Feast Day of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia of Rome. Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Liturgy in the Matrona Church of Almaty

11 November 2025 – the commemoration day of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia of Rome.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Matrona Church of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent of Almaty.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Vice-Rector for Educational Work Priest Ioann Livinsky; Head of the Biblical and Theological Department Priest Oleg Lisin; Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolis Priest Georgy Sidorov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Roman Karaman and Deacon Ilya Vorobyov.

Praying at the service were: Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent of Almaty with the sisters of the convent, staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration, members of the teaching staff and students of the seminary.

The choir of the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent sang under the direction of O. Usoltseva, together with the mixed choir of the Almaty Seminary directed by O. Kuznetsova.

During the reading of the Hours, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan performed the rite of tonsure as readers for senior students of the Almaty Theological Seminary: Gleb Bogdanov, Andrey Donskoy, Rustik Gappasov and Dmitry Yadrushkin.

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Ioann Livinsky.

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander served a memorial litia for the newly reposed Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, rector of the Cosmas and Damian Church in Almaty, who passed away on this day, and for his mother – the ever-memorable handmaid of God Anastasia, who bore in holy Baptism the name of the Roman Venerable Martyr.

The Head of the Metropolis addressed the faithful with an archpastoral word, in which he spoke about the life and martyrdom of Saint Anastasia of Rome.