Archpriest Andrey and Matushka Henriette Somow

Archpriest Andrey I Somow (1923-2012)

and

Matushka Henriette J Somow (19__-20__)

Andrey may be spelt Andrei, Andrew.

Somow may be spelt Somov.

Early life of Andrey Ivanovich Musatov/Somow

Andrey (Andrew) Ivanovich was born on 3/16 May, 1923, in Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, where his parents (Ivan Y Musatov, a lieutenant in the White Army, and Tatiana (born Bourda)) had come in 1920 after their evacuation with General Anton Denikin's army from Crimea.

Andrey was raised in France and Czechoslovakia, and he was adopted by his step-father, Pavel Somow. There, in Russian Orthodox parishes, he was raised in the Orthodox Christian Faith.

Andrey began serving as an acolyte (altar boy) in 1930 (at age 7) in Bratislava, under Igumen Nikon (de Grève).

He received his secondary education at the Russian residential high school ("gymnasium") in Moravská Třebová and in Prague (1933–1941), where he continued to serve in the Altar, and where he became in 1939 "pososhnik" (staff-holder) to Bishop Sergius (Korolyov) of Prague.

Higher education

During World War II, Andrey Somow studied Engineering, Architecture and Town Planning at the Technical University in Bratislava (1942–1944), and after that in Brno, and again in Bratislava (1945–1950).

The Communist putsch in 1948, and the totalitarian regime subsequently established in Czechoslovakia, prevented any religious aspirations of the young architect.

Work ; exile ; arrival in Canada, 1968

Following his graduation, Andrey worked as an architect until August 1968, when Czechoslovakia was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops. Immediately thereupon, Andrey Somow fled the country with his wife and children. They left all their belongings behind, and they claimed political asylum in neighbouring Austria.

As refugees, the Somows were granted "landed immigrant" status in Canada by the Canadian Embassy in Vienna.

On 6 October, 1968, they arrived in Canada, where they settled in Ottawa, Ontario.

Andrey Somow worked as a technologist for the University of Ottawa in its Planning and Design Department for the next 2 years. Afterwards, he became an employee of the Federal Government with the Department of Indian Affairs in the position of architect.

In Ottawa, the Somows attended church services at Holy Trinity Bukowinian Sobor on West Somerset Street. From the beginning of his days in Canada, Andrey Somow was deeply involved in Church life. Under Archpriest George Pokrowsky, he became a reader, as well as a teacher of the Sunday School. After a rather long deliberation, and under the strong influence of Father George, he humbly submitted himself for ordination to the diaconate.

Diaconal ordination, 1974

Andrey Somow was 50 years old when he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by the ruling bishop of the archdiocese, Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Montréal, Québec on 3 March, 1974 (the Sunday of Orthodoxy).

Diaconal service ; transfer to Vancouver, 1974

In June, 1974, Deacon Andrey Somow was transferred by the Federal Government in his secular work to Vancouver, British Columbia. Together with his family, he arrived there on 1 August. He was attached to Holy Resurrection Church by Vladyka Sylvester.

As a deacon, he served regularly at Divine Liturgies and at other services throughout the years, as he assisted Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk), Igumen Cyril (Bulashevitch), and other clergy serving in Holy Resurrection Church. He also accompanied Bishop Joasaph on his trips to Alberta ; and he served with other bishops and clergy in Saint Spiridon's Church in Seattle, Washington, and in other cities.

During these years, the parish council decided to replace the old rectory in which previous clergy had lived. Therefore, when the Priest Victor Sokolov was assigned to serve there in 1985, there was a new and modern rectory. Although he was not the official architect, Father Andrey contributed to the design.

Rectory

In 1985, Father Andrey was able finally to bring about the immigration of his mother, Tatiana Mihailovna Somov. They had been separated for 17 years without seeing one another. He and Matushka Henrietta welcomed Tatiana Mihailovna into their home, and they cared for her for the rest of her life, until her repose on 31 December, 2002.

Tatiana M Somow

In the absence of a permanent priest at Holy Resurrection Church, Father Andrey also conducted services as a deacon at Holy Resurrection from June, 1987, until 1 April, 1988. He was also actively involved in the administration of the parish. All the while, Father Andrey was still working full time as an architect. The drive from his home to Holy Resurrection Sobor took about an hour each way.

Deacon Andrey was elevated to the dignity of protodeacon in 1989.

Holy Resurrection Sobor

Priestly ordination, 1992

On 26 December, 1992, Protodeacon Andrey Somow was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Seraphim (Storheim), at the Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Father Andrey serving ; Matushka Henriette with one of the windows she designed

Pastoral service

The Priest Andrey Somow was assigned first to serve as a supply priest for the British Columbia Deanery.

On 1 August, 1993, the Priest Andrey Somow was assigned to be Interim Rector of Holy Resurrection Sobor Church

In 1994, he was confirmed to be the Rector of Holy Resurrection Church.

"Mercy and Compassion" : "Miloserdie"

During these years, also, Father Andrey was deeply involved in the development of the "Miloserdie" Mercy and Compassion Group based at Holy Resurrection Sobor. Along with Raisa Ilyichina Kolesnikova of this parish, he worked with various agencies to gather and deliver crucial aid to the charity projects of Father Alexander Men' in Moscow. Raisa and her husband Nikolai had previously been parishioners of Father Men', who is now regarded by many as a martyr. Especially productive was the contact with the "Universal Aid Society" (UAS) in Vancouver (that society closed in 2009). For instance, the UAS donated a container of disinfecting powder. It arrived in Moscow in September, 1994, just as the first cases of cholera were recorded in the city. The powder went immediately to every hospital in Moscow, Russia. An equally timely shipment was that of antibiotic plaster bands that went straight to the war zone in Chechnya. Ten 40-foot containers were sent to Russia from 1994 ; the total value of the aid exceeded $3,000,000. In sending all this assistance, there was a particular focus on one of the children's hospitals in Moscow, where there were very many children suffering from HIV-AIDS. This sending of assistance continued for over a decade, and it helped far beyond the imagination or comprehension of those who contributed.

Nikolai M and Raisa I Kolesnikov

In 2005 Archbishop Seraphim (Storheim) elevated Father Andrey to the dignity of archpriest.

Matushka Henriette Somow

Father Andrey's wife, Matushka Henriette, was born in the Moravian part of what is now the Czech Republic. Matushka Henriette is a graduate of the Brno Art College. At that time, Brno was in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). In her studies, she specialised in the painting and restoration of church murals. Her studies and subsequent experience as an artist prepared her for the method of research and design required to produce the iconographic images for stained glass windows. Such stained glass windows came to be required at Holy Resurrection Church in Vancouver.

This work with stained glass in Vancouver originated in 1981 with a proposal to the parish council (which then began to raise funds), but it truly began in a concrete way with a request from a senior parishioner that a stained-glass window be prepared for the Temple, which would depict the Risen Christ. The commissioned window was to be in memory of her departed parents. This particular work is what led to the production of the remaining windows, funded by donations from other parishioners. As a result of this work, there was a commission from Father Vasyl and Matushka Vasylyna Ostashek for 2 windows for the Altar of Saint Michael’s Church at Sochawa, just south of Andrew, Alberta.

The manner in which such images could be reproduced on glass required a considerable amount of work and time (in addition to the many other responsibilities she had at the time). In order to produces such windows (both in Alberta and in Vancouver), this part of the work required a lengthy consultation with a local artisan, Yves Trudeau. The result is stained-glass which is rather different from what people often would expect if they have seen other stained-glass works in North America and Western Europe. These windows (4.3 m tall and 1.5 m wide) admit light very freely, so that the interior of the Temple is very bright. In fact, these windows admit more daylight into the interior of the Temple than would glass which had been frosted or coloured in some other manner.

In addition to these works, Matushka Henriette did a lot of work in and for Holy Resurrection Sobor. She served as the choir conductor ; she painted the icons for the new top of the iconostas ; she helped people in need ; she led varioius committees and groups in the parish.

There was a project initiated to complete the iconostas by adding the so-called "Apostolic Row" of the iconostas. All the icons were painted by Matushka Henrietta Somow. With the blessing of Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa and Canada, all the icons, which also include the "Deisis" and the "Communion of the Apostles" were presented to the Church in July of 2001 as a gift from Somow family.

Apostle Thomas Apostle Bartholomew

Pentecost/Descent of the Holy Spirit

In the Centre : Holy Theotokos ;

At left from Centre : Apostle Peter ; Apostle & Evangelist John ; Apostle & Evangelist Luke ; Apostle Andrew ; Apostle Bartholomew ; Apostle Thomas ;

At right from centre : Apostle Paul ; Apostle & Evangelist Mark ; Apostle & Evangelist Matthew ; Apostle Simon the Zealot

Apostle James/Jacob Son of Zebedee Apostle Philip

Apostle Andrew the First Called Apostle & Evangelist Luke

Apostle & Evangelist John the Theologian Apostle Peter

The Deisis

In the centre : Holy Theotokos ; Jesus Christ, the Almighty ; St. John the Baptist, Forerunner ;

Left side, at front from centre : Apostle Peter ; Apostle & Evangelist John ; St. Peter Aleut ;

Left side, at back from centre : St. Innocent of Alaska ; St. Herman of Alaska ; St. Tikhon of Moscow ; Hieromartyr Juvenaly ;

Right side, at front from centre : Apostle Paul ; Apostle Andrew First Called ; St. Seraphim of Sarov ;

Right side, at back from centre : St. John of Kronstadt ; Ss. Anthony & Theodosius of Kiev Caves ; St. Sergius of Radonezh ;

Apostle Paul Apostle & Evangelist Matthew

Apostle Mark Apostle Simon of Zealot

The Eucharist/Communion of the Apostles

In the Centre : Jesus Christ, the Life Giver,

At left from Centre : Apostle Peter, Apostle & Evangelist Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist Luke, Apostle Andrew, Apostle Simon the Zealot, Apostle & Evangelist Mark;

At right from centre : Apostle & Evangelist John, Apostle James Son of Alpheus, Apostle Bartholomew, Apostle Paul, Apostle James/Jacob Son of Zebedee,

Apostle Thomas ;

Apostle Jacob/James Apostle Philip

Stained glass windows at Holy Resurrection Sobor designed by Matushka Henriette

Retirement, 1999

The Priest Andrey Somow was granted retirement on 15 November, 1999, and he was attached to Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In recognition of his devoted service, Father Andrey was elevated to the dignity of archpriest in 2003.

After his retirement, Father Andrey and Matushka Henriette continued in their active service in the parish and deanery, but with much less pressure and sense of obligation. They were able to be free to serve in other parishes of the "Lower Mainland" region. Father Andrey and Matushka Henriette worked diligently at establishing and organising a detailed archive for the parish itself. This archive included most of the musical settings prepared for the choir which Henriette had written out by hand. She had also prepared detailed service books for all the main feasts served regularly in the parish.

Father Andrey's health eventually began to decline, partly because of the very hard work that he had done for many years, and partly simply because of age. He nevertheless held tightly to our Lord. With his wife, he remained warmly hospitable, and they welcomed people often to their home and table until close to the end of his life. He served the Divine Liturgy for the last time on 7 January, 2012.

Repose, 2012

After more than 50 years of marriage, the Archpriest Andrey Somow reposed in the Lord in Surrey, British Columbia, on 29 March, 2012.

The funeral services for the Archpriest Andrey Somow were offered in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 3-4 April, 2012. On 3 April, a Panikhida was served in the evening at Holy Resurrection Sobor at 1900 hrs. Then, on the morning of 4 April, the Memorial form of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was served at the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Michael the Archangel at 0830 hrs. After the Liturgy, the Funeral Service for a Priest was served by 12 priests and 1 deacon. The services on 4 April took place in Burnaby because of the great distance between Holy Resurrection Sobor and the cemetery in Surrey. Travel-time would have been prohibitive, and Father Andrey, who had pre-planned all the details, had felt compassion for all who would participate.

Funeral of Father Andrey Somow

The interment of the body of Father Andrey Somow took place in the afternoon of 4 April in the Valley View Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Surrey, British Columbia.

Grave-marker Tatiana Somow

Reflections

Constantine Andreyevich Somow, son of Father Andrey and Matushka Henriette, made the following observations about his father :

 His service to the Church was steadfast, even up to his final weeks of life.  
 
 He believed in conducting his affairs with the highest level of integrity, and he acted 
 accordingly [...].
 
 Of course, my father also had some unique personal attributes, which made him precious to many of 
 us and, on occasion, challenging to some others.  
 
 For one, he was a perfectionist.  Some in the Church have described him as a 'traditional Russian 
 Batiushka' partly because he was adamant that the service is to be celebrated correctly ; and he 
 corrected many altar servers (including myself) when we got out of line.
 
 He possessed a deep-rooted, servant-like nature, and he rarely thought of himself, which often made 
 it very difficult for him to accept gifts, generosity or assistance from others, or even from 
 family members.  
 
 At certain times, he had a sense of humour, while at other times, he appeared to have little place 
 for humour ; and it required some tact to navigate between the two.  
 
 However, regardless of his style and manner of being, none of us here can deny that, at the end of 
 the day, his heart was always in the right place ; and everything he said and did was out of a 
 great love and respect for other persons and for God.  
 
 Many will even attest to how much time he spent sharing their concerns and troubles, and 
 interceding for them to the point of risking his own health and well-being.

Father Andrey Somow had a talent for organisation. As a result, during his pastorship of Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver, many improvements were made not only to the structure of the Temple and the parish hall, but also to the administration of the parish. He was, moreover, a diligent pastor, and he carefully nurtured the worship of the Lord in both Slavonic and English, and he regularly visited the senior parishioners in their homes, hospitals and nursing homes when they were unable to be present in the Temple. He had undertaken his responsibilities in the parish as an obedience to Archbishop Sylvester, and this obedience matured into a labour of love. Despite difficulties with his health, he drove from his home in Surrey several times a week and he spent long hours in the Temple and in the office in order to accomplish the needed work. As an extra benefit for the future of the parish, Father Andrey worked hard on organising the historical papers and files of the parish, which allowed for the provision of a properly organised archive in a space that was remodelled for that purpose.

Matushka Henriette was no less devoted or organised. Besides her major contribution to the parish of the design for the stained glass windows, for many decades, she was active in the work of the parish sisterhood. At the same time, for many decades, she was either singing in the choir, or directing it. The fruit of this labour of love was the establishment of a musical library that provided the musical settings for most of the needed services, and in both Slavonic and English. Matushka Henriette also organised many cultural events in the hall which gave many people much joy.

The fruit of their teamwork in Christ was the repair not only of the physical structure of the parish buildings, but also of the repair of the sense of Christian family in the parish. Their work followed a period of difficult years in the community, and their labours strengthened the parish community so that the priest who would follow after them would have a solid foundation on which to continue the building of a strong Orthodox Christian parish.

On 29 March, 2013, there was the anniversary of the repose of Father Andrey Somow. A Parastas Service was held on Sunday, 31 March, after the Divine Liturgy. Matushka Henriette arrived at the service, along with the 3 children : Sasha, Andrey and Constantine. Sasha and her husband arrived from Paris. After the service, many parishioners remained at the memorial dinner in the hall.

Mathushka Henriette at the Memorial Service