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Priest, confessor, teacher. Born in the family of a deacon called Leonty Yanyshev in the village of Sashkino in Kaluga Province (1826). Graduated from St Petersburg Theological Academy (1849). Priest of the Russian embassy at Frankfurt-on-Main and the embassy chapel in Wiesbaden (1851–55). Taught logics and psychology at the Faculty of Theology of St Petersburg University (1856–58). Archpresbyter of the Russian embassy chapel in Wiesbaden (1858–64). Teacher of Russian language and divinity to Princess Dagmar of Denmark (1864–66), professor of the St Petersburg Academy of Theology (1866–83). Confessor of Tsar Alexander III and Maria Fyodorovna and teacher of divinity to their children (from 1877). Taught divinity to Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt (1894) and the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II (from 1901). Died in St Petersburg and buried at the Volkovo Cemetery (1910).