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==Life==
Yuri Feofanovich Kozorez (George) was born on [[September 17]], 1953 into a peasant family in the rural village of Obariv, near Rivne in [[Church of Ukraine|Ukraine]]. George graduated high school in 1970, when he was 14 16 years old. During this time, he served the Church with [[minor orders]]. In the following years, George went to Moscow in order to join the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], from which he graduated in 1979. He remained there as a post-graduate student, receiving his Degree in Theology in 1984 from the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1985, George moved to the [[Eparchy of Astana|Eparchy of Almaty]] in Kazakhstan, serving under the newly-elected Bishop Eusebius (Savvin) of Almaty (1984–1990; now Metropolitan of Pskov), who had also come from Moscow.
On [[April 13]], 1985, Bishop Eusebius [[ordination|ordained]] George a [[deacon]] at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Almaty. <small>([https://www.google.com/maps/place/@43.2485241,76.9281389,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipN-hA1djmu_dz3v6s8YTbFSNC-VvsuC_SKBVpZx!2e10!3e0!4s!1i0!1i0!4m5!3m1!1s0x0:0x5d92088f2c8c2fca!7m0!1d0!1d0 see photos])</small> Deacon George was ordained into [[Priest|Holy Priesthood]] by the same bishop on [[September 17]], being entrusted as [[Proistamenos|rector]] to the cathedral. Father George left the cathedral in 1986 to be made rector of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Shymkent, <small>([https://www.google.com/maps/place/@42.3100689,69.6188422,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNAo9OIXd6RzqIIRTBq1aw9TmYWdvxwEBbN5RMy!2e10!3e0!4s!1i0!1i0!4m5!3m1!1s0x0:0xdfb024344d91fc9!7m0!1d0!1d0 see photos])</small> as well as [[dean]] to the churches located in Turkistan (where Shymkent is) and Kyzylorda. On [[March 26]], 1987, Father George was tonsured into [[monasticism]] receiving Saint Eleutherius the Cubicularius as his patron saint. In 1988, Hieromonk Eleutherius was elevated to the rank of [[hegumen]]. Hegumen Eleutherius was responsible for the construction of many new churches in Kazakhstan, which were dedicated to [[George the Trophy-bearer|Saint George]], [[Xenia of St. Petersburg|Saint Xenia]], the [[Dormition|Dormition on the Theotokos]] and the Icon “The Joy of All Who Sorrow”.
