Dmitry Grigorieff
Encyclopedia
Archpriest
Dmitry Grigorieff (May 14, 1919 - December 8, 2007) was the dean
emeritus
of the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Washington D.C.. Grigorieff was also an academic scholar and was a retired Professor of Russian language
and literature at Georgetown University
.
in 1919. His father, Dmitry Dmitrievich Grigorieff, was the governor of Sakhalin
and also served on the Central Board of the Russian Red Cross. The family had fled Russia in 1918 during the Russian Revolution. They first fled to Riga, Latvia, and then to London, where Grigorieff was born.
The Grigorieffs moved to Japan in the early 1920s. Dmitry Grigorieff was baptized at St. Nicholas Church in Tokyo
. The family returned to Riga after the end of the Russian Civil War where Grigorieff began studying at the Orthodox Theological Institute.
Dmitry Grigorieff, who was a British
citizen, left Riga and moved to Australia
during World War II
.
He served in the British Merchant Marines in the Pacific from 1943 to 1944. He moved to New York City
in 1945, where he worked in the British Office of War Information.
Grigorieff earned a master's degree
in linguistics
and comparative literature
from Yale University
in 1948. He later received a doctorate in [Slavic studies] from the University of Pennsylvania
in Philadelphia in 1958 and a diploma
in theology
from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York
.
scholar, taught Russian language
and literature at Georgetown University from 1959 until 1989. Additionally, he also taught at the Army Language School
in Monterey, California
, as a Russian language professor and at Columbia University
in Manhattan
.
at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington D.C. in 1969 at the age of 50. He was designated as the cathedral's second priest at the time. He introduced English language services to the cathedral during the 1970s and was appointed dean
in 1986. Grigorieff was given the title of dean emeritus in 1998.
He continued to publish books, in both English and Russian, on the topics of linguistics and religion. His most recent work was "Dostoevsky and the Church," which was published in 2002 in Moscow
.
Grigorieff was awarded the Order of St. Innocent by Patriarch
Aleksy II of the Russian Orthodox Church
of Moscow. This marked the first time that the order had been awarded to a priest in the United States
.
on December 8, 2007, at Sibley Memorial Hospital
in Washington D.C. at the age of 89. His wife, Galina Grigorieff, had died in 1998. Father Grigorieff was a resident of Bethesda, Maryland
.
Archpriest
An archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
Dmitry Grigorieff (May 14, 1919 - December 8, 2007) was the dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Washington D.C.. Grigorieff was also an academic scholar and was a retired Professor of Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and literature at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Early life
Dmitry Grigorieff was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1919. His father, Dmitry Dmitrievich Grigorieff, was the governor of Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
and also served on the Central Board of the Russian Red Cross. The family had fled Russia in 1918 during the Russian Revolution. They first fled to Riga, Latvia, and then to London, where Grigorieff was born.
The Grigorieffs moved to Japan in the early 1920s. Dmitry Grigorieff was baptized at St. Nicholas Church in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The family returned to Riga after the end of the Russian Civil War where Grigorieff began studying at the Orthodox Theological Institute.
Dmitry Grigorieff, who was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
citizen, left Riga and moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He served in the British Merchant Marines in the Pacific from 1943 to 1944. He moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1945, where he worked in the British Office of War Information.
Grigorieff earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1948. He later received a doctorate in [Slavic studies] from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in Philadelphia in 1958 and a diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Academic career
Grigorieff, who was a Fyodor DostoevskyFyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov....
scholar, taught Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and literature at Georgetown University from 1959 until 1989. Additionally, he also taught at the Army Language School
Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute is a United States Department of Defense educational and research institution, which provides linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other Federal Agencies and numerous and varied other customers...
in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, as a Russian language professor and at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Priesthood
Grigorieff was formally ordained a Russian Orthodox priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington D.C. in 1969 at the age of 50. He was designated as the cathedral's second priest at the time. He introduced English language services to the cathedral during the 1970s and was appointed dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
in 1986. Grigorieff was given the title of dean emeritus in 1998.
He continued to publish books, in both English and Russian, on the topics of linguistics and religion. His most recent work was "Dostoevsky and the Church," which was published in 2002 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Grigorieff was awarded the Order of St. Innocent by Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Aleksy II of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
of Moscow. This marked the first time that the order had been awarded to a priest in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Death
Father Dmitry Grigorieff died of cardiac arrestCardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
on December 8, 2007, at Sibley Memorial Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in NW Washington D.C.. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Health and Human Services. The hospital specializes in surgery,...
in Washington D.C. at the age of 89. His wife, Galina Grigorieff, had died in 1998. Father Grigorieff was a resident of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
.