September 30, 2024 – Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the commemoration day of the patron saints of Almaty and Semirechye – the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia.
On September 17 (30, according to the new calendar), 1854, on the day of the holy martyrs, the Zaileysky Fortification was solemnly consecrated and renamed the city of Verny in honor of the martyr Faith. At the same time, in memory of the patron saints of Semirechye, the first Cossack settlements were named after them: Nadezhdinskaya (Issyk), Sofiyskaya (Talgar), and Lyubavinskaya (Kaskelen), all founded by settlers from Western Siberia at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau Mountains.
In the southern capital of Kazakhstan, church celebrations were held in honor of the patron saints of Semirechye. The central event was the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Almaty. On the eve of the feast, the reliquary was brought into the cathedral and placed at the center of the church for the veneration of the faithful.
The festive Divine Liturgy in the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery in Almaty, for which the day of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia is a patronal feast, was served by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.
Concelebrating with the head of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan were: Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Benjamin of Minsk and Zaslavl; Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan; Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and Southeast Asia; Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, a Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, a Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Mitred Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Churches of Almaty and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archpriest Yevgeny Vorobyov, rector of the church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in Almaty; Archpriest Yevgeny Bobylev, head of the education and catechism department of the Metropolitan District and rector of the churches of the Intercession and the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos; Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Dean of the Ili Church District; rectors of churches and clergy of the Almaty Diocese; and clergy who accompanied the visiting hierarchs.
In the center of the cathedral, alongside the Life-Giving Cross of Christ, a reliquary containing the relics of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia was placed on the analogion.
Present at the service were Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery and her sisters; G.G. Sosnovsky, head of the public foundation "Apostle"; employees of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; students of the Almaty Theological Seminary; and parishioners of the churches of the southern capital.
The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, conducted by O.N. Ovchinnikov, Honored Artist of Russia and a member of the Patriarchal Council for Church Singing, and the choir of the Sophia Church under the direction of O. Usoltseva.
At the commemoration litany, special prayers were offered for the departed abbesses of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery: Nun Paisiya (Kryuchkova), Abbess Nektaria (Dmitrieva), and Abbess Euphrosinia (Bakurevich).
After the communion hymn, Priest Daniil Bobylev read the Address of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, veneration of the Holy Cross of the Lord, a service of praise to Blessed Matrona, and prayers to the patron saints of Semirechye were offered. In keeping with tradition, the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful sang “Eternal Memory” at the tomb of the confessor and saint, Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov).
A polychronion was proclaimed for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; the head and bishops of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; the authorities, the military, and all the people of Kazakhstan.
On the feast of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery celebrated her nameday. Metropolitan Alexander offered his congratulations to Mother Abbess, presented her with holy prosphora, and gave her a bouquet of flowers.
Video recording of the metropolitan service was carried out by the television studio "Semirechye" of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District (director – Honored Cultural Worker V.L. Posadneva, operator A. Schmidt); photo documentation was provided by the employee of the information department A. Khalin.
From September 29 to October 7, the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow will remain at the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery at the address: 30 Latifa Khamidi Street, at the corner of Zhankeldin and Ashimbaev streets.
Access to the relics is free from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
“The holy maidens who bore the names of the chief Christian virtues – Faith, Hope, and Love, along with their pious mother Sophia, suffered for Christ in the year 137, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. All four stood before the pagan ruler and boldly confessed their faith in Christ, who rose from the dead and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him. Neither the arguments nor the eloquence of the pagan sages could weaken the burning faith of these Christian hearts. Then the enraged Hadrian ordered the children to be subjected to cruel tortures in the sight of their mother. Saint Sophia herself was not subjected to physical torture but was condemned to the deep spiritual suffering of watching her children endure torment. The martyr buried the holy remains of her daughters and, two days later, gave her soul to God at their gravesite.
For the Orthodox faithful of Kazakhstan, the names of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia are especially precious. The present-day southern capital of Kazakhstan – Almaty – traces its origins to the fort of Verny, founded in 1854 in the Zailiysky Alatau mountains, later becoming the city of Verny. Our pious forebears, relying on the intercession of the saints, named the new administrative center of Semirechye in honor of the martyr Faith, while her sisters and their pious mother became the heavenly patrons of the nearby settlements: Lyubavinskaya (now the city of Kaskelen), Nadezhdinskaya (now the city of Issyk), and Sofiyskaya (now the city of Talgar).
“The memory of the saints is always joyful and beloved by both angels and men. It elevates our soaring minds from the harmful concerns of life and lifts our thoughts from earthly things to the heavenly,” writes Saint Ephraim the Syrian about the celebration of the martyrs. Truly, by honoring the feasts of the martyrs, we are strengthened in spirit, overcome our weaknesses and vices, and gain confidence in following the commandments of Christ and His teachings. "They suffered, and we rejoice," exclaims Saint John Chrysostom about the martyrs, "they struggled, and we celebrate; their crown and glory are the glory of the entire Church. As they sympathize with us in our sins, so we rejoice with them in their feats." The three young maidens and their pious mother, through their martyrdom, clearly demonstrate that for those strengthened by God's grace, physical limitations, weakness, age, or social status in no way hinder the demonstration of firmness of spirit, virtue, and testimony of Christian faith. The words of the Apostle Paul are fulfilled in them: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' (Philippians 4:13), and no power – 'neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate' (Romans 8:38-39) faithful Christians from the love of God.
May the Lord, through the prayers of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia, the heavenly patrons of Semirechye, grant us the strength not only in words but also in deeds to live a life grounded in the Gospel commandments. May He grant us the might of faith, the steadfastness of hope, and above all, the power of love – love for God and for people. May these three virtues be our guiding stars in our lives, prayers, trials, and joys, so that each of us may say as the Apostle Paul did: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day" (2 Timothy 4:7-8)." From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.
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