The funeral service for L.P. Milovanova was held at the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern capital

20 March 2026. Alma-Ata. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, after which he presided over the funeral service for the newly departed L.P. Milovanova – a long-time laborer in the field of the revival and development of church choral art in Kazakhstan and Russia.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were: spiritual father of the Alma-Ata diocese Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Archimandrite Iosif (Eremenko); key holder of the Ascension Cathedral, Head of the Department for Public Relations of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; Archpriest Alexander Ievlev; personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); Hieromonk Onisim (Tulnikov); Head of the metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov); Hieromonk Paisiy (Tishakov); the deaconal rank headed by the Head of the metropolitan’s protocol Protodeacon Roman Golovin.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the small choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of Hegumen Philipp (Moiseev).

Praying in the church were: secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; Rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; heads of departments and commissions of the Metropolitan District; staff of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration; relatives of the departed.

Before the beginning of the funeral service, the archpastor delivered words of condolence. The metropolitan spoke about the meaning and significance of the church burial as a parting guidance of the departed into eternal life and called all those present to fervent prayer for the newly departed. Condolences from Metropolitan Methodius of Perm and Kungur were also read aloud.

At the conclusion of the rite, Metropolitan Alexander read the prayer of absolution, after which «Eternal Memory» was proclaimed.

The metropolitan laid a bouquet of white roses at the coffin of the newly departed Lyubov. Flowers in memory of the departed were also brought by the secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District O.N. Ovchinnikov.