in Orléans). Always serious, stable, and loving, she always spoke directly and honestly. Regardless, it is very difficult to reach such an age and to be effectively alone and isolated by arthritis and deafness. It is especially difficult when her close friends have come to a similar condition, and there are few to visit her. As such people have lovingly cared for us, so we must care for them.

Those who visited her have shared stories about her joy and love.

Some who visited Matushka Nadezhda got the impression that she was not remembering very well. However, it was not necessarily so. Living in a nursing-home is extremely different from living at home. The things which support our sense of continuity at home may be lacking, and the daily rhythm is very different. Matushka was able to recognise many people she knew, and she would ask about people who were relatives and friends of those who did visit. She was always joyful.

Repose of Matushka Nadezhda Svetlovsky, 2018

On 30 June, 2018, on her 97th birthday, Matushka Nadezhda Nikolaievna Svetlovsky fell asleep in the Lord. She had suddenly been hospitalised because of pneumonia. Two of her sons, the Priest Nicholas, and Gregory were able to be with her.

On Monday, 2 July, 2018 the Panikhida (memorial service) was offered at the cathedral in Ottawa.

On Tuesday, 3 July, 2019, the Funeral Service was offered at the cathedral. This was followed by the interment in the Saint Nicholas section of the Pinecrest Cemetery. Matushka Nadezhda was interred next to her husband.

Matushka Nadezhda Svetlovsky, Pascha, 2015

Perhaps many would agree that Matushka Nadezhda lived up to the meaning of her name (Nadezhda means in English, "Hope").

Grave-marker at the cemetery

Reflections

A year before the repose of Father Peter, the Archpriest Andrew Morbey (at that time, Dean of Ontario and Dean of the Cathedral of the Annunciation-Saint Nicholas) wrote about the Svetlovsky family :

 There was a marked absence at the Ottawa Cathedral earlier this year : Protodeacon Peter Svetlovsky missed the 
 Paschal service for the first time.  Frequently requiring oxygen, and with his hearing somewhat impaired, he 
 has become more or less housebound.  Still, his is a tall and imposing figure, and he is a fine raconteur.  
 Visiting Father Peter and Matushka Nadezhda at their home east of Ottawa, enjoying their splendid hospitality 
 and good conversation, is a real blessing.  Father Peter’s diaconate has been in the classic Russian style : a 
 massive, spine-tingling bass voice, a comprehensive knowledge of the typicon and rubrics, a real flair for 
 serving.  The Svetlovskys represent an important part of the heritage of our archdiocese : the Russian émigrés 
 in Paris, the Russian Exarchate   of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the 
 rue Daru, the Saint Sergius Institute, but above all the selfless commitment that serves the Church in many 
 small but ever-so-important ways.

After the repose of Matushka Nadezhda, the Archpriest Gregory Scratch in Manitoba (Dean of Manitoba-Saskatchewan and Nunavut) published this comment in his parish blog :

Not many of you might have ever known Matushka Nadezhda, or ever heard of her. Yet it is people like her
that are those examples of patience, love and generosity, that manifest what it is to be a Christian.
Born in 1921 in the middle of a revolution in Russia, then growing up as a refugee in Paris, France
(where she even dated Fr. Alexander Schmemann), she always sought out the Lord, and placed her trust
in Him regardless of struggle, poverty, war, and sorrow.

She married Peter Svetlovsky, who in time served as Protodeacon in France and Canada, helping him as
tailor making vestments. Her quiet, loving concern for children was demonstrated by the many blankets
and sweaters she would knit and give away, despite her weak and trembling hands, and her devotion to
prayer for those in need marked the lives of those around her.

I have many memories of her, but the most profound was after a Vespers service one summer afternoon.
There was nothing remarkable about that Vespers, no feast of which I can remember, and the Church only
had a handful of people. As we were leaving Vespers I said goodbye to her, and wished her a good
evening. There was a pause in her response, and she smiled with such beauty and love, almost glowing,
and said 'how could I not'. She continued to recite the prayer of St. Symeon that we sing every night
at Vespers :
Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace,
according to Your word,
for my eyes have seen Your salvation,
a Light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the Glory of Your people Israel.
Again she paused, then continued with such beautiful sincerity 'I can die tonight having beheld His
salvation'.

Although she didn't die that evening (for which I was thankful), this is how she greeted every day and
night of her life ; beholding the love of God for her, and for the world around her, and His saving
victory. What a way to see one's life !

May we strive to live with this joy, that even in adversity, brings a beautiful smile, and confession of
the Lord's salvation laid before our very eyes.
May her memory be eternal !

Further to the comments of Father Gregory, the Archpriest James Griggs recalled a conversation at the time of the repose of Father Peter :

 Before the funeral, I approached Matushka Nadezhda and asked her how she was coping.  She gave a brief 
 positive response at first.  However, after the funeral, she approached me and she explained to me : 'I 
 was thinking about the words of the Cherubic Hymn.  Now, Father Peter has put aside all earthly cares.  
 He is before the Lord, and he can serve Him without any distraction or interruption.  So I am very happy 
 for him'.