Dmitry Bortniansky was born on 28 October 1751 in the city of Glukhov,[10][11][12] Cossack Hetmanate, Russian Empire (present-day Hlukhiv, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine).

His father was Stefan Skurat (or Shkurat), a Lemko-Rusyn Orthodox religious refugee from the village of Bartne in the Małopolska region of Poland.

[13] Dmitry's mother was of Cossack origin; her name after her first marriage was Marina Dmitrievna Tolstaya, as a widow of a Russian landlord Tolstoy, who lived in Glukhov.

In Italy Bortniansky gained considerable success composing operas: Creonte (1776) and Alcide (1778) in Venice, and Quinto Fabio (1779) at Modena.

He also composed sacred works in Latin and German, both a cappella and with orchestral accompaniment, including an Ave Maria for two voices and orchestra.

This vast body of work remains central not only to understanding 18th-century Orthodox sacred music, but also subsequently influenced Russian and Ukrainian composers in the 19th century.

[citation needed] James Blish, who novelized many episodes of the original series of Star Trek, noted in one story, "Whom Gods Destroy", that Bortniansky's Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe was the theme "to which all Starfleet Academy classes marched to their graduation.

"[citation needed] Bortniansky composed "The Angel Greeted the Gracious One" (hymn to the Mother of God used at Pascha) as a trio used by many Orthodox churches in the Easter season.