St. Philaret's Institute (SFI) holds a Memorial Conference in Honour of Professor Alexey Borisovich Mazurov
Alexey Borisovich Mazurov was a prominent scholar, cultural and educational figure, professor and Doctor of Historical Sciences. In the last four years of his earthly life, he served as Rector of St. Philaret’s Institute (SFI). As a leading specialist in the history and archaeology of medieval Rus’, he had a deep love for the history of the Kolomna region and the Grand Duchy of Moscow. He left a rich academic legacy, including more than twenty monographs, textbooks and study aids, as well as over 600 articles in various publications.
“Because Russian history is full of mysteries, contradictions and enigmas, we must study it with great diligence. I wish us all God’s help in our continued search for historical truth and authenticity,” said Fr Georgy Kochetkov, Founder and First Rector of St. Philaret’s Institute, in his opening address to the conference.
“We return again and again to the same questions: ‘Who are we? What is our history? What is the history of the land on which we live and of the people to whom we belong?’ May God grant that the labour of seeking answers to these questions continues, however feeble our efforts may seem to us and however narrow our circle may appear. What matters is that here, on our Moscow soil, the wellspring of such knowledge and research does not run dry,” said Dmitry Gasak, First Vice-Rector of St. Philaret’s Institute.
“Thanks to Alexey Borisovich, the staff of St. Philaret’s Institute - and in particular our Department of Church and Social History - have come to know his colleagues, and this is wonderful! Alexey Borisovich is clearly still participating in this work, even now. It has already been two years since he left us, yet his portrait stands in the hall where the SFI Academic Council holds meetings. Whenever we meet, it is as if he blesses our gathering and joins us in resolving difficult questions,” said St. Philaret’s current Rector, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Alexander Kopirovsky.
Mazurov's colleagues presented papers on the history of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Kolomna region in the 14th–17th centuries:
- Dr Tatyana Panova, a researcher from the Moscow Kremlin and Doctor of Historical Sciences, spoke about the problems involved in studying the early history of the Nativity Convent in the Kremlin;
- Dr Dmitry Osipov, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeological Monuments at the State Historical Museum, described rare leather artefacts discovered during excavations at Chizhevsky Podvorye in Moscow in 2023–2025;
- Anastasia Faronova, a lecturer at St. Philaret’s Institute, gave a paper on the Kolomna diocese in the 17th century based on records from the Patriarchal Treasury Office.
After the presentations, those present discussed which questions and issues Mazurov had considered the most promising to the development of Moscow historical studies.
Vitaliy Cherkasov, Associate Professor at St. Philaret’s Institute and Candidate of History, noted that Alexey Borisovich considered “the study of the history of the appanage principalities of Moscow” to be “one of the most promising directions.” Cherkasov continued, “I recall his works connected with the archaeological excavations in Kolomna. He always emphasised the importance of studying the archaeological material in greater detail and with greater scrupulousness – both the mass finds and the individual artefacts.”
Conference participants also served a litiya for the departed and gathered for a memorial meal. Guests spoke warmly of Alexey Borisovich Mazurov’s openness to colleagues and students, his ability to say the proper words at the proper time, to instil faith to inspire and guide those experiencing difficult circumstances, and of his remarkable gift for bringing people together.
“For many years, Alexey Borisovich served as Chairman of the State Attestation Commission at St. Philaret’s Institute and took part in the defence of final theses. He possessed a remarkable quality: he read every work submitted for defence in full, sometimes knowing their content better than the supervisors themselves. He was always able to highlight important points in the text and to draw out something that even the candidate found surprising. And if there was even the slightest chance of raising a student’s mark, he would always make the effort himself and encourage the rest of the commission to do the same,” said Konstantin Obozny, Dean of the Historical Faculty at St. Philaret’s Institute and Candidate of History.
“I thank God for the experience of meeting and spending time with such a remarkable man and historian, who knew how to bring people together, inspire them and guide them without ever breaking them. He could see what was best for the Institute and how best to achieve its development. All this was closely connected with his profound experience in the church. We are greatly blessed in that as Rector of St. Philaret’s Institute, Alexey Borisovich was not just an experienced scholar and administrator, but also a deeply believing churchman and a member of the Transfiguration Brotherhood,” added Konstantin Petrovich.
“In remembering Alexey Borisovich, we immediately think of his professionalism and his consistently friendly attitude; without ever being overly familiar, he made every person he spoke with feel truly valued. This helped us greatly. University admin is never easy, but Alexey Borisovich always created an atmosphere of confidence and lightness,” emphasised Larisa Musina, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at St. Philaret’s Institute.
A video of the mini-conference in memory of Alexey Borisovich Mazurov can be found here
