Instagram Father Photius is in contact. Frank interview with Photius: life on social networks, dreams of Toyota and Eurovision

"The capital of the Russian Apocalypse."

Just like the “Golden Triangle” and “St. Petersburg Labyrinths” -
the first two parts of the trilogy, the book is dedicated to St. Petersburg and its environs.

Circulation 100 copies.

The cost of a book with a personalized autograph is 500 rubles.

Please contact my permanent assistant with orders. tanikota :
https://tanikota.livejournal.com/138418.html
.

“If anyone doesn’t know this song, in the part of it written for Haiti and sung in rap style, there are the following words:

The time comes when we hear a certain call
Let the world unite into one...

We are all part of God's big family...

We need to understand
That change will come only then

When we unite as one!"

P.S. The winners are sandblasters of the Soviet school
prose writers from the era of “Brezhnev stagnation”,
which even the patriarch himself has not read (and will not read),
monastery choir with sweet-voiced Fotyushka
and for an appetizer, stuffed pike “Jewish style.”
I can’t help but remember the hero of Vasily Shukshin
from "Red Kalina" from his "I want a holiday."
Here's a "holiday" for you, Your Holiness -
sad and impassable vulgar gathering
with "I love you life, I love you again and again!" ()

"My dear friends!

You all know that behind political, economic, and cultural events there are always hidden manifestations of the immortal human spirit.

Including television Russian project"Voice".

In order to understand and appreciate the victory of Father Photius (Mochalov) in the competition, which was followed by the whole country, let's argue by contradiction...

What did the Walsingham “triumph” mean at the Eurovision Song Contest of Conchita Wurst, who won with a majority of votes?

Only that the fallen tastes of the European public have finally slipped beyond the line separating good and evil; the fact that the demonism of pseudoculture has become the perverted religion of the majority - ordinary people who have corrupted both flesh and spirit...

Why did a modest inhabitant of the Russian monastery, alien to artistic delights, win the hearts of everyone?

In my opinion, there are two reasons for this.

The first is the natural talent that brought Father Photius here to the All-Russian forum; the second is moral. This is purity, childish innocence of the soul, shining in the gaze and piercing the voice of the monk.

United together, giftedness and chastity produced a heartfelt response in the hearts of hundreds of thousands, millions of people, which, I believe, none of the organizers, experts, “mentors” could have expected...

The fact that Russia unconditionally gave preference to Father Photius in those days and months when the Russian World is being recreated in the blood and suffering of thousands of people, in anxieties and aspirations, with the enormous effort of the powers of the sovereign leaders, as well as completely unknown workers, is for me good sign.

Ordinary people miss what is high and pure, noble and holy.

Vulgarity and cunning, no matter what clothes they dress up in, cause nothing but rejection among the people, satiated with “bread and circuses.”

And most importantly, the fact that millions noticed him, loved him and raised him to the shield of triumph is involuntary evidence of the “living soul” of a people who will never renounce their spiritual roots, no matter how tons of lies and dirt are poured on them from the craters of the media industry ...

P.S. I admit, without hearing Father Photius, I expressed a cautiously restrained judgment about his initiative, but having become acquainted with the speeches themselves, I would now like to embrace this humble monastic worker in a brotherly way and sincerely congratulate him on the victory he won with the name of God on his lips. ..

Archpriest ARTEMY VLADIMIROV"
http://artvladimirov.ru/blog/pobeda-otca-fotija

Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov and Hieromonk Photius - a triumph of will: (

We visited the monastery to visit the priest and found out how his life changed after the victory

We visited the monastery to visit the priest and found out how his life changed after the victory.

Hieromonk Photius is only 30 years old. He is a monk of the St. Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery, that is, he permanently lives in the monastery and obeys the local charter. This should not be confused with a recluse who has vowed not to leave his cell. But last year, after Father Photius won the fourth season of the show “The Voice,” the Internet burst out with “righteous anger”: since he’s a pop, then why did he go on stage? And if he came out, then why does he need a cassock? And in general this is a secular show. We went to visit Father Photius.

The St. Paphnutius Borovsky Monastery stands 120 kilometers from Moscow, on the outskirts of Borovsk (Kaluga region) - on the banks of the Protva River. Father Photius meets us in the monastery editorial office, where he usually works himself. It even has its own publishing house: the creative priest helps with the design and layout of paper publications - the monastery newspaper “Vestnik”, children's magazine"Ship", books.

The hieromonk gets up, as is customary in the monastery, before dark, prays in his cell - he doesn’t let anyone in there, then attends the liturgy and meets guests here - in Lately after Father Photius’s victory on the “Voice” show, the number of pilgrims to him almost exceeds the number of tourists and believers. The hieromonk usually invites guests to the teahouse. The monks do not seem to pay attention to the hype around their brother - Photius gives interviews almost every day, and recently even Timur Kizyakov came to the monastery with the program “While everyone is at home.” But a tense or even unusual aura around Father Photius is still felt - even here, seemingly among his own people, he seems to be different. It turns out that it has always been this way.

“Compliments and flattering reviews are an inoculation”

- Father Photius, two months ago you... Has your life changed after this? At least partially.

— In a global sense, of course not. There is less time left for rest. I began to devote more time to the fans that appeared. I communicate a lot with the press. There are concerts and meetings with people. It's physically tiring. Otherwise everything is the same.

— That is, flattering reviews, gifts, compliments and other temptations do not undermine spiritual work on oneself?

- Let's just say this is exercise for me. There is no need to be afraid of it or cut it off. Otherwise, spiritual immunity will never develop. It's like a flu shot. Every eloquent review flatters me, but I am aware that this is not my merit. A God's will. As a monk, I have almost learned to take praise and criticism evenly. Of course, I can be offended by a comment on the Internet. But I deliberately leave such opinions - angry, sober, often objective. They dilute the molasses that is poured on me in the responses.

- It was a little embarrassing. But I tried not to give anyone the opportunity to confuse me. I just did my job, that's all. Like eating a reed shaken by the wind. Either it touches the ground, then it rises up. If I were to dissipate attention to the negative, to submit to influence, I would destroy my individuality. I would cease to be a person. But I didn’t want that.

— made complaints to you personally?

“He spoke to me quite gently. On the one hand, he respected me as a clergyman, because he himself is a believer. And he said that he had friends among the clergy - Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, for example. But, on the other hand, he viewed me as a singer from the height of experience and age. Of course, he talked about shortcomings. But he didn’t insult me ​​or force me to leave the project or change my mind about participating in “The Voice.” This did not happen.

“Sometimes I find out that people speak unflatteringly about me behind my back.”

— The Patriarch was one of the first to congratulate you on your victory in “The Voice.” There was no personal conversation after that?

— We didn’t communicate personally. But such a meeting could happen soon.

— The Internet is filled with criticism of you. They call you both a “hierophistic singer” and a “pop artist.” How do the brethren react to your secular popularity? Is there really not a single sidelong glance?

- Anything can happen. So far this is not on a large scale, thank God. Among my acquaintances, brethren and clergy there are people who do not agree with what I am doing. There were even bishops who told me about this during the service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (January 25, Tatiana’s day, after the liturgy, he sang for students in the main church of the country. - Author). But they are one percent of total number of people. Some, on the contrary, want to take a photo with me. There was one priest who honestly said to his face: “I do not protect you and do not support what you are doing.” Perhaps this was an exception. In other cases, I find out from friends that they speak unflatteringly about me. What can you do... this was to be expected. I think that everyone is right: both white and red (smiles).

"I didn't want to be a priest"

— On February 21, you went to. How did you convince the Church leadership that you could do this?

“I didn’t have to convince anyone.” Information about this in the media was misinterpreted. The fear was that they wouldn’t take me into circulation and carry me around the whole country like a monkey: “Look what a singing priest we have.” This is precisely what the metropolitan feared (the spiritual “boss” of the hieromonk, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement. - Author). And then they explained to him that no one would derive any benefits from the tour, he agreed. Participation in the tour is a condition of the contract with Universal Music, which I signed following my victory in “The Voice”. And the task of the tour is to show a living person, a non-fictional image. You can meet and talk with him, this is not a PR project of Channel One or the Russian Orthodox Church. That's the goal. People need to see that everything is honest and real.

— Do the obligations of the rank of hieromonk contradict such a career?

— This rank implies being in a monastery, taking monastic vows and serving as a priest. Hieromonks and monks are popularly called “black” clergy because they cannot marry. The “white” clergy are ordinary priests, priests with families. There are no other peculiarities - being silent, being unsociable, not leaving the cell, and so on - no.

— I wouldn’t like to transfer the conversation to the level of physiology, but still it’s not easy for a man at a young age without the woman he loves. How did you come to this decision?

“The course of my life dictated this choice to me. There was probably a predisposition towards monasticism. My unconventional worldview set me apart from others. I have always been a black sheep and was very different from my peers - in kindergarten, school. All this led to monasticism. A thoughtful and logical step.

I was called names and teased. I didn't fight. And they didn’t understand how to react to it

— How was the non-standard manifested?

- They called me names, teased me and saw that my reaction was not entirely predictable - I was silent and did not fight. They didn’t understand, didn’t know how to react, they continued to mock - this amused them. The herd effect was at work - the entire class began to be bullied and squeezed out of the team. As a result, even those who were more or less drawn to me turned away under the influence of the majority.

- So, they were persecuted only for humility?

— If you mean relationships with the female sex, then there was and is no unusual behavior here. I have always fallen in love and still see, notice feminine beauty, no matter how strange it may sound for a monk. True, after so many years of living in a monastery, you begin to get used to loneliness. A certain insensitivity develops: it’s already difficult for me to be tempted.

— Isn’t there an internal contradiction in this: nature struggles with the weight of the vow? You are a living person.

- Of course have. I am a man of flesh and blood. Various thoughts come to me. Therefore, you need to think and pray all your life. There will never come a moment when a person will live in absolute goodness and sinlessness. Without “extra” thoughts. They say that one demon follows a layman, a hundred follow a monk to lead him astray.

- Ordinary mortals have a plan: plant a tree, build a house, raise a son. And how are you?

— There is room to grow. But I achieved the main thing: I became a hieromonk. When I came to the monastery for the first time, I did not want to be a priest. The confessor told me: go to seminary and become a priest. This is the highest level. I don’t want to hold any positions, because with increasing rank comes more obligations and responsibilities. Perhaps this is not for me. I'm not an organizer. Other people do this very well.

— Did your parents accept your decision right away? It turns out that the masculine gender has ended with you.

“Such a loss was not easy for them. It's hard for any mother to lose her blood. But at the same time, she feels great joy and pride for me. I have a brother, which means I have the opportunity to continue the family line. Dad blessed me on this path.

— You were born in Nizhny Novgorod, and then ended up in Germany with my parents. How long have you lived in Europe?

— We emigrated to Kaiserslautern in 2002, I lived there for three and a half years.

— Was it difficult to adapt?

- I liked everything. At first it was a bit difficult with the language, but then I got better. I made many friends, especially among musicians. The only thing that caused embarrassment was that I didn’t know how to earn money.

— There are good unemployment benefits in Europe.

— Yes, but for this you need to go around many authorities, register, look for a job and show your signature at the labor exchange that you couldn’t get a job. I wanted to be a musician, and it wasn't easy. All that remained was to earn extra money in churches: he played the organ in Protestant churches (Father Photius studied music since childhood and plays instruments. - Author). Then he was going to enter the Higher School of Music to the department of organ, but just at that moment he decided to go to the monastery.

“It would be interesting to give an answer to Conchita Wurst.”

— On your Instagram page you often publish photos with postal boxes and parcels. What do your fans send you?

— Letters, congratulations, drawings, crafts. They are trying to help, help out, take care. Once I mentioned that I went out into the cold without gloves. So they sent gloves. Although I already have them (smiles).

— What is your favorite cheese too?

— If you don’t send it in a parcel, it will get spoiled. Cheese is brought to concerts. And they give it after the performance.

— And recently you photographed your favorite types of perfume...

“I thought for a long time whether it was worth doing this.” Because I assumed it would cause a resonance. But I wasn't afraid. Although I am a priest and can cause confusion among people, we must understand that it is necessary to show the real image of a person. So that people can see: they have the same needs as everyone else. Since I have an Instagram account and I'm trying to, let's say, imitate famous people who post photos about their lives, I don’t see anything reprehensible in this.

— Do monks have ways of worldly relaxation? Take care of the cat, play chess or football.

— Our monastery is located in a picturesque place on the river bank. Almost a nature reserve. IN free time I like to go for a walk fresh air, wander through the forest. It's calming. You walk as if through a village, there are a lot of wooden houses, a river, woods.

- Invention chemical element Was “Photia”, the image of which you have on Instagram, invented by fans?

- This is my joke. Figured it out myself. And this was prompted by rumors that for Gela Guralia (finalist of the second season of “The Voice.” - Author) people remade the periodic table under his name: helium and so on. So I decided to troll a little.

- This year . Next time, when the Russian representative is determined by the Channel One jury, you will have good chances for a business trip. Are you ready to compete?

- Yes. After “The Voice” I’m not afraid of anything. Although, I think the Patriarch will be against it. Although this is a delicate matter, it would be interesting to give an answer and show that there are singing priests. From a moral point of view, reorient Eurovision.

— Final question in the style of Marcel Proust. What would you like to ask God when you meet?

- From God?

- Yes.

— When you meet God, there are no questions. They just fall away. Whatever I ask it will be children's question, the answer to which will already be known to me. I would say, “Lord, forgive my sins.” The most important thing is to ask God for mercy. Each of us falls, gets up and moves on. The main thing is not to reject God and stay with him, no matter how life turns out. You need to humble yourself, but not consider yourself hopeless: “Okay, I’m a sinner, I can’t fix it, I’ll continue to drink and have fun.” Such conceit does not lead to repentance, but to the reverse process. There is no need to turn away from God - he never turns away from us. And he loves everyone.

Private bussiness

(Vitaly Mochalov) was born in Gorky on November 11, 1985 in a non-religious family. He studied at a music school and sang in a church choir. Entered School of Music, but at the age of 17 he moved with his family to Germany. He made money by playing the organ. In 2005 he returned to Russia and was accepted into the brethren of St. Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery. In the monastery publishing house he is engaged in design and layout. In 2015 he won the show “The Voice”. At the decisive stage, Mikhail Ozerov from the team of Alexander Gradsky won with a stunning margin: 76% to 24%. Following the results of “The Voice”, he signed a contract with record company Universal Music.

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Saturday/21.30, First

Hieromonk Photius, who became famous throughout the country after taking first place in television project“The Voice” spoke about life after the show. The clergyman, upon whom the burden of fame had fallen, complained that now fans were pestering him even in the monastery. According to Photius, people come to him strangers who are eager to meet.

ON THIS TOPIC

“I know that most people have nothing serious with me. Pilgrims have come and want to give me some song. Or beggars... And at first on the phone such people never say openly: “Give me money.” I’ve already learned all their pretexts, tone. I immediately understand when things are dirty. I tell them, "Wait until the evening service". And then I just leave,” the Interlocutor quotes the hieromonk.

The winner of the “Voice” project emphasizes that among his fans there are such persistent fans who are trying to reach him through his mother. They learn Photius’s taste preferences, and then I feed him cheese or mushrooms.

“If people come here, they definitely want to see me. Some even communicate through Germany - through their mother who lives there. First they ask her what to bring for Father Photius. She tells them what I like – cheese or porcini mushrooms,” the “Voice” winner shared.

Photius also told how his life changed after unexpected fame. “I’ve only been a priest for two and a half years. I don’t have constant contact with parishioners yet. I’m rarely appointed as a confessor. Besides, I’m still quite young and inexperienced. Therefore, I either sing or serve. But not every day. I don’t have enough strength. In connection With my new, as you say, “star” status, I feel some oppression. And so here in the monastery there is no freedom, and also everyone wants you, they invite you somewhere... For an interview, for filming, for a concert,” explained the Priest.

Hieromonk Photius - organizing the concert, ordering artists on the official website of the agency. To organize performances, tours, invitations to corporate events, call +7-499-343-53-23, +7-964-647-20-40

Welcome to the official website of agent Hieromonk Photius, a priest who became famous for his victory in the fourth season music project"Voice". The tenor, who before his tonsure bore the name Vitaly Mochalov, was born on November 11, 1985 in Nizhny Novgorod. The future monk studied piano and vocals at the city music school. As a child, Vitaly sang in school and church choirs and dreamed of being a professional composer.

Creative achievements

At the age of 15, the guy entered the Nizhny Novgorod Music College, but studied there for only a year, as he moved to Germany with his family. While living in Kaiserslautern, Mochalov continued to study music: he sang and mastered playing the organ. At the age of 20, the young man decided to become an Orthodox priest. For this purpose, in the mid-2000s he returned to Russia. Vitaly’s place of service was the St. Paphnutius Borovsky Monastery, located in the Kaluga region.

After tonsure, the monastery minister was named Photius. Despite the renunciation of everything worldly, the order to study music did not disappear in the monk’s life. For some time, the priest was taught vocal skills by Viktor Tvardovsky, a Moscow teacher and soloist. opera houses. Then Photius continued to study independently, adopting the unique methodology of the former teacher. Over time, he became the best monastery singer, and then the regent (leader) of the church choir.

In September 2015, Hieromonk Photius made his first appearance on television as part of the “Voice” program. The participation of a priest in the show was controversial, but the church organization ultimately gave the go-ahead. At the blind audition, the monk performed an excerpt from the opera “Eugene Onegin” (Lensky’s aria) and ended up on the team of producer Grigory Leps. In the final of the music competition, three quarters of the TV viewers voted for Photius. Thus, the hieromonk became the winner of the “Voice-4” project. Patriarch Kirill himself called the result of the Orthodox priest’s participation in the competition positive.

Nowadays

At the beginning of 2016, all finalists of the project took part in the all-Russian tour. Blessing on touring activities Photius also received it. The first concert with the participation of the hieromonk took place on February 21 in Krasnodar. Now Vitaly Mochalov performs a lot, donating the proceeds for the construction of churches. More information about the work of Hieromonk Photius can be found on his official website.

Hieromonk Photius ordering concerts, contacts, organizing performances of artists. To invite a star to a wedding, corporate party, anniversary - you can contact us by phone in Moscow +7-499-343-53-23, +7-964-647-20-40, on the official website of the agent, write to the mail, contacts menu.

Combining fame and applause with the cassock of a hieromonk is not easy. But Vitaly Mochalov is evidence that this is possible. His pleasant melodic voice made him popular throughout Russia.

Biography

Vitaly was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1985. His parents have nothing to do with religion. His father worked as a welder, and his mother raised him and his younger brother. School years Father Photius remembers reluctantly; he was not very popular among his peers and often had conflicts. As he himself says, he was different in many ways from his noisy and mischievous classmates.

Music was the outlet. WITH early childhood enjoyed visiting music school, and there, opposite him, they formed a good relationship with friends. Played the piano, sang school events and in the choir. In adult life I saw myself as a composer.

After school I went to study at a music school to major in " music theory" After the first year of study, he emigrated to Germany with his family. But there he developed as a musician and singer. He learned to play the organ and even earned his living from it. He played at services in Catholic and Protestant churches.

Monasticism

He attended church willingly, and the feeling of grace during the services gave him the idea of ​​going to a monastery. He approached the choice of the future monastery responsibly, and he chose the Borovsky Monastery in the Kaluga region.

He entered the monastery service in 2010. The guy took monastic vows, took the name Savvaty, and became a monk. A year later he received the rank of hierodeacon, and a year later he received a new name - Photius. Since 2013 – the rank of hieromonk.

Music

His love for music did not leave him even within the walls of the monastery. On the contrary, he revealed his potential in a new way. By attending lessons from a famous vocal teacher in Russia, Viktor Tvardovsky, he was able to tune his voice. Then the hieromonk studied independently according to the methods of a famous teacher.

Already in 2013, Vitaly Mochalov decided to take part in the talent show “The Voice”. After submitting an application, he was invited to take part in the second season of the television project. But the guy did not dare to ask for the Metropolitan’s blessing and refused to participate in popular show.

In 2015, he sent an application again and again received an invitation. The editors of Channel One addressed the Metropolitan with a letter and a request to release the monk to participate in the competition. He gave permission, and the guy went to Moscow.

Voice-4

Clergy had never taken part in this project before. Photius was a debutant and at the blind audition he performed the composition “Lensky’s Aria”. The guy ended up on the team of Grigory Leps, although he expected to get to Alexander Gradsky.

Despite the non-standard occupation of the contestant, the jury members treated him very favorably. He confidently went through all the stages of the competition and reached the finals. During the show, he carefully selected the repertoire, sang Russian romances, classical compositions and foreign hits.

In the final, he performed the composition “Per te” and won this competition. Photius thanks his mentors in the monastery for the support - Father Blasius and Metropolitan Borovsky and Kaluga, as well as all his brothers in the monastery.

Even All-Russian Patriarch Kirill congratulated the hieromonk and reminded him of his duties as a monk. Photius received a lot of votes from the audience and some argue that it was this “holiness” and spiritual cassock that led him to victory. Therefore, some are waiting for the hieromonk to begin “ star fever"and it will change to the worst side.

Personal life

Church service and spiritual life are personal life any clergyman. His comrades in the monastery claim that Photius - strong-willed monk.

Another page of his biography is his conscription into the army, but due to vision problems he did not pass the medical examination. Now after the operation, Vitaly no longer wears glasses.

Interests and hobbies

In addition to music, Vitaly is interested in foreign languages, publishing, photography and video editing. Good sense of humor and closeness to ordinary people make it so popular.

Prospects

At the beginning of 2016, the singer's fans learned that the clergy were against him musical career. This issue was indeed decided by the highest clergy. The clergy were worried about the popularity of Photius and the considerable capital that he managed to earn through music.

Patriarch Kirill himself was able to solve the problem, who allowed Photius Mochalov to sing, as it attracts attention and popularizes Orthodox Church, makes her closer to ordinary people.

Social media

Fotiy Mochalov has a personal page in Odnoklassniki - https://ok.ru/profile/586708815916. He hasn’t posted photos or posts here for a long time.

Fotiy Mochalov in Contact - https://vk.com/limai. On the wall you can see his latest photographs and posters solo concert. Here he has almost 10 thousand friends and 6 thousand subscribers.

Photius also has a contact on VKontakte official group- https://vk.com/fotij. 18 thousand participants watch events from his work and life.

Hieromonk's Twitter - https://twitter.com/photymochalov. Here he posts the latest photos from his life.

Fotiy Mochalov also has a Facebook page personal page - https://www.facebook.com/Hieromonk-Fotiy-Vitaly-Mochalov-930265530384654/. The singer does not show much activity here.

Foty Mochalov On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/photymochalov/ - he also posts photos from travel, life and concerts. Here he is followed by 30 thousand readers.

Hieromonk Photius regularly tours the cities of Russia, and his last performance, on June 7 in Moscow, testifies to great success and popularity.