A 100-Year-Old Nun of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent in Almaty, Schema-Nun Irina (Lyubitskaya), Receives the State Order of Friendship

17 November 2025. Almaty. In the fireplace hall of the Administrative and Spiritual–Cultural Center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), an award ceremony was held honoring the oldest nun of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent of the Southern Capital, veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Schema-Nun Irina (Lyubitskaya).

By the recommendation of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, and by Decree of the President of Russia V.V. Putin dated 15.10.2025 No. 728 “On awarding state decorations of the Russian Federation,” the nun, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year, was awarded the Order of Friendship.

The President of Russia, in the year celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, acknowledged the merits of the church worker and war veteran, as well as her contribution to preserving and promoting historical and cultural heritage.

By the instruction of the President of Russia, the award was presented by the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Almaty, D.A. Turaev.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan participated in the ceremony.

Guests of the event: Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, choir director of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; head of the Metropolitan’s personal secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, abbess of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent of the Southern Capital Igumenia Lyubov (Yakushkina) with the sisters of the convent, staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration.

After the exchange of greetings, Dmitry Alexandrovich presented Schema-Nun Irina (Lyubitskaya) with the Order of Friendship. The Consul General wished Mother Irina good health and well-being.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan expressed gratitude to D.A. Turaev and, through him, to the Head of the Russian state for special attention shown to those who contributed significantly to the Victory of our people in the Great Patriotic War.

Earlier, Schema-Nun Irina (Lyubitskaya) had been awarded a state jubilee medal of the Republic of Kazakhstan (“1941–1945 жж. Ұлы Отан соғысындағы Жеңіске 80 жыл,” decree No. 825 of 26 March 2025), instituted in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Schema-Nun Irina was born in the Orenburg region, in the village of Besedeno, on 18 April 1925.

From the first days of the Great Patriotic War she labored for the approaching Victory on the home front. From 1942 to 1945 she worked in evacuation hospitals opened in Tajikistan to receive soldiers wounded in battle, while also studying in the evenings at a medical technical school in the feldsher department. For her selfless work for the good of the Motherland during the difficult wartime years, she was awarded the title “Laborer of the Home Front.”

From 1947 to 1981 she worked as a feldsher in the emergency medical service of Almaty.

In 1948, soon after the appointment of the confessor and hierarch St. Nicholas (Mogilevsky) to the Kazakhstan cathedra, she began serving as a singer on the left kliros of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty. On 23 August 1952, with the blessing of Metropolitan Nicholas, Archimandrite Isaakiy (Vinogradov), a prominent church figure of the mid-20th century, tonsured her into monasticism.

Until 1981 Nun Irina fulfilled various obediences in the Almaty Diocesan Administration while continuing her hospital work; for many years (more than 60 years) she served as a kliros singer.

With the revival of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent in the Southern Capital of Kazakhstan in 2009, she became one of its nuns. On 12 April 2011 she received the great schema.