Metropolitan Hilarion presides over requiem service for Russia’s Honoured Artist Dmitry Kogan

September 2, 2017 – Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations, presided over the requiem service for Russia’s Honoured Artist Dmitry Kogan, at the church of Our Lady the Joy to All the Afflicted-in-Bolshaya-Ordynka in Moscow.

The renowned violinist, a representative of the outstanding musical dynasty died on August 29 at the age of 38 after a prolonged serious disease.

Metropolitan Hilarion was assisted by Metropolitan Zinoviy of Saransk and Mordovia, Archpriest Alexander Makarov of the DECR, and the clergy of the church.

Before the requiem service, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed himself to the congregation with the words of condolence:

‘Your Eminence, Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters:

‘We have gathered together to lift up a prayer for the remarkable man and remarkable musician loved by many of us.

‘Humanly, it is very difficult to reconcile oneself with this loss. His premature death seems unfair. Indeed, he could do so much more in this life! But God has a special providence for each one. And in our grief for the loved one we should find consolation in the thought that a human being is not created to live in time as a human is created for life eternal: life begins for one here, on earth but it continues in eternity. The Lord measures off some time for each on this earth. And what may seem premature or unfair or accidental according to human measures has its justification and meaning in the divine providence. We profoundly believe in it.

‘We believe that the soul of the deceased Dimitry has not left us at all. It continues living and is present here with us. And as we loved him so we will continue to love. As we prayed for him as long as he was alive so we will continue praying for him now.

‘When one’s human soul leaves one’s body, it meets with God. Each person in his or her life committed sins. As we hear from the prayer for the dead, ‘there is no one who was alive and did not sin’. Each of us is to undergo a test when he or she will go into the other world, and we should now pray fervently for servant of God Dimitry that the Lord may forgive him all his trespasses, voluntary and involuntary, that He may give him rest there where all the righteous find rest – on the bosom of Abraham, in the Heavenly Kingdom.

‘There is a church testimony confirmed by very many that when a person leaves this life to come to life eternal, he is met there by angels and departed relatives. Dimitry belonged to a remarkable family. I think that when his soul left the earth, he was met there by those whom he loved and respected; they have expected him and greeted him with open arms.

Dimitry died in the days when the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God was celebrated. Perhaps, there is some special meaning in it. Indeed, it is not accidental that the death of the Most Holy Mother of God is called Dormition. When we look at the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God, we see her lying on her deathbed with the Lord Jesus Christ standing at it and accepting Her soul in His Most Pure Hands and Her soul depicted as an infant.

‘In this way the Lord Jesus Christ meets the soul of every one who believed in Him in his life and loved Him, who partook the Holy Mysteries of Christ, who moves to that life with faith in resurrection. Therefore we should not despair and lose heart – we should believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will accept His faithful servant in the dwellings of the righteous and pray for it.

‘For the short time given to Dmitry, his life journey was great and beautiful. But it so happened that in this Christian life he only began making his first steps. And the way of Christian life is a path as long as one’s life – the life not only on earth but also eternal. This path will now continue for him, and Dmitry will not be alone on it because we all still remaining here on earth will pray for him.

‘Each of us, some earlier, others later, will be taken by the Lord from this life. And the moment will come when no one of those present here will any longer remain here, on earth, as we all will move over there. And there we will meet and recognize one another. This is what gives us strength to live, to endure the death of our loved ones and gives us hope for God’s mercy.

‘Let us pray for deceased servant of God Dmitry, asking the Lord to forgive his every transgression, voluntary and involuntary, and give him rest in the Heavenly Kingdom together with all saints’.

Present at the requiem service were the mother of the deceased Lyubov Kazinskaya, his Father – Russia’s People’s Artist pianist Yury Rozum, Russia’s Honoured Artist, conductor Gennady Dmitryak, State Duma deputy Artur Chilingarov, numerous artists and cultural figures.

The prayers and hymns were sung by the Moscow Synodal Choir conducted by Russia’s Honoured Artist Alexey Puzakov.

Dmitry Kogan was buried at Troekurovskoe Cemetery. The lity at his grave was said by Metropolitan Zinoviy of Saransk and Mordovia.

DECR Communication Service