Metropolitan Alexander Inspects the Restoration Progress of the Iveron-Petropavlovsk Women’s Monastery Complex in the Village of Oktyabrskoye

April 3, 2025. Kostanay Region. During his archpastoral visit to the Kostanay Diocese, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan visited the Iveron-Petropavlovsk Women’s Monastery currently under restoration in the village of Oktyabrskoye.

The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was accompanied by the Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese, Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha).

Metropolitan Alexander was welcomed by Hieromonk Methodius (Chulkov), the sisters of the monastery led by Hegumeness Nika (Otroshchenko), Hierodeacon Theognost (Lendov), as well as the builders and restoration workers of the monastery.

Upon arrival, the archpastor, together with the clergy, visited the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and offered a prayer of glorification before the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. He then spoke with the sisters of the revived monastery. The building of the church dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was originally a metochion of the Iveron Women’s Monastery in the city of Kostanay, which was destroyed in 1932. In 1992, the building of the metochion was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. For many years, the church in the village of Oktyabrskoye was occupied by schismatics, but in June 2023, the church building was once again returned to the ownership of the Kostanay Diocese of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.

Following the service, His Eminence reviewed the restoration progress of the monastery complex. The Hegumeness informed the archpastor about the capital repairs carried out in the monastic Church of Saints Peter and Paul, including interior renovations, restoration of the iconostasis, and replacement of the roof of both the church and the monastery buildings.

Metropolitan Alexander, accompanied by Hegumeness Nika, then toured the adjacent territory and the buildings of the monastery’s household area, after which he spoke with the sisters of the community.

The Head of the Metropolitan District gave high praise to the work accomplished and bestowed his blessing upon the continued efforts to restore the Iveron-Petropavlovsk Women’s Monastery.

The restoration works at the monastery are being funded by benefactors and through the voluntary donations of the faithful.