The Russian composer’s work was written at a furious pace in January and February 1915. Its premiere was not in a liturgical setting. It was first performed on 10 March 1915 at a World War I benefit concert. The composer dedicated the work to the memory of Styepan Smolensky, a former choirmaster of the Tsarist church choir, and did not compose it for a year and a half after his hard work. He knew he had created a masterpiece, albeit in a short time. This perfectly composed cycle is grounded in ancient melody and singing, yet it is a 20th century composition in every sense of the word. These ancient songs are typically small in pitch, and by the very nature of the genre, the melodies revolve around themselves, returning mantra-like to themselves. The ‘Great Vigil of the Night’ is also a strange, two-faced composition. On the one hand, it is faithful to the liturgy, the ritual of the vigil from Saturday to the feast day (Sunday), but on the other hand, it is musically so complex that only the most skilled choirs are capable of performing it to a high standard. In his later years, the Vespers and the Symphonic Dances were cited by the composer as his most successful works, and it was his request that his funeral be preceded by the Ninye Otpuscases (Nr.5). Sadly, his request was not granted.