September 4, 2025. The 50th anniversary of the repose of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov, †1975) of Almaty and Kazakhstan – a confessor of the faith and ascetic of piety of the 20th century – was prayerfully observed.
Following the Divine Liturgy in the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent in Almaty, at the burial place of the ever-memorable hierarch, a memorial service (panikhida) was celebrated.
The service was led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.
Praying at the panikhida were: Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, vicars of the Astana diocese; Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, dean of the Almaty churches and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), spiritual father of the Almaty diocese; rectors and clergy of Almaty and neighboring deaneries; Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent with the sisters of the community; faculty and students of the Almaty Theological Seminary; teachers and pupils of parish Sunday schools of the southern capital; staff of the Almaty diocesan administration; and numerous parishioners.
The hymns were sung by the men’s choir of the Almaty diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Piven.
Before the prayers, the Head of the Metropolis addressed those gathered with an archpastoral word, recalling the life of the ever-memorable hierarch, his sufferings for Christ, and his labors in Kazakhstan.
At the conclusion of the panikhida, the clergy and faithful sang Eternal Memory to the Almaty hierarch. His Eminence then laid flowers at Metropolitan Joseph’s tomb.
The memory of the confessor hierarch – who endured Stalin’s camps, German captivity, and harsh conditions of exile, and who later carried out two decades of arduous episcopal service in Petropavlovsk and Almaty – is reverently honored by thousands of believers throughout Kazakhstan and beyond.
Throughout the day, hundreds of people came to the burial site of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) to prayerfully honor the memory of the saintly hierarch, light candles at his tomb, and lay flowers.
The memorial service was filmed by the Orthodox television studio Semirechye (director – honored cultural worker V. Posadneva, cameraman – A. Schmidt); photography was carried out by A. Khalin.
“In his life, Metropolitan Joseph endured several arrests, the abuse of the Gestapo, and spent more than twenty years in camps and prisons. Following the Apostle Paul, he could say: ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus’ (Gal. 6:17). Physical weakness and lasting pain in his hands and feet remained as indelible marks of the sufferings he bore. The archpastor knew how to forgive, preserving a sincere kindness; according to contemporaries, he treated everyone who came to him as the living image of God, thereby lifting the person to spiritual heights. When he was tonsured, Bishop Arsenius said to him: ‘As the righteous Joseph fed the whole people of Israel, so you must feed all.’ And this command the hierarch carried through his entire life, nourishing his flock with the imperishable words of the Gospel and generously giving alms to those in need. Because of this special attitude, both clergy and government leaders, Orthodox faithful and representatives of other religions, simple people and academics were drawn to him. Numerous accounts have been preserved of his insight and the great power of his prayer. For Metropolitan Joseph there was no distinction between great and small tasks in his pastoral work, for in every aspect of his ministry he saw the highest meaning – the connection with the mysteries of God’s providence. From his youth he deeply revered the Most Holy Theotokos, and he was granted to depart to eternal life precisely during the days of the feast of Her Dormition, as a faithful servant of Her Divine Son. Metropolitan Joseph taught the faithful by word and deed the saving path. In one of his sermons, he defined the purpose of man in this world: ‘Christ radiated love and mercy unceasingly, and we must ceaselessly sow kindness, goodness, and compassion around us. Christ raised the dead, and we must do all we can to awaken, to resurrect the sleeping souls of our loved ones.’ Eternal and grateful memory to Metropolitan Joseph of Kazakhstan – hierarch, confessor, and righteous man.”
From the word of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan in memory of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov)
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