Bright Tuesday of Bright Week. Metropolitan Alexander Presided over the Patronal Feast Celebrations at the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery in Alma-Ata

14 April 2026 – Bright Tuesday of Bright Week, the celebration in honor of the miraculous finding of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God on Holy Mount Athos.

At the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Women’s Monastery in the city of Alma-Ata, where a venerated copy of the revealed Iveron Icon of the Mother of God is kept, the Paschal Divine Liturgy was presided over by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Administrator of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the churches of the Southern Capital and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko); Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya, dean of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral; Archpriest Valery Shavrin, rector of Theophany Church; Archpriest John Lopatin, rector of St. Paraskeva Church; Archpriest Kirill Shklyar, dean of Sts. Peter and Paul Church; heads of departments and commissions of the Metropolitan District in holy orders; deans of ecclesiastical districts of the Alma-Ata Diocese; rectors and clergy of the churches of the Southern Capital.

Praying at the service were: O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District and Honored Artist of Russia; Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), superior of the Iveron-Seraphim Women’s Monastery, with the sisters of the monastery; M.S. Simakova, head of the Russian House in Alma-Ata; T.V. Zubkova, head of international humanitarian projects of the Russian House; staff of the Alma-Ata Diocesan Administration; students of the Alma-Ata Seminary; and benefactors of the diocese.

The hymns were sung by the choir of Sophia Cathedral under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

After the communion verse, Priest Georgy Sidorov read aloud the Paschal message of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the glorification of the Bright Resurrection of Christ and of the Most Holy Theotokos took place, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District proclaimed “Christ is Risen!” in various languages – ancient and modern.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the bishops, clergy, monastics, and laity on the double celebration: the Bright Resurrection of Christ and the patronal feast of the monastery.

In recognition of her zealous labors for the benefit of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and in connection with a significant anniversary of her birth, the Metropolitan awarded Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), superior of the monastery, the Order of “Alǵys” (“Gratitude”). The archpastor wished the Mother Abbess strong health, inner peace, and mercy from the Lord, after which he presented her with a prosphora and a bouquet of flowers.

The Head of the Metropolitan District sprinkled the faithful with holy water and addressed those gathered with a sermon.

Following the service, the solemn opening took place of the house-museum dedicated to the ever-memorable Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Alma-Ata and Kazakhstan, located in the city of Alma-Ata on Ashimbayev Street, not far from the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery.