Vk live father photia best voice. Hieromonk Photius: temptation by glory
The appearance of the monk on the popular TV show and his victory in it created a lot of noise. Even after several months, talk about this does not subside. And their “culprit” himself, Hieromonk Photius, a resident of the St. Paphnutius Borovsky Monastery, became a welcome guest on many television and radio programs. His tour schedule is scheduled several months in advance. Fans are demanding solo discs.
Photius himself frankly told us whether show business interferes with monastic vows.
A meeting was arranged at the monastery. Its almost meter-thick walls, incredible silence and flocks of pigeons hovering over the domes of the temples are peaceful.
I want to forget about everything, bowing my head in prayer.
Photius appears. The monk has a phone in his hands. The priest moves around the monastery almost without taking his eyes off his screen. Even during the interview, Photius does not part with him. First the phone is on the table. But as soon as it begins to make sounds, announcing the arrival of a message, it ends up in the hands of a monk. Sometimes the clergyman is so immersed in what is happening on the other side of the screen that he loses the thread of the conversation.
- You are quite an advanced father: you actively use social networks, constantly upload photos to Instagram.
For me, social networks are a means of communication and self-expression. There I see an indicator of my usefulness - efficiency: what people like and what they don’t like. This is a certain scale. In real time, you can see the attitude towards one or another of your words.
- Are you ready to change your repertoire for the sake of the public?
Everyone has their own tastes, but there are some common trends. I listen to them. It is very important to me when a sufficiently large number of fans express their preferences. Based on this, I make some adjustments in the performance and repertoire. Basically, people love good Russian songs, urban romance with deep meaning - something that you rarely hear now. For example, songs by Eduard Khil, Mark Bernes.
- In the generally accepted view, monks are ascetics who pray day and night. Modern monk - who is it? Why did he come to the monastery?
A person goes to a monastery to find special conditions for salvation, because one can be saved in the world. And your posthumous fate will depend on how you spend your life in the monastery. Of course, you need to live with dignity. The way I behave is not an example of an ideal monastic feat.
- Why?
I actively communicate with the world, but in theory, I should completely cut it off and be in a monastery physically, spiritually and mentally. Because walls won't save you. You can communicate, go online. Then what is the point of being in a monastery if you left it via the Internet and found a loophole.
-Have you found such a loophole?
It turns out, yes. I realized that this was not only a temptation for me, a temptation, but namely (sighs. - Author's note) my weakness and my own desire to somehow find a compromise - a synthesis of being in the monastery and communicating with the people. Because people, as it turns out, are very interested in just such a spiritual life. Although there are radical people who believe that there should be no communication with the world. Well, let them think so, the position is more important to me - when people are drawn to monks, when you can give answers to their questions. And say this in their language, and not in the language of the patristic books. You can simply close yourself here and read only spiritual books, but you will not be understandable to young people. And since I’m young, with technical skills, I actively use this tool to show from inside the monastery that we are the same people who know how to enjoy everything. I try to spread a small message of some kindness through a social network.
- The response is important to you. And if he doesn’t exist, will you leave social networks?
Yes, I analyze what is happening there, not for the sake of vanity, not for the sake of the number of likes and reposts. I see what people like and build the content on my page accordingly.
Photo from the dressing room before the performance at the Kaluga Regional Philharmonic.
- As if teasing the audience, you often post photos from dressing rooms with various goodies - cakes and other sweets. And you don’t even hide the fact that you have a weakness for cheese.
These are not provocative photographs. People come up with stereotypes, and then they themselves cannot abandon them. They are simply annoyed, turned inside out if the monk laid out candy. They think it's bad. But they cannot explain why they find this reprehensible. I'm the same person. Therefore, I try to show that monks are people who are not alien to any worldly weaknesses: we also love to eat delicious food, but we do not cultivate gluttony or lust. I don't just show food, I show its aesthetic side. This is a kind of upbringing. I talk about my taste - it is simple, not some kind of sophisticated. Yes, cheeses are my weakness.
- Whether you wanted it or not, you became an idol for many, and the Bible says: “You shall not make for yourself an idol.”
I don't like how reverence turns into fandom. This is, of course, a problem.
Photius receives a huge number of letters and parcels from fans.
- You have a huge number of subscribers on social networks, you receive dozens of letters. What are they writing to you about?
Basically these are words of gratitude, appreciation for the fact that I appeared on television, on stage in general. They write, congratulate, and ask, of course, for prayer help. I perform not just as a singer, but also as a priest, which is why people are drawn to me, including as a person who understands spiritual issues and can suggest something: how to behave in a certain religious sense, how to live. An interesting situation: kind of like an artist and at the same time - like a spiritual therapist.
- Do you try to answer all letters?
I don't have time to answer yet. Frankly speaking, I don’t even have time to read them or open them, because I’m always traveling and doing something. Of course, I open the parcels right away, it’s interesting (smiles). And there’s some little thing, some sweets... They usually find out on social networks what I need. I once said that I was standing in the cold and I didn’t even have gloves. And people immediately start to worry and send me gloves...
The monk was sent a scarf and a volume of poetry.
Gingerbread.
Parcel from Switzerland.
- How do you feel about your popularity?
I am not flattered by the sappy comments and praise that come my way. The main thing is to see what brings people joy.
- Popularity is fleeting; in 2-3 years they may not even remember about you as a participant in the project. Are you ready for this?
So much the better - only loyal fans will remain. I was initially disadvantageous to Channel One. I can’t continue to cooperate with him, it’s all very difficult. In order for me to go on air again, I need to obtain so many permits, approve documents, sign... This is very responsible. Anything I say at First can be used against me.
- The main question that many ask: “Why did the monk go to the project, why does he need such a wide audience, so much attention?”
In fact, of course, it is not needed. It turned out she needed me. Even before participating in “The Voice,” I analyzed people’s responses to my performances. The public wanted to hear me, to receive the discs that I recorded myself. The idea arose that it would be nice to speak to the whole country so that people would hear me and somehow be happy.
- Do you think you would have become a winner without being a monk, but only thanks to your vocal abilities?
Maybe not. I am an unusual person, and the public’s attention was immediately drawn to me. Everyone at this competition shines with their vocal abilities, there are no unworthy ones - all are professionals, even those who dropped out during the first broadcasts. They're great. People vote for a whole complex - they see the image, they see the message, they see some kind of sincerity. I often hear that they voted for me not because I am an Orthodox monk, but because they were deeply touched and captivated by my performance.
- More than once in your interviews you said: if you are invited to participate in Eurovision, you are ready to give a worthy answer to Conchita Wurst. How did you hear about it? Have you seen her performance?
It's hard not to know about her. Moreover, after her victory, Eurovision is considered a hotbed of debauchery. They say it’s better not to go there at all, and not just for a priest, a clergyman, or even lay people. But I have a different opinion. If there is such a platform, you need to perform on it. If people love shocking things, surprises, something unusual, we need to strike back - to show that not only depraved things can be popular, but also something pure and bright, coming from that part of our humanity that preaches only goodness and morality.
With Timur Kizyakov on the set of the program “While everyone is at home.”
- It seemed to me that you were tired of attention and fame.
I would gladly rest for a week. Constantly some calls, business, personal communication with people. I would like to somehow maintain life on social networks, respond, make some updates. A little bit of everything - and you go to bed at three in the morning. I would like everyone to forget about me.
- And even concerts don’t bring you pleasure?
At first you get pleasure, but it gets boring and burdensome very quickly. I want to bury myself somewhere. I am a person of a different temperament - I am embarrassed on stage, I don’t know how to behave correctly. I sing as I sing - that’s all. People see my kind of detachment - I seem to be singing, but I’m not with them, but as if I’m in my own world.
Television center "Ostankino". Hieromonk with Ivan Okhlobystin and Garik Sukachev.
- I know that, in addition to professional singing, you composed music before coming to the monastery. Why did you stop doing this?
It was no longer necessary, although it was not needed in the world - just a hobby. I wrote “on the table”, no one heard it. I am waiting for the moment when there will be such a turn in my destiny that I will be able to realize this ability. She is perhaps even more significant to me than her voice. Self-realization is very important for a person, especially when he feels potential in himself, but it does not bear fruit. The music I write is not that popular. It is not electronic and does not suit the tastes of the masses. And in general, now it’s difficult to occupy a niche on the Internet, there’s already so much music posted there. You just need to mind your own business, your own direction. And for me it’s film music. It is clear that as a monk I will no longer be able to write music - only if it somehow happens that they offer it.
- After winning the project, you were presented with gifts - a trip to France, a car.
I can go at any time, I just need to get a blessing. But the car has not yet left the assembly line. By the way, I passed my license the year before last; I really wanted to have a car. Maybe for me this was additional motivation to go to “The Voice”. I knew that the winner gets the car. Of course, I wasn’t saving up for a Lada; I wanted a slightly different car. Although the first car should be simpler - domestic.
- What kind of car would you like? How can a monk save up for it?
I wanted a Toyota. Yes, there’s really nothing to save up for. These are all just some kind of benefactors. No one will give you a large sum. If you cut yourself short in some way, you won’t be able to eat sushi or pizza one more time. So, quietly, penny by penny - and you know that you already have money for the engine.
- Aren't you afraid that fame can break you?
There is nothing positive in it, but nothing negative either. The most important thing is to justify it so that it is not empty. Achieving fame and becoming popular doesn't cost anything. In fact, a butt shown several times on television will also become popular. The most important thing is to earn this fame with dignity in order to live up to it.
Now Photius, together with other participants of “The Voice”, is preparing for a tour throughout the country. Father will also give solo concerts. So, tickets in Kaluga for his March performance are selling like hot cakes. What the monk would spend the money on, he could not say. Stating that these are not such big funds. When we approached the temple, a woman ran up to us.
- Father Photius, can I take a photo with you? When I tell my people in the village that I saw you, no one will believe it!
After the photo shoot, pilgrims literally flocked to the monk, asking for a blessing. Without looking at them, trying to make his way through the crowd, Photius complied with their request and disappeared. Obedience to the priest - singing in the choir in the choir. The rest of the time he is almost always online.
Photo: Svetlana TARASOVA and from Photius’s personal page “VKontakte”.
Hieromonk Photius, who became famous throughout the country after taking first place in the television project “The Voice,” spoke about life after the show. The clergyman, upon whom the burden of fame had fallen, complained that now fans were pestering him even in the monastery. According to Photius, strangers come to him, eager to meet.
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“I know that most people have nothing serious with me. Pilgrims have come and want to give me some song. Or beggars... And at first on the phone such people never say openly: “Give me money.” I’ve already learned all their pretexts, tone... I immediately understand when things are dirty. I tell them, "Wait until the evening service". And then I just leave,” the Interlocutor quotes the hieromonk.
The winner of the “Voice” project emphasizes that among his fans there are such persistent fans who are trying to reach him through his mother. They learn Photius’s taste preferences, and then I feed him cheese or mushrooms.
“If people come here, they definitely want to see me. Some even communicate through Germany - through their mother who lives there. First they ask her what to bring to Father Photius. She tells them what I like – cheese or porcini mushrooms,” the “Voice” winner shared.
Photius also told how his life changed after unexpected fame. “I’ve only been a priest for two and a half years. I don’t have constant contact with parishioners yet. I’m rarely appointed as a confessor. Besides, I’m still quite young and inexperienced. Therefore, I either sing or serve. But not every day. I don’t have enough strength. In connection With my new, as you say, “star” status, I feel some oppression. And so here in the monastery there is no freedom, and also everyone wants you, they invite you somewhere... For an interview, for filming, for a concert,” explained the Priest.
Combining fame and applause with the cassock of a hieromonk is not easy. But Vitaly Mochalov is evidence that this is possible. His pleasant melodic voice made him popular throughout Russia.
Biography
Vitaly was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1985. His parents have nothing to do with religion. His father worked as a welder, and his mother raised him and his younger brother. Father Photius remembers his school years reluctantly; he was not very popular among his peers and often had conflicts. As he himself says, he was different in many ways from his noisy and mischievous classmates.
Music was the outlet. From early childhood he enjoyed attending music school, and there, on the contrary, he developed good relationships with friends. He played the piano, sang at school events and in the choir. In adulthood, I saw myself as a composer.
After school I went to study at a music school, majoring in music theory. After the first year of study, he emigrated to Germany with his family. But there he developed as a musician and singer. He learned to play the organ and even earned his living from it. He played at services in Catholic and Protestant churches.
Monasticism
He attended church willingly, and the feeling of grace during the services gave him the idea of going to a monastery. He approached the choice of the future monastery responsibly, and he chose the Borovsky Monastery in the Kaluga region.
He entered the monastery service in 2010. The guy took monastic vows, took the name Savvaty, and became a monk. A year later he received the rank of hierodeacon, and a year later he received a new name - Photius. Since 2013 – the rank of hieromonk.
Music
His love for music did not leave him even within the walls of the monastery. On the contrary, he revealed his potential in a new way. By attending lessons from a famous vocal teacher in Russia, Viktor Tvardovsky, he was able to tune his voice. Then the hieromonk studied independently according to the methods of a famous teacher.
Already in 2013, Vitaly Mochalov decided to take part in the talent show “The Voice”. After submitting an application, he was invited to take part in the second season of the television project. But the guy did not dare to ask for the Metropolitan’s blessing and refused to participate in the popular show.
In 2015, he sent an application again and again received an invitation. The editors of Channel One addressed the Metropolitan with a letter and a request to release the monk to participate in the competition. He gave permission, and the guy went to Moscow.
Voice-4
Clergy had never taken part in this project before. Photius was a debutant and at the blind audition he performed the composition “Lensky’s Aria”. The guy ended up on the team of Grigory Leps, although he expected to get to Alexander Gradsky.
Despite the non-standard occupation of the contestant, the jury members treated him very favorably. He confidently went through all the stages of the competition and reached the finals. During the show, he carefully selected the repertoire, sang Russian romances, classical compositions and foreign hits.
In the final, he performed the composition “Per te” and won this competition. Photius thanks his mentors in the monastery for the support - Father Blasius and Metropolitan Borovsky and Kaluga, as well as all his brothers in the monastery.
Even All-Russian Patriarch Kirill congratulated the hieromonk and reminded him of his duties as a monk. Photius received a lot of votes from the audience and some argue that it was this “holiness” and spiritual cassock that led him to victory. Therefore, some are waiting for the hieromonk to begin to have “star fever” and change for the worse.
Personal life
Service in the church and spiritual life is the personal life of any clergyman. His comrades in the monastery claim that Photius is a strong-willed monk.
Another page of his biography is his conscription into the army, but due to vision problems he did not pass the medical examination. Now after the operation, Vitaly no longer wears glasses.
Interests and hobbies
In addition to music, Vitaly is interested in foreign languages, publishing, photography and video editing. His good sense of humor and closeness to ordinary people make him so popular.
Prospects
At the beginning of 2016, the singer's fans learned that the clergy was against his musical career. This issue was indeed decided by the highest clergy. The clergy were worried about the popularity of Photius and the considerable capital that he managed to earn through music.
Patriarch Kirill himself was able to solve the problem, who allowed Photius Mochalov to sing, as it attracts attention and popularizes the Orthodox Church, making it closer to ordinary people.
Social media
Fotiy Mochalov has a personal page in Odnoklassniki - https://ok.ru/profile/586708815916. He hasn’t posted photos or posts here for a long time.
Fotiy Mochalov in Contact - https://vk.com/limai. On the wall you can see recent photographs and a poster of his solo concert. Here he has almost 10 thousand friends and 6 thousand subscribers.
Photius also has a contact on VKontakte official group - https://vk.com/fotij. 18 thousand participants watch events from his work and life.
Hieromonk's Twitter - https://twitter.com/photymochalov. Here he posts the latest photos from his life.
Fotiy Mochalov also has a Facebook page personal page - https://www.facebook.com/Hieromonk-Fotiy-Vitaly-Mochalov-930265530384654/. The singer does not show much activity here.
Foty Mochalov On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/photymochalov/ - he also posts photos from travel, life and concerts. Here he is followed by 30 thousand readers.
Hieromonk Photius regularly tours the cities of Russia, and his last performance, on June 7 in Moscow, testifies to his great success and popularity.
Hieromonk Photius became a fairly famous person after winning the finals of the “Voice” program. After that, he became incredibly active on social networks and even attracted the attention of Internet users from other countries. After completing the project, in which he was the winner, he decided to continue his creative career, while continuing to serve in the temple. As a result, dissonance was created in the minds of users, since many consider the church to be far from worldly hobbies. However, the opposite is proven by the example of Father Photius.
The clergyman shares with fans about his activities on Instagram and also publishes photos taken during his travels. In addition, the winner of “The Voice” tries to entertain his subscribers by publishing various jokes on his social network page. However, this time the hieromonk took aim at the sacred. Through a special application and a series of manipulations on his face, he achieved that he began to closely resemble Jesus Christ.
Not all Internet users appreciated the joke of the clergyman who became a media personality. Although some were enthusiastic about this act of Father Photius, there were also people who spoke critically of the hieromonk. Some subscribers were surprised by the published video, in which Photius not only has the image of Jesus, but also equates himself to him. Many of the hieromonk’s subscribers are sure that he was simply playing too hard. Others don’t see anything terrible in the published video. Many take this as a joke and say that the hieromonk actually looks not like Jesus, but like Peter I in his youth. Hieromonk Photius is the only Russian clergyman who managed to become famous thanks to a television project. Despite all his devotion to his monastery, music and the love of singing occupied a huge place in his soul from childhood.
That is why, having enlisted the support of his brothers, he risked trying his hand at the vocal television project “The Voice”. The singer's sincerity and sincerity so sank into the souls of the judges and television viewers that, based on the results of the final voting, he managed to gain a record number of votes and become the winner of the fourth season.
The childhood of Hieromonk Photius
Vitaly Mochalov (future Hieromonk Photius) was born on November 11, 1985 in a city called Gorky, which over time was renamed Nizhny Novgorod. From an early age, the boy was interested in music and deep in his soul knew that his life would be connected with creativity.At the age of 7, the young man could boast of good piano playing and a good voice. He received basic skills at a local music school, which for a long time did not want to teach the talented young man, citing the fact that he had unsuitable fingers. Having coped with all the difficulties, he still managed to graduate from school in piano.
To improve his skills, the guy joined the school choir, and also sang along with his mother at every opportunity. By the way, she graduated from the same music school at one time. While doing what he loved, Vitaly did not even suspect that very soon his voice would begin to “break.”
As soon as this happened, he decided to attend church school and continue singing in the choir. Days flew by, the boy grew up and moved further and further away from his classmates. After finishing 9 grades, Vitaly applied to a music school, where he hoped to gain new knowledge.
After studying for only 1 year, he was forced to leave his studies and move with his parents to the German city of Kaiserslautern. In order not to lose what he had learned, the guy continued to study music and singing, but this time instead of the piano he chose the organ.
At this time, Photius began to actively perform at concerts, and also often took part in church services, thus earning his first money. Years passed, but the young man could not get used to a foreign country, so in 2005 he decided to return to his homeland.
Hieromonk Photius and the church
In 2005, when the young man was 20 years old, he returned to Russia and entered service at the St. Pafnutevsky Monastery in the Kaluga region. It was during this period of his life that an ordinary guy, whom his parents named Vitaly, turned into hieromonk Photius. He made the decision on his own, so his family didn’t even try to convince their son. 
Once in the church, the guy continued to study music and even more, he put a lot of effort into improving his voice. In this he was helped by the honored teacher Viktor Tvardovsky, who spoke very flatteringly about the guy. He considered him a kind, bright and intelligent young man with a strong character.
In addition to music, Photius is also interested in photography and studying various foreign languages. In a relatively short time, he managed to perfectly master English and German. In addition to this, he is able to perform almost any song in Japanese, Italian and Georgian.
Hieromonk Photius plays a role in the production “Our Fatherland - Holy Rus'”
After completing his studies with Tvardovsky, Photius studied vocals for a long time, using special exercises that the respected teacher developed. And only in 2010 the guy took monastic vows, and 3 years later he officially became a hieromonk.
Hieromonk Photius and the show “The Voice”
Hieromonk Photius was supposed to participate in the “Voice” project back in 2013, he was even invited to the casting, but at that time he was not ready to go for a blessing. In fact, he did not immediately dare to send an application, since he believed that a worshiper had no place on such a show. 
After some time, the guy rethought everything and realized that “The Voice” is, first of all, a talent competition, and only then a TV show. Having gathered his thoughts, he went to have a serious conversation with confessors and metropolitans to convince them to let him go to the competition. In general, it took him 2 years, because he only dared to apply again in 2015.
Once on the show, Photius tried in every possible way not to tarnish the honor of the monastery and the dignity of the entire church. Perhaps faith helped him cope with all the difficulties, and perhaps numerous prayers of abbots and spiritual fathers. In fact, when he came to the show, the guy did not want fame and universal recognition, but rather to push and encourage all people to self-improvement through music.
Finding himself on the big stage for the first time, the hieromonk was not at a loss and brilliantly performed an aria from Eugene Onegin. Unfortunately, his work impressed only Grigory Leps, because it was he who turned to the participant.
Hieromonk Photius "Good night, gentlemen" (Final - Voice)
As Photius himself later admitted, he dreamed of joining the team of Alexander Gradsky, but fate decreed otherwise. Despite this, his idol still paid attention to him and even agreed to perform Lensky’s aria from the opera “Eugene Onegin” with him.
At first, the jury members did not even know that the clergyman would be able to reach the finals, but deep in their hearts they were glad of this. At the end of the project, Grigory Leps was very proud of his ward, as he managed to meet all his expectations. Four contestants were lucky enough to compete for the main prize of the “Voice” show: Era Kann (Basta’s team), Mikhail Ozerov (Alexander Gradsky’s team), Olga Zadonskaya (Polina Gagarina’s team) and Hieromonk Photius (Grigory Leps’ team).
In December 2015, the clergyman sang the song Per te (“For you”) and captivated all television viewers with it. During the live broadcast, more than 900,000 viewers voted for him. As a result, he won a phenomenal victory, receiving 75% of all votes. Having officially become the winner, he was given the keys to a brand new car. Monk Photius serves in the St. Pafnutevsky Monastery
At one time, already a clergyman, the guy dreamed of giving back to his homeland and becoming a military man. Unfortunately, doctors discovered problems with his vision and rejected him. Since then, he devoted all his free time to music and church.
Perhaps it was thanks to his perseverance and determination that he managed not only to win the show, but also to teach a lesson to all people who doubt their abilities.