December 16, 2025 – celebration in honor of the Holy Prophet Zephaniah – the heavenly patron of the first Turkestan archpastor, the Apostle of the Great Steppe, the outstanding hierarch of the 19th century Archbishop Sophronius (Sokolsky; † 1877).
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iversky-Seraphim Convent in the city of Almaty.
In the Chapel of the Resurrection of Christ, located at the southern side of the altar apse of St. Sophia Cathedral, rest the honorable remains of the ever-memorable hierarch. One of his successors is also buried there – Bishop Nikon (Bogoyavlensky; † 1897).
Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: vicars of the Astana Diocese – Administrator of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Dean of the churches of Almaty, Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Almaty church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov; Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Key-bearer of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya; Rector of the St. Alexander Nevsky Church Archpriest Ioann Lopatin; Rector of the Theophany Church Archpriest Valery Shavrin; Rector of the St. John the Baptist Church of the settlement of Guldala Archpriest Georgy Kharlov; Archpriest Alexander Sokolov; Dean of the Ili Church District Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov; Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov); Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the Almaty Theological Seminary Priest Peter Bakhtiyarov; Head of the Seminary Chancellery Priest Alexander Shishlov; Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Head of the Correspondence Department of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary Priest Daniil Bobylev; Key-bearer of the Kazan Cathedral of Almaty Priest Georgy Rublinsky; Key-bearer of the Adrian and Natalia Church Priest Ioann Konoplev; Protoddeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan Protocol Service Protoddeacon Roman Golovin; Deacon Rustik Yakupov; Deacon Andrey Plakhuta; Deacon Roman Karaman; Deacon Ilya Vorobyov; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko; Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.
At the Divine Liturgy prayed: Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Choirmaster of the Choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; Abbess of the Iversky-Seraphim Convent Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) with the sisters of the monastery; students of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; staff of the departments and commissions of the Metropolitan District; employees of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; parishioners of Almaty churches and numerous pilgrims.
The choir of St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iversky-Seraphim Convent sang under the direction of O. Usoltseva.
During the service, memorial prayers were offered for the ever-memorable Kazakh hierarchs buried in the convent – Archbishop Sophronius (Sokolsky, †1877), Bishop Nikon (Bogoyavlensky, †1897) and Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov, †1975); for the departed abbesses of the Iversky-Seraphim Convent – Nun Paisiya (Kryuchkova), Abbess Nektaria (Dimitrieva) and Abbess Euphrosinia (Bakurevich); and for all those who labored in the monastery in the pre-revolutionary period and in modern times.
The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov, a lecturer at the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander warmly thanked the hierarchs, clergy, monastics and laity for the joy of common prayer and delivered words of edification.
After the service, the Head of the Metropolitan District bestowed the blessing to wear the cassock upon students of the preparatory course of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Then the hierarchs, clergy and faithful proceeded to the Resurrection Chapel located on the monastery grounds, where a memorial litany was served at the tomb of Archbishop Sophronius (Sokolsky).
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