Sisterhood of the Iveron-Seraphim Women’s Monastery in Almaty

To further church-based social service, with the blessing of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, a sisterhood named after Blessed Matrona of Moscow was established at the monastery.

On August 15, 2023, after the Divine Liturgy at the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Women’s Monastery in Almaty, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan conducted a blessing ceremony for the participants of the newly-formed sisterhood of mercy. Metropolitan Alexander sprinkled the sisters’ uniforms with holy water, blessed each participant of the charitable movement for their work, and, as a keepsake of the occasion, presented each with an icon of the Mother of God, “Softener of Evil Hearts,” a blessed prosphora, and a certificate. Twenty-five women were consecrated as Sisters of Mercy.

The sisters actively participate in the social and charitable projects of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery, providing support to large families, the homeless, and the elderly nuns. They also engage in informational and educational activities among parishioners.

The sisterhood’s primary focus is the internal life and needs of the monastery. The Sisters of Mercy come from various age groups and educational backgrounds, performing a range of obediences: helping with the reading of the unceasing Psalter, working in the refectory, assisting with winter food preparations, keeping watch in the monastery building, cleaning the church, serving as consultants, sewing clothing, and helping in the church shop—one of the largest in Almaty. The Sophia Cathedral often receives relics from other countries and cities, drawing a large number of pilgrims from Almaty and the Almaty Region, and the sisters assist in maintaining order during such pilgrimages.

Many others also come to the monastery for one to two months, eager to work and learn about its inner structure and schedule.

The current sisterhood began to take shape in 2005, during the restoration of the Sophia Cathedral. It started with 5–6 people who assisted with church formalities and the sewing of uniforms for the sisters.

Today, the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery’s sisterhood includes a general practitioner and a nurse who care for the elderly nuns. Additional help is called upon during the winter food preparation season, with women from the sisterhood contributing. Support also comes from some members living in Moscow who continue to aid the monastery substantially.

One of the sisters, with lifelong expertise in construction cost estimation, volunteered her skills during the construction of the monastery’s facilities and now actively helps in the church shop.

Support can take many forms—each member assists the monastery according to her abilities and skills.

“One of the significant advances in social and charitable work has been the establishment of sisterhoods—special organizations where assistance to those in need is organized systematically. The sisterhood of Blessed Matrona of Moscow was established at the Iveron-Seraphim Women’s Monastery, and today it includes 25 members. These devout women, responding to the call of their hearts, have taken on noble work, seeing it as their sacred duty not only to attend church, pray, and participate in the Sacraments but also to perform good deeds for the glory of God. Day after day, the Sisters of Mercy carry out their labor, coming to the aid of the sick, lonely, poor, homeless, and those in difficult life situations,” Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan stated in an interview titled “From Noble Plans to Concrete Actions,” published on Metropolia.kz in May 2024.

Sisterhood at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty

The Sisterhood at St. Nicholas Cathedral, dedicated to the Royal Martyrs, was established in 2017. On July 17, 2024, the feast day of these saints, the sisterhood celebrated its seventh anniversary. The initial group consisted of 17 Sisters of Mercy.

The sisterhood operates with a strict hierarchical structure. The hierarchy is as follows: at the head is God, followed by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, then the spiritual advisor and direct leader, Protopriest Vyacheslav Pugachev, who is also the Chairman of the Social Service Commission of the Kazakhstani Metropolitan District. Next in line is the chief Sister of Mercy, senior Sisters of Mercy for specific areas, and then the Sisters of Mercy. This structure enables effective completion of obediences. The sisterhood has its own charter and a Sisters’ Council.

One of the main rules is that everyone committed to this work must serve at least two hours per week. This might include packing food, sorting clothes, and other tasks assigned by the senior Sister of Mercy, to whom all the sisters report.

Before becoming a Sister of Mercy, one must go through the stages of “volunteer” and “candidate for Sister of Mercy.” Each status involves a minimum of six months of service to determine the individual’s capability for this ministry, with tasks assigned according to their abilities. The following stage is Sister of Mercy, and later, senior Sisters for specific areas.

Currently, the sisterhood has 42 active Sisters of Mercy and candidates, with six sisters on maternity leave and approximately 30–40 volunteers.

Father Vyacheslav Pugachev serves as a role model for the Sisters of Mercy, demonstrating mercy through his actions. As their leader and spiritual advisor, he provides guidance, and the sisters regularly confess and take Communion. As Anna Belimova, coordinator of the Home for Mom project, noted, it is impossible to work in this direction without being a spiritual and church-enlightened person.

Sisterhood at the Holy Epiphany Church in Almaty

The sisterhood’s activities focus on the following areas of social service:

Medical Care and Spiritual Support

The sisters provide care for the sick, offering spiritual guidance to patients in medical facilities. The sisterhood was involved in the establishment of the Palliative Care Center (hospice) in Almaty. For over ten years, the sisters have regularly visited patients there, striving to ease their emotional and physical suffering. The names of deceased Orthodox patients under the sisters’ care are recorded in memorial books and are commemorated daily during the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Epiphany Church.

Additionally, spiritual support and care have been provided at various times to patients in Children’s City Clinical Hospital No. 2 and the pediatric unit of the Almaty Mental Health Center.

Support for People with Disabilities

The sisters offer assistance and care to individuals with disabilities.

Protection of Motherhood and Childhood

The sisterhood has actively worked in spiritual care and support for children left without parental care. Regular visits have been made to orphanages (formerly institutions No. 1, 2, and 8, now reorganized) and the Center for Juvenile Adaptation. In addition to providing educational talks, the sisters have organized trips to churches for the children. The sisterhood has hosted Easter and Christmas celebrations with tea gatherings and gift distributions, including sweets. They have also assisted with repairs to administrative facilities at these organizations.

The sisterhood operates through a variety of service areas:

Hospital Ministry: The Sisters of Mercy visit two facilities: the Nursing Care Hospital (BCH) and the City Hospice – Palliative Care Center in Almaty. Four sisters and several volunteers serve in the hospice, while three sisters and additional volunteers serve in the BCH. The sisters assist patients with communion, anointing, confession, and baptism for those who express interest. Special lists are maintained, allowing priests to see which patients wish to receive sacraments. In the hospice, the sisters provide personal care—feeding and bathing patients—and offer spiritual support, discussing faith and God with them.

Mercy Service: This service assists vulnerable populations, operating daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Here, the sisters organize food distribution for the needy, assembling food baskets prepared by the Sisters of Mercy. Hot meals are provided Monday through Friday under the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan. A benefactor also delivers hot meals on Saturdays. The service also accepts material aid requests, processes donations, and distributes clothing to those in need.

Protection of Motherhood and Childhood: This initiative supports large families, single mothers, and children with disabilities. The Home for Mom project, which has been operating for over 10 years, falls under this direction. Currently, 26 large families receive support, and 200 children are assisted with school supplies, uniforms, and other essentials. The sisterhood also supports families with disabled members, totaling 24 families. Anti-abortion initiatives include banners in churches with information in Russian and Kazakh, developed in collaboration with the Moscow Synodal Department.

The sisterhood provides large families with food baskets approximately every three months or in cases of urgent need. Additional assistance is organized around major church holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, where children write letters and receive gifts. School supplies and winter vegetables are distributed, and campaigns like “Gentle Winter” provide winter footwear for children.

Home for the Elderly: This facility operates within the Sanctuary of Mercy in Ashybulak, currently serving 52 elderly residents.

Direct Assistance for the Elderly: The sisterhood provides assistance to elderly individuals living alone, with sisters visiting 2-3 times per week to purchase medicines, groceries, clean, and cook. This is not a formal patronage service but is handled by three sisters and 2-3 volunteers.

Volunteer Ministry: Volunteers are recruited, some of whom eventually become candidates and then Sisters of Mercy. Volunteers from all faiths and backgrounds are welcome. The ministry tailors tasks to each volunteer’s abilities, such as delivering food or medicine, working in the nursing home in Ashybulak, and assisting with charitable events. While some volunteers assist occasionally, approximately 30 serve regularly.

Volunteer Services: Auto-volunteers deliver food baskets to people with disabilities. Other volunteers help with graphic design and printed materials, including posters and leaflets. Family volunteers, including spouses and children, also participate, particularly in organizing events to raise funds for charitable causes. Last year’s donations went towards acquiring land for the Sanctuary of Mercy, and this year’s focus is on building the Home for Mom.

Education and Development: The Sisters of Mercy undergo regular training to enhance their skills.

Information Department: This department manages social media and publishes articles on the sisterhood’s projects and news.

Event Coordination: A dedicated team organizes large-scale events, coordinating logistics and volunteer involvement.

Each area reflects the sisterhood’s commitment to compassion, serving both the physical and spiritual needs of those they assist.

Each service area is overseen by a specific Sister of Mercy.

Hospital ministry in the hospice is led by Alexandra Ibraimova.

The Nursing Care Hospital (BCH) is managed by Alexandra Somkina.

The elderly home is supervised by Natalia Boluzhenkova.

The “Protection of Motherhood and Childhood” area is headed by Olga Volik.

In the same area, work with single mothers and families with disabled members is coordinated by Ioanna Sorina.

The anti-abortion initiative is led by Sister Galina Galkina.

Direct Assistance is overseen by Sister Photinia Polchuk.

In the Mercy Service, coordinator Nadya Viktorovna Gritsenko organizes activities.

The “Home for Mom” project and the Information Department are coordinated by Anna Belimova.

Volunteer Service is supervised by Rimma Abakhanova.

The “Education and Development” sector is led by Sister Tatyana Kravtsova.