Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the main church of Alma-Ata

20 March 2026 – Friday of the 4th week of Great Lent, the celebration in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos «Surety of Sinners».

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregory the Dialogist at the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.

In the center of the church, a coffin with the body of the departed L.P. Milovanova – a long-time church laborer who reposed in the Lord on 18 March – was placed. For many years, Lyubov Pavlovna served as the director of the choirs of the main churches of the Southern capital: first of St Nicholas Cathedral, and then of the Ascension Cathedral.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan 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, Hegumen Onisim (Tulnikov), cleric of the Sophia Cathedral of the Iversky-Seraphim convent Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov), 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 Paisiy (Tishakov), Head of the metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Andrey Pleten, Hierodeacon Sophrony (Mazurenko), Deacon Alexander Piven.

The service was sung by the small choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of Hegumen Philipp (Moiseev). The hymn «Let my prayer arise» was performed by Deacon Alexander Piven, D. Kochua and M. Ababakriyev.

At the memorial litany, His Eminence offered fervent prayers for the repose of the newly departed: His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and the servant of God Lyubov.

After the communion hymn, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov read aloud the condolences of Metropolitan Alexander and Metropolitan Methodius of Perm and Kungur on the repose of Lyubov Pavlovna Milovanova.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Head of the Metropolitan District, together with the clergy, celebrated the funeral service for the departed.