September 1, 2026. Alma Ata. The funds of the house-museum of the Ever-memorable Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Alma Ata and Kazakhstan, opened this year in the Southern capital with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, continue to be replenished with new exhibits.
Abbess of the Iversko-Serafimovsky Monastery in Alma Ata, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), handed over to the museum of the confessor of faith and ascetic of piety, revered by believers, a commemorative inscription left by the elder saint on one of the pages of his diary. On a small piece of paper is written: "Mother of God, Most Pure and Most Blessed! You have graciously placed it in my heart to be a monk from my earliest years! I am unworthy of all the mercies You have bestowed on me, which You have bestowed on Your servant; for I was once received into Your monastery of Belynech; and now I have a panagia, a rod, and an eagle.... (Chernov), 1956."
Metropolitan Joseph's handwritten notes are one of the characteristic features of his spiritual legacy. Vladyka used to record memorable events of his life, personal reflections and observations, as well as leave inscriptions on personal items belonging to him and donated. These autographs and notes, preserved to this day, allow us to see behind the historical events of a living person who devoted his life to the service of the Church.
The building of the memorial house, which houses the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Museum, is located in Alma Ata on Ashimbaev Street, not far from the Iversko-Serafimovsky Monastery. In the 60s and 70s of the last century, the Alma Ata diocesan administration was located in this one-story house, where the elder saint worked and lived. The museum is not only a monument to the life and work of Bishop Joseph, but also an important research center for the spiritual heritage of the righteous archpastor.