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Clergyman, mason. Born Matvei in the family of a rural sexton called Mikhail Desnitsky in the village of Toporkovo in Moscow Province (1761). Graduated from the arts seminary of the Nikolai Novikov Society of Friendship. Appointed priest of the Church of John of Capistrano in Moscow (1785), court priest in Gatchina (1796) and teacher of religion at the First Military Academy (1796). Archimandrite of the St George (Yuriev) Monastery near Novgorod (1799), vicar of Novgorod (1802). Elected bishop (1803) and archbishop of Chernihiv and Nizhyn (1806). Assisting member of the Holy Synod (1813). Appointed metropolitan of St Petersburg and Ladoga (1818) and metropolitan of Novgorod (1818). Died in St Petersburg and buried at the St Alexander Nevsky Monastery (1821).