Aleksey Ivanovich Sidorov, Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, passed away.

This morning after a lingering illness, Alexei Ivanovich Sidorov, PhD in church history, Professor of the theology department and a patrologist, has fallen asleep in the Lord

In 1975, Alexey Ivanovich graduated from the History of the Ancient World and Ancient Languages department of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. After his graduation he did research at the Russian History Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. At the same time, he graduated from the correspondence post-graduate course of the General History Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and in 1981 defended his thesis on the topic "The problem of Gnosticism and Syncretism in the Late Antiquity". 

From 1993 to 2008, he worked at the World Literature Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a leading researcher and a head of the Byzantine literature research group. Over the 30-year period of scientific and pedagogical activity in the Moscow Theological Academy and Sretensky Theological Seminary, Alexei Ivanovich published more than 140 scientific works, a significant part of which are translations of the Holy Fathers of the Church and ancient church writers works, accompanied with extensive introductory articles and massive comments. His books about works of the Monk Maximus the Confessor, Abba Evagrius of Pontus, the blessed Theodorite of Cyrus, the Monk Anastasius of Sinait, St. Gregory Palamas, ancient monuments of ascetic and monastic writing were also published in the same classic commentary-translation genre.

Alexei Ivanovich was an author of 11 monographies:

1. Sidorov A.I. Monk Maximus the Confessor’s works. Book I. Theological and ascetic treatises. Introductory article, translation and comments. Moscow,1993.

2. Sidorov A.I. Selected Monk Maximus the Confessor’s writings. Moscow, 2004.

3. Sidorov A.I. Monk Maximus the Confessor’s works. Book II. Questions and answers to Falassia. Part 1. Questions I-LV. Introductory article, translation and comments. Moscow, 1994.

4. Sidorov A.I. Ava Evagrius’s works. Ascetic and theological treatises. Introductory article, translation and comments. Moscow, 1994.

5. Sidorov A.I. Blessed Theodorite of Cyrus History of God-lovers. Introductory article, translation and comments. Moscow, 1996.

6. Sidorov A.I. A course of patristics. The creation of church writing. Moscow, 1996.

7. Sidorov A.I. Ancient ascetic fathers’ works. St. Ammon, St. Serapion of Tmuit, Rev. Macarius of Egypt, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Stefan of Thebaid, Bliss. Hyperechus. Translation, introductory article and comments. Moscow, 1997.

8. Sidorov A.I. Ancient Christian asceticism and the birth of monasticism. Moscow, 1998.

9. Sidorov A.I. Origins of a culture of holiness. Monuments of the ancient ascetic and monastic writing. Introductory article, translation and comments. Moscow, 2002.

10. Sidorov A.I., Nikiforov M.V. Rev. Anastasius of Sinai. Selected writings. Introductory article, translation and comments. Moscow, 2003.

11. Sidorov A.I. St. Gregory Palamas. One hundred and fifty chapters. Introductory article, translation and comments. Krasnodar, 2006.

In addition to his teaching and scientific work of Alexei Sidorov inspired and was a senior editor of five book series:

•       Patristic Heritage, 5 volumes published;
•        Collection of Church Fathers and Teachers, 15 volumes published;
•        Orthodox monasticism and asceticism in studies and monuments, 4 volumes published;
•      The Holy Church fathers and Orthodox scholars, 4 volumes were published;
•        The complete collection of the Holy Church Fathers and church writers in Russian, 3 volumes published, the fourth is in printing.

Also Alexei Ivanovich Sidorov initiated a publication of the Complete collection of church-historical works of an outstanding Russian church historian V.V. Bolotov.

In 2019 Alexei Ivanovich completed his translation of “Questions and Answers to Falassia” by Monk Maxim the Confessor (Sidorov A.I. Rev. Maxim the Confessor. Questions and Answers to Falassia. Translation, comments, article by A.I. Sidorov. M.: Sibirskaya blagozvonnitsa - Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary, 2019). 

On October 31, 2019, in the framework of the XIV contest “Enlightenment through a book,” some textbooks on patristics and volumes of Holy Fathers’ anthology were recognized as the best educational publications. They were the following: • A.I. Sidorov, P.K. Dobrootsvetov, A.R. Fokin. Patrology. Volume 1. Church writing of the ante-Nicene period. Textbook for Bachelor’s in Theology. - Moscow: General Church postgraduate and doctoral studies named after the Saints of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Publishing House ‘Poznanie’, 2019 • Anthology: Textbook for the Bachelor’s in Theology. Holy Church Fathers and Teachers. Anthology. Volume 1. Holy Fathers’ writings, V - VIII centuries. / Under the general editorship of the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Illarion. - Moscow: General Church Graduate and Doctoral School named after Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Publishing House ‘Poznanie’, 2017; • Anthology: Textbook for the Bachelor’s in Theology. Holy Church Fathers and Teachers. Anthology. Volume 2. Holy Fathers writings, V - VIII centuries. / Under the general editorship of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. - M.: General Church Graduate School and Doctoral School named after Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Publishing House ‘Poznanie’, 2017.

Being a patrologist and a researcher Alexei Ivanovich tried to conscientiously do his work, which he loved, and was convinced that without looking for the truth, the true science could not exist. He was an inspiring and burning example of creative human nobility, dedication and self-sacrifice serving to the church in the field of training clergy. His unforgettable lectures were charged with optimism, he led seminars or took exams without sparing time and energy and through his own example taught future pastors. 

Rest in peace in the Kingdom of Heaven our dear professor, sincere, cheerful, wise and loving teacher and friend!

Grigory Isaakovich Benevich, poet, pathologist, cultural studies researcher, literary critic, philosopher, associate professor of the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy, dedicated the A.I. Sidorov’s memory a poem “The Laymen”.

Until our parents passed away,
Told me the One who gave us
Monk Maxim Confessor, - I probably
still hid behind them,
But now ... Despite the fact I was completely
independent in making the decisions,
but from the time
I was protected by my mother.
It was as if between the death and me
was someone; so directly
I didn’t face it, but she was gone,
And now all the burden of responsibility
Is on us. So that what makes
us a new shield for our children,
from time we should protect them,
As our parents did it full duration.
. . .
Perhaps it is monastic destiny for
Laymen, that stand before the death,
Relations and the close ones queueing after.
And we’re the first
Not by the virtue, knowledge,
Or experience, or by our age which is not counted,
But by the coming death,
Which share likeness.

Archpriest Pavel Velikanov, Head of the Theology department of the Moscow Theological Academy.

MThA Press Office