The Day of Remembrance of the Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia, the heavenly patronesses of Semirechye, was celebrated in Alma-Ata. The celebrations were led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan

September 30, 2024 – the afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the day of remembrance of the heavenly patronesses of the city of Alma-Ata and Semirechye – the holy martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia.

On September 17 (September 30, new style), 1854, on the day of the holy martyrs, the Zailiyskoye fortification was solemnly consecrated, renamed the city of Verny – in honor of the martyr Vera. At the same time, the first Cossack villages founded at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau by settlers from Western Siberia were named in memory of the heavenly patronesses of Semirechye - Nadezhdinskaya (Issyk), Sofiyskaya (Talgar), Lyubavinskaya (Kaskelen).

In the southern capital of Kazakhstan, church celebrations were held dedicated to the heavenly patronesses of Semirechye. The central event of the celebration was the bringing of the relics of the holy blessed Matrona of Moscow to Alma-Ata. The day before, the ark with the relic was brought under the vaults of the cathedral and installed in the center of the temple for the prayerful veneration of believers.

The festive Divine Liturgy in the Sophia Cathedral of the Iversko-Seraphimovsky Convent in the city of Alma-Ata, for which the day of the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia is a patronal feast, was celebrated by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was assisted by: Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Veniamin, Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan Kirill, Metropolitan of Singapore and Southeast Asia Sergius; Administrator of the Affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Bishop of Kaskelen Gennady, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop of Talgar Veniamin; Dean of the churches of Almaty, rector of the Nikolsky Cathedral Archpriest Valery Zakharov, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in the city of Almaty Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, head of the Department of Education and Catechesis of the Metropolitan District, rector of the Church of the Intercession and the Church of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos Archpriest Evgeny Bobylev; Dean of the Ili Church District Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov; rectors of churches and clergy of the Almaty Diocese; clergy who arrived with the visiting archpastors.
A reliquary with the relics of the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia was installed on the lectern in the center of the cathedral, next to the Life-Giving Cross of Christ.

Those praying at the service were: the abbess of the Iversko-Serafimovsky Convent, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) with the sisters of the convent; the head of the public foundation "Apostol Foundation" G.G. Sosnovsky; employees of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration; students of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary; parishioners of the churches of the Southern capital.

The chants of the Liturgy were performed by the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District under the direction of the Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the St. Sophia Church under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

At the funeral litany, the deceased abbesses of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery were especially commemorated: nun Paisia (Kryuchkova), abbess Nektaria (Dimitrieva) and abbess Euphrosyne (Bakurevich).

According to the communion verse, priest Daniil Bobylev read out 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 end of the Liturgy, there was a veneration of the honest Cross of the Lord, glorification of the blessed old woman Matrona and the heavenly patronesses of Semirechye.

According to the established tradition, at the tomb of the elder-saint Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), the hierarchs, clergy and believers sang "Eternal Memory".

Many years were proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'; the Head and Most Reverend Archpastors of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; the President of the country K.-Zh.K. Tokayev; the authorities, the army and all the people of Kazakhstan.

On the feast of the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, the abbess of the Iversky-Seraphimovsky Monastery, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), celebrates the day of her heavenly patroness. Metropolitan Alexander said words of congratulations to the abbess, presented the holy prosphora and gave a bouquet of flowers.

The video recording of the metropolitan service was carried out by the television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District "Semirechye" (director - honored cultural worker V.L. Posadneva, cameraman A. Schmidt); photo recording – employee of the information department A. Khalin.

Security and order in the St. Sophia Cathedral and on the territory of the monastery were provided by the Semirechye Cossacks.

From September 29 to October 7, the relics of the blessed old woman Matrona of Moscow will be in the Iversko-Seraphimovsky Monastery at the address: Latifa Khamidi Street, 30, corner of Zhangeldin Street and Ashimbaeva Street.

Access to the shrine is free - from 7:00 to 21:00.

"The holy maidens, who bore the names of the main Christian virtues - Faith, Hope and Love, with their pious mother Sophia suffered for Christ in the year 137, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. All four appeared before the pagan ruler and fearlessly confessed their faith in Christ, who rose from the dead and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him. No arguments or eloquence of the pagan sages weakened the ardent faith of Christian hearts. Then the angry Hadrian ordered that the children be subjected to sophisticated torture in front of their mother. Saint Sophia was not subjected to physical torture, but was doomed to severe mental suffering, forced to watch the torment of her children. The sufferer buried the honest remains of her daughters and two days later gave up her soul to God at their grave. For the Orthodox residents of Kazakhstan, the names of the holy martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia are especially memorable and dear. The current southern capital of Kazakhstan - Alma-Ata - originates from the fortress of Vernoye, founded in 1854 in the Zailiysky Alatau, which later became the city of Vernoye. Our pious ancestors, relying on the prayerful intercession of the saints, gave the very name to the new administrative center of Semirechye in honor of the martyr Vera, and her sisters and pious mother became the heavenly patronesses of the nearby villages: 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 dear to angels and people. "It detaches our soaring mind from the harmful company of life, inspires the thought, so that from everything earthly it rises to the heavenly," writes St. Ephraim the Syrian about the celebration of the memory of the holy martyrs. Indeed, by honoring the feasts of the martyrs, we, first of all, are strengthened in spirit, overcome weaknesses and vices, and gain confidence on the path of following the commandments of Christ. "They suffered, and we rejoice," exclaims St. John Chrysostom about the martyrs, "they labored, and we rejoice; their crown and glory is the glory of the whole Church. As they sympathize with us in our sins, so we rejoice with them in their exploits." Three young girls and their pious mother clearly testify by their feat that for people strengthened by the grace of God, lack of physical strength, weakness of nature, age, social status in no way hinder the manifestation of fortitude of spirit, firmness in a virtuous life, and testimony of the Christian faith. The word of the Apostle Paul is fulfilled in them: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13), and now "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate" (Rom. 8:38-39) faithful Christians from the love of God. May the Lord, through the prayers of the holy martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia – the heavenly patronesses of Semirechye – grant us not in words but in deeds to lead a life based on the Gospel commandments, grant us all the power of faith and the strength of hope, and most importantly, the power of love – love for God and people. May these three virtues be our guiding star in our lives, our prayers, our sorrows and joys, so that each of us could say in an apostolic manner: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). From the words of Metropolitan Alexander.