From September 28 to November 10, 2024, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Kazakhstan Metropolis will host a great holy relic—the relics and part of the vestment of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, venerated by millions of Orthodox believers around the world.

The pilgrimage of the holy relic is timed to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Astana and Almaty Diocese and the upcoming 15th anniversary of the canonical status of the Kazakhstan Metropolis.

In response to the petition of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, His Holiness granted his Primatial Blessing for the relics of Blessed Matrona to be brought to the diocesan centers for prayerful veneration and spiritual strengthening of the people of Kazakhstan. The holy relics will be accompanied on the pilgrimage by Metropolitan Alexander, the archpastors, and clergy of Kazakhstan.

The pilgrimage is supported by the public foundation "Apostle" (President – G.G. Sosnovsky).

Schedule for the Reception of the Relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

Saturday, September 28

10:00 AM – Reception of the relics at the Dormition Cathedral in Astana, followed by the Divine Liturgy. After the service, veneration of the relics will begin.

Address: 6th Microdistrict, Kuyshi Dina Street, 27

Sunday, September 29

10:00 AM – Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral in Astana. Veneration of the relics will continue until 4:00 PM.

8:00 PM – Reception of the relics at the Cathedral of St. Sophia at the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery in Almaty. A moleben will be served, after which veneration of the relics will begin.

Address: 30 Latif Hamidi Street, corner of Zhangeldin and Ashimbaev Streets

Monday, September 30

Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia – the heavenly patronesses of Almaty and Semirechye.

9:00 AM – Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Sophia at the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery in Almaty, after which veneration of the relics will continue.

September 30 – October 7

The relics of Blessed Matrona will remain at the Cathedral of St. Sophia.

Access to the relics will be available from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Monday, October 7

4:30 PM – Moleben and farewell to the relics at the Cathedral of St. Sophia at the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery.

October 8 – 9

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Uralsk.

Location of the relics:

October 8 – Church of Christ the Savior, "Golden Church."

Address: 202 Dostyk Avenue

October 9 – St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral.

Address: 68 Dostyk Avenue

October 12 – 13

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Kostanay.

Location of the relics – Constantine and Helen Cathedral.

Address: 206 Altynsarina Street

Monday, October 14,

Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Rudny.

Location of the relics – St. John the Theologian Cathedral.

Address: 55 Parkovaya Street

October 16 – 17

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Pavlodar.

Location of the relics – Annunciation Cathedral.

Address: 1/5 Toraygyrov Street

October 21 – 22

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Karaganda.

Location of the relics – Holy Trinity-Sebastian Cathedral.

Address: 29 Novaya Street

October 26 – 27

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Taldykorgan.

Location of the relics – St. John the Theologian Cathedral.

Address: 100 Shevchenko Street

November 1 – 3

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Petropavlovsk.

Location of the relics – Ascension Cathedral.

Address: 55 Zh. Kizatova Street

November 9 – 10, Saturday

The relics of Blessed Matrona will visit the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Location of the relics – St. Andrew's Cathedral.

Address: 16 Likharev Street

For more detailed information about the stay of Blessed Matrona's relics in the cities of Kazakhstan, please visit the official websites and social media pages of the dioceses of the Metropolitan District.

The Life of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

Blessed Matrona (Matrona Dmitrievna Nikonova) was born in 1885 in the village of Sebino, Epifan County, Tula Province. Her parents, Dmitry and Natalia, were pious peasants who worked honestly but lived in poverty. There were four children in the family: two brothers, Ivan and Mikhail, and two sisters, Maria and Matrona, with Matrona being the youngest.

Even before the girl's birth, Matrona’s mother had decided to place the future child in an orphanage where children of the poor were raised by charitable contributions. However, she had a prophetic dream. In the dream, her unborn daughter appeared to her as a white bird with a human face and closed eyes, and the bird sat on her right hand. Taking the dream as a sign from God, the devout woman abandoned her plan to give the child to the orphanage. The daughter was born blind, but her mother deeply loved her "unfortunate child."

At her baptism, when the priest lowered the child into the font, those present saw a pillar of fragrant, light smoke rising above the infant. The priest, Father Vasily, who was revered by the parishioners as a righteous and blessed man, was amazed: "I have baptized many, but this is the first time I have seen such a thing, and this child will be holy." Father Vasily also told Natalia, "If the girl asks for anything, you must come straight to me and tell me exactly what is needed."

Indeed, Matrona was chosen by God. The Lord taught her to fast even as a small child: her mother would often complain to a friend, saying, "What am I to do? The girl won't nurse on Wednesdays and Fridays, she sleeps through those days, and it's impossible to wake her." On the girl's chest, there was a raised mark in the shape of a cross, an uncreated cross on her body. Later, when she was about six years old, her mother scolded her at one point, "Why do you keep taking off your cross?" "Mommy, I have my own cross on my chest," the girl replied. "My dear daughter," Natalia realized, "forgive me! And I've been scolding you all this time..."

Other children often teased and even tormented Matrona: the girls would sting her with nettles, knowing she couldn’t see who was hurting her. They would place her in a pit and curiously watch as she fumbled her way out and wandered home. Matrona was not just blind — she had no eyes at all. Her eye sockets were covered by tightly closed eyelids, just like the white bird her mother had seen in the dream. However, the Lord granted her spiritual sight. Even as a child, at night when her parents were asleep, she would somehow find her way to the holy corner, mysteriously taking icons off the shelf, laying them on the table, and playing with them in the quiet of the night. Rejected by her peers, she found companionship in the saints during her childhood games.

At the age of seven or eight, Matrona's gift of prophecy and healing the sick was revealed. One day, the girl told her mother, "Mama, prepare yourself, my wedding will be soon." Her mother was puzzled and shared this with the priest, who came and gave Matrona communion. Suddenly, a few days later, wagons began arriving one after another at their home. People came with their troubles and sorrows, bringing the sick, and for some reason, everyone asked for Matrona. She would pray over them, and many were healed. Her mother, surprised, asked, "Matryushenka, what is happening?" Matrona replied, "I told you, there would be a wedding."

Thus, from an early age, the Lord marked Matrona with the gift of spiritual discernment, clairvoyance, and healing. The girl sensed approaching dangers and foresaw natural and societal disasters. Through her prayers, people were healed of illnesses and found comfort in their sorrows. More and more people began visiting her, coming not only from nearby villages but also from distant regions. They brought the sick, even bedridden patients, whom Matrona would help to rise and walk. In gratitude, they would leave food and gifts for her parents. Instead of being a burden to her family, the girl became their primary provider.

The Nikonov family home was located near the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Matrona's parents were deeply devout and loved attending services together. Matrona practically grew up in the church, initially attending services with her mother and later on her own whenever possible. If her mother didn’t know where Matrona was, she usually found her in the church. Matrona had her usual spot—on the left, behind the entrance door, where she would stand motionless throughout the service. She knew the church hymns well and often sang along with the choir. It seems that even in her childhood, Matrona acquired the gift of unceasing prayer.

When her mother, out of pity, would say to Matronushka, "My poor, unfortunate child!" Matrona would be surprised and reply, "Me, unfortunate? It's Ivan and Misha who are unfortunate." She foresaw the future apostasy of her brothers from God.

Despite her blindness, Matrona spoke of the world around her as if she could see it with her own eyes. Once, she told an acquaintance, "God opened my eyes one day and showed me His creation. I saw the sun, the stars in the sky, and all the beauty of the earth: mountains, rivers, green grass, flowers, birds..."

But Matrona not only yearned spiritually to visit distant lands; she also had a great desire to visit holy places and venerate the sacred relics of Russia. A local landowner’s daughter, a pious and kind young woman named Lidia Yanykova, helped her fulfill this wish. Lidia took Matrona with her on pilgrimages to places such as the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, St. Petersburg, and other cities and holy sites.

At the age of 17, Matrona lost the ability to walk; her legs suddenly stopped working. For the rest of her life, she remained "seated." Her life of staying in various homes and apartments, where she found shelter, continued for another 50 years. She never complained about her ailment, but humbly carried this heavy cross given to her by God.

Even at a young age, Matrona predicted the revolution, foretelling how “they will rob, destroy churches, and drive everyone away indiscriminately.” She vividly described how people would divide the land, greedily grabbing plots just to claim as much as possible, but then abandoning the land and fleeing in all directions. The land would become unwanted by anyone.

One day, Matrona asked her mother to tell the priest that in his library, on a certain shelf, there was a book with an image of the icon "Recovery of the Perishing." The priest was very surprised. They found the icon, and Matrona said, "Mother, I will commission such an icon." Her mother was saddened, wondering how they would pay for it. But Matrona insisted, "Mother, I keep dreaming of the icon 'Recovery of the Perishing.' The Mother of God is asking to come to our church." She blessed the women to collect money for the icon from all the surrounding villages. People donated for the icon with pure hearts and deep faith, except for one man who reluctantly gave a ruble, and his brother gave a single kopek mockingly. When the money was brought to Matronushka, she sorted through it and mysteriously found the ruble and the kopek. She told her mother, "Mother, give it back to them, they spoil all the money."

Matrona instructed the iconographer to repent of his sins, confess, and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Then she asked him, "Are you sure you know how to paint this icon?" He confidently replied that he did and began working on the icon, but nothing was coming out right. Matrona then pointed out that there was another sin he had not yet confessed and helped him realize it. Deeply shaken, the iconographer went back to the priest, repented once more, received Communion again, and asked Matrona for forgiveness. "Go now, you will paint the icon of the Queen of Heaven," she told him.

With the money collected from the villages, another icon of the Mother of God, "Recovery of the Deceased," was commissioned in Bogoroditsk under Matrona's blessing. When it was completed, the icon was carried in a procession with banners from Bogoroditsk all the way to the church in Sebino. This icon of the Mother of God became the main local holy object and became renowned for many miracles. During times of drought, the icon would be taken out to the meadow in the middle of the village, and a prayer service would be held. Before the villagers could even return to their homes, the rain would start.

Throughout her life, Blessed Matrona was surrounded by icons. In the room where she lived for an extended time, there were three prayer corners, each filled with icons from top to bottom, with lamps constantly burning before them.

In an incomprehensible way, the Lord revealed to His chosen one, who had never been taught to read or write, even knowledge that is taught only in specialized schools and institutes, when it was necessary to help others. One of her acquaintances, Zinaida Zhdanova, who greatly revered Matrona and helped her often, urgently needed to defend an architectural project. However, her superiors did everything to prevent the defense from taking place. Zhdanova later recounted: “Matronushka listened to me and said, 'Don’t worry, don’t worry, you’ll defend it! This evening, we’ll have tea and talk!' I could hardly wait for the evening, and when it came, Matronushka said, 'We’re going to Italy, to Florence, to Rome, to see the works of the great masters...' And she began listing streets and buildings! She stopped and said: 'Here’s the Pitti Palace, here’s another palace with arches—do it just like that: the bottom three floors with large masonry and two entrance arches.' I was astonished by her knowledge. In the morning, I rushed to the institute, laid tracing paper over the project, and made all the corrections with brown ink. At 10 a.m., the commission arrived. They looked at my project and said, 'Well, the project turned out great—go ahead and defend it!'”

Many people came to Matrona with their illnesses and sorrows. Having intercession before God, she helped many. Matrona prayed for people, asking Him for miraculous aid for the ailing. She would say a prayer over water and give it to those who came to her. Those who drank the water or sprinkled it on themselves were delivered from various afflictions. The blessing of water according to the Church's rite can only be performed by a priest. Of course, Blessed Matrona, for whom the canons and rules of the Church were an unwavering spiritual law, did not presume to perform anything of the sort. However, we know that not only water blessed in church can have healing properties, but also the water of certain lakes, springs, and wells, which have been sanctified by the prayerful lives of holy people or the appearance of miraculous icons nearby.

After the 1917 Revolution, both of Matrona's brothers, Mikhail and Ivan, joined the Bolshevik Party, with Mikhail becoming a local activist. They were ashamed of their sister. The presence of the blessed Matrona in their home, who spent her days receiving people and teaching them to preserve the Orthodox faith through her words and deeds, became unbearable for the brothers. They feared political repression. Out of compassion for them, Matrona moved to Moscow, where she lived until the end of her days. In this vast capital city, there were many unfortunate, lost people, those who had fallen away from the faith, spiritually sick with confused minds and souls poisoned by atheism. Her spiritual and prayerful service turned many away from destruction and led them to salvation.

Matrona loved Moscow deeply, calling it a holy city and the heart of Russia, though her life in the city was one of constant wandering from relatives to acquaintances, from small houses to apartments and basements. She became a homeless wanderer. Devoted women, her attendants, lived with her and took care of her. At times, Matrona had to live with people who treated her with hostility. Housing in Moscow was scarce, and she had no choice but to accept whatever was offered. Some places she left in haste, foreseeing troubles through her spiritual insight, always just before the police came, as she lived without registration. Those were difficult times, and people were afraid to officially register her. In doing so, she not only saved herself from arrests and persecution but also protected the hosts who sheltered her from government repression.

Zinaida Zhdanova recounted the hardships that Blessed Matrona had to endure. Once, during the late autumn in wartime, she visited the small plywood house where Matrona was living at the time. The house was filled with thick, damp steam from a poorly functioning stove. Matrona lay on the bed, facing the wall, unable to turn because her hair had frozen to the wall. It took great effort to free her. Despite the discomfort, Matrona refused to move to a more comfortable place, saying, "God has not allowed it, so you won't regret it later."

Matrona lived in various places throughout Moscow, but for the longest time (from 1942 to 1949), she resided on Arbat Street, in Starokonyushenny Lane, at the home of Zinaida Zhdanova's mother.

Many times, authorities attempted to arrest Matrona; usually, she would move to another location just before the arrest, but once, knowing they were coming for her, she stayed in the house. When the policeman arrived to take her, she said to him: "Go, go quickly, there's trouble at your house! And the blind woman won't escape from you—I'm sitting on the bed, I can't go anywhere." He listened to her and rushed home, only to find that there was a fire and his wife had been severely burned. He managed to get her to the hospital in time, which saved her life. The next day, when he returned to work, they asked him, "Well, did you arrest the blind woman?" "I will never arrest that blind woman," he replied. "If she hadn't warned me, I would have lost my wife."

Outwardly, her life seemed monotonous: during the day, she received people, and at night, she prayed. Like the ancient ascetics, she never lay down to sleep properly but dozed off lying on her side, resting her head on her fist. Thus, the years passed.

Sometime around 1939 or 1940, Matrona said, "Now you are all quarreling and dividing things, but soon, the war will begin. Many people will perish, of course, but our Russian people will be victorious." "Victory will be ours," she said at the beginning of 1941. "The enemy will not touch Moscow; it will only burn a little. You don't need to leave Moscow."

At times, people could not understand the actions of the blessed Matrona, but there was always a spiritual meaning behind them. When the war began, Matrona asked everyone who came to her to bring willow branches. She would break them into sticks of equal length, strip them of bark, and pray over them. Her close ones recalled that her fingers were covered in sores. Matrona could be spiritually present in various places, as physical space did not exist for her spiritual vision. She often said that she was invisibly present on the frontlines, helping our soldiers. She conveyed to everyone that the Germans would not enter Tula. Her prophecy came true.

During the day, Matrona would receive up to 40 people. They came with their troubles, both spiritual and physical pains. She never refused help to anyone, except those who came with deceitful intentions. Some viewed her as a folk healer who could remove curses or the evil eye, but after speaking with her, they realized they were in the presence of a servant of God and turned to the Church and its saving sacraments. Her help was selfless, and she took nothing from anyone. Everything that was brought to her, she immediately gave to those living nearby, who then distributed it to others. In fact, she owned nothing herself.

Matronushka always prayed aloud. Those who knew her closely mentioned that the prayers she recited were well-known and commonly used in church and at home: the "Our Father," "Let God Arise," Psalm 90, "O Lord Almighty, God of the powers and of all flesh" (from the morning prayers), and others. She emphasized that it was not she who helped, but God, through her prayers: "What, Matronushka—is it God? It is God who helps!" she would say. When healing the sick, she demanded faith in God and the correction of a sinful life from those she helped. "Do you believe," she would ask, "that the Lord is able to heal you?" She instructed everyone to wear a cross.

Sometimes, out of desperation to find help elsewhere, even completely non-believing people would come to her. "I don’t know what it means to believe," one woman said to her. Yet Matronushka helped all those who sought aid, and through this, hearts were warmed and opened to faith and love for God. Through her selfless service, the blessed one brought many souls to God.

Once, a devout woman who revered Matrona met a general and his wife on her way to visit her. They had just picked up their daughter from a psychiatric hospital, but the doctors had been unable to help her. Suddenly, their daughter, who was 18 years old, started barking like a dog. The woman said to the girl's mother, "I feel sorry for you. Let's take your daughter to Matronushka..." The girl's father, the general, initially refused to listen, saying that it was all nonsense. However, his wife insisted, and they went to see Matronushka. When they brought the girl to Matrona, she first froze in place, then started spitting at Matrona and struggling to break free. "Let her go," Matrona said, "she won't harm anyone now." They let the girl go. She fell to the floor, began convulsing and writhing, and started vomiting blood. Eventually, she fell asleep and slept for three days. She was taken care of during that time. When she finally woke up and saw her mother, she asked, "Mother, where are we?" "We are with a person who has the gift of foresight," her mother replied and explained everything that had happened. From that moment on, the girl was completely healed.

Mother Matrona spent her entire life fighting for every soul that came to her. She never complained or lamented the hardships of her spiritual struggle. "I cannot forgive myself for never expressing compassion toward Matronushka, even though I saw how difficult it was for her, how deeply she suffered for each of us," Zinaida Zhdanova later recalled. "The light of those days still warms my heart. In the house, lamps were burning in front of the icons, and Mother Matrona's love and peace enveloped the soul. There was holiness, joy, tranquility, and a blessed warmth in the home. The war was raging, yet we lived as if we were in heaven."

Matrona comforted and soothed the suffering, stroked their heads, made the sign of the cross over them, sometimes joked, and at times sternly reproached and instructed. She was not strict, but rather tolerant of human weaknesses, compassionate, warm, and always attentive, filled with joy, and never complained about her own illnesses and suffering. Mother did not preach or teach; she was generally quiet. She gave specific advice on how to act in a particular situation, prayed, and gave her blessing.

Matrona taught to surrender oneself to the will of God, to live with prayer, and to frequently make the sign of the cross over oneself and surrounding objects: "By the power of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, be saved and protected!" She advised frequent participation in Holy Communion. She taught to love and forgive the elderly and infirm: "If old, sick, or senile people say anything unpleasant or offensive to you, do not pay attention, but simply help them." Mother Matrona did not discourage seeking medical treatment; on the contrary, she insisted that it was necessary, saying that the body is a little house given by God, and when necessary, it should be repaired.

Matrona frequently confessed and received Communion. Unceasing prayer and Communion helped the blessed one bear the cross of serving people. When exorcising the possessed, praying for each person, and sharing in their sorrows, she would become so exhausted by the end of the day that she couldn’t even speak to those close to her, only quietly moaning as she lay on her side, resting on her hand.

The inner, spiritual life of the blessed one remained a mystery even to those close to her. Like a true ascetic, she taught not through words, but through her entire life. Although she could not walk, she taught and continues to teach people how to walk the difficult path of salvation.

The last earthly refuge Matrona found was in a house near the Podmoskovnaya station of Skhodnya, where she settled with a distant relative. Only shortly before her death, already very weak, did she limit her reception of visitors, but people still came, and she could not refuse help to some. The time of her passing was revealed to her by the Lord three days in advance, and she made all the necessary arrangements. She instructed that no wreaths or plastic flowers be brought to her funeral.

Before her death, a priest came to hear her confession. Matronushka appeared anxious. "Are you really afraid of death?" the priest asked. "I am," she answered, in her humility, for she saw herself as an ordinary sinful person.

On May 2, 1952, she passed away. On May 3, at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, a note for the repose of the newly departed Blessed Matrona was submitted during the memorial service. Among the many other notes, it caught the attention of the serving hieromonk. "Who submitted this note?" he asked anxiously. "Has she really passed away?" (Many Moscow priests and the brethren of the Lavra knew and revered Matrona well). An elderly woman with her daughter, who had come from Moscow, confirmed: the day before, Matronushka had passed away, and that evening, the coffin with her body would be placed in the Church of the Deposition of the Robe on Donskaya Street in Moscow. This is how the monks of the Lavra learned of Matrona's passing and were able to attend her funeral.

On May 4, the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, the burial of Blessed Matrona took place amidst a large gathering of people. According to her wish, she was buried at the Danilov Cemetery so that she could "hear the service" (one of the few functioning churches in Moscow was located there). The funeral and burial of the blessed one marked the beginning of her veneration by the people as a saint of God.

Before her death, the blessed one said: "All of you, come to me and tell me about your sorrows, as if I were alive. I will see you, hear you, and help you." People came to her grave at Danilov Cemetery not only from all over Russia but also from abroad, bringing their sorrows and illnesses.

The nature of Blessed Matrona's spiritual feat is deeply rooted in centuries-old traditions of popular piety. As a result, the help people receive by prayerfully turning to the righteous one bears spiritual fruit: people are strengthened in the Orthodox faith, filled with hope and love, and are drawn to a life of daily prayer.

Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians know Matrona. Many affectionately call her "Matronushka." Just as she did during her earthly life, she continues to help people. All who ask for her intercession and advocacy before the Lord with faith and love feel her powerful support, for the blessed elder has great boldness before God.

On May 2, 1999, Blessed Matrona was glorified as a locally venerated saint, and in 2004, she was canonized for veneration throughout the Russian Orthodox Church. Her holy relics rest in the Stavropegial Intercession Convent in Moscow.