Students of the Central Sunday School Visit the Memorial House of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov)

May 2, 2026. Almaty. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, pupils of the junior group of the Central Sunday School at St. Nicholas Cathedral visited the house-museum dedicated to Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Almaty and Kazakhstan.

The children were accompanied by: director of the Central Sunday School G.V. Cherepanova, teachers L.Z. Alexandrovich, E.V. Zavgorodnyaya, L.V. Prosvirova, V.N. Popov, librarian O.N. Miroshnikova, as well as parents of the students.

The экскурсию for the visitors was conducted by Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary student Antony Serebryakov.

The museum is located in the restored building that housed the Almaty Diocesan Administration during the 1950s–1980s. It was in this house that the outstanding hierarch, confessor of the faith, and ascetic of piety Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), who headed the Almaty and Kazakhstan Diocese from 1960 to 1975, carried out his labors.

During the visit, the guests became acquainted with the exhibits, including liturgical vestments and personal belongings of the confessor of the faith, church utensils and antique books, diary notes and akathists handwritten by Metropolitan Joseph himself, as well as rare photographs and documents.

Antony told the teachers and pupils of the Central Sunday School that the interiors of the memorial house are adorned with icons especially venerated by the righteous archpastor: “These include the Belynichi Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which sanctified the childhood and youth of the future hierarch at the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in Belynichi of the Mogilev Diocese; the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, before which the ever-memorable hierarch especially loved to pray; the image of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, whom Metropolitan Joseph called ‘my diocesan secretary, inspector of the Almaty Diocesan Administration’; and the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, painted in the nineteenth century on Mount Athos at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon, which for many years served as the ever-memorable hierarch’s cell icon.”

The children also visited the study of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), which served as his prayer cell.

At the conclusion of the event, a group photograph was taken.