His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ Awards Abbess Lyubov of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery the Order of Venerable Euphrosyne of Moscow

May 19, 2026. Alma-Ata. A ceremony honoring Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), abbess of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent, took place in the Throne Hall of the Administrative and Spiritual-Cultural Center named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov).

Present at the award ceremony were: Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, conductor of the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District, rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Head of the Diocesan Department for the Canonization of Saints Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko); personal secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Vice-Rector for Educational Work Priest Ioann Livinsky; Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Priest Pyotr Bakhtiyarov; Head of the Church-Practical Department of the theological school, Candidate of Theology Priest Vladislav Pashkov; inspector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary Priest Evgeny Bessonov; head of the seminary chancery Priest Alexander Shishlov; head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Vice-Rector for Scientific Work, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences A.P. Solovyov; head of the regency department of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary V.V. Dudareva; Vice-Rector for Extracurricular Work, Honored Worker of Culture L.E. Goricheva; sisters of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent of the Southern Capital; and students of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary.

In recognition of her labors for the benefit of the Holy Church and in connection with a significant anniversary from the date of her birth, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ awarded Mother Abbess the high women’s distinction of the Russian Orthodox Church – the Order of Venerable Euphrosyne, Grand Princess of Moscow, Second Class.

While presenting the high patriarchal award, Metropolitan Alexander noted in particular:

“From your youth you dedicated your entire life to God. Desiring to follow Christ Who called you, you received monastic tonsure within the walls of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra from the hands of one of the revered ascetics of the twentieth century, Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov). In all the subsequent years, with diligence and self-sacrifice, you fulfilled the ecclesiastical obediences entrusted to you – laboring at the Gorny Convent of the Holy City of Jerusalem, struggling in the women’s monastery of Riga, serving as abbess of the St. Alexis Monastery in the city of Voronezh, and later of the St. Nicholas Convent in Tashkent. For more than twenty years now, you have borne the responsible obedience of abbess of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in the city of Alma-Ata, which has been revived through your unceasing labors. You preserve monastic traditions, do much for the spiritual growth of the sisters entrusted to your care, and attend to the beautification of this holy habitation. You carry out your ministry with sincerity, setting an example of spiritual steadfastness, devotion to the Church, and faithfulness to your calling. On this special day for you, I prayerfully wish you strong health, peace, and many years.”

The Head of the Metropolitan District wished Mother Abbess good health, peace of soul, and the mercy of the Lord, after which he presented her with a bouquet of flowers.