Church Awards Bestowed upon Those Who Have Labored for the Good of Orthodoxy on the Land of Kazakhstan

December 23, 2025. Almaty. A ceremony for the presentation of church awards to individuals who have labored for the good of Orthodoxy on the land of Kazakhstan, as well as to those marking jubilee and commemorative dates in the past year, took place in the Throne Hall of the Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov).

By the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the award ceremony was presided over by the Vicar of the Astana Diocese, Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan.

Among those present were the Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), and the Assistant to the Head of the Metropolitan District, Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

Following a welcoming address, the archpastor presented church awards.

The Deputy Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District, Priest Kirill Konoplev, was awarded the medal “Yntaly Qyzmet Üşin” (For Zealous Service).

G. A. Burmakina, referent of the Pilgrimage Service of the Almaty Diocese, was awarded the Order “For Services to the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan”.

The Order of the Hieromartyr Pimen, Bishop of Verny and Semirechye, was presented to T. K. Videneeva, an employee of St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Southern Capital, and to E. V. Grabovskaya, an employee of the Almaty Diocesan Administration.

The Order of Archbishop Sophronius (Sokolsky), the first hierarch of the Turkestan Diocese and Apostle of Semirechye, was bestowed upon M. V. Sazonova, Editor-in-Chief of the journal “The Light of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan”.

G. I. Klypa was awarded the Order of the Hieroconfessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Almaty and Kazakhstan.

The medal “Algys” (Gratitude) was presented to V. S. Vinokurov, an employee of the security service of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The medal of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia was awarded to O. V. Savelkova, an employee of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The medal “Enbek Üşin” (For Labors) was awarded to: A. V. Shmidt, cameraman of the television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District “Semirechye”; employees of the Information and Publishing Department of the District A. V. Shcheglov and A. A. Khalin; driver of the diocesan motor pool M. A. Shilkin; and Y. G. Yereshchenko, an employee of the Almaty Diocesan Administration.