Dear brothers and sisters!
I greet the organizers and visitors of the exhibition dedicated to the outstanding figure of Orthodoxy of the last century, a confessor of faith and ascetic of piety - Archimandrite Kirill (Borodin).
The personality of this pastor deserves special attention, as today's times dictate the need for us to find good and noble examples among our predecessors, so that in our lives we can rely on their priceless experience of faith and be guided by spiritual wisdom. More than three decades have passed since Father Kirill's repose to the Lord, but time does not erase his bright image from the people's memory. Many people in Kazakhstan, Russia, the Baltics, and other countries remember Father Kirill well, consider him their mentor, and venerate him as a man of prayer and discernment.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23), says the ancient prophet. The Creator, having designated someone for high pastoral service, by His Providence prepares the person in many ways, the meaning and significance of which are sometimes understood only subsequently. In the life of Archimandrite Kirill, we see this mysterious Divine power that leads him through various circumstances, acquaints him with different people, and helps to reveal talents that will be necessary for a priest faithfully teaching the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
Many facts of Father Kirill's biography are truly astonishing—born in Königsberg, he mysteriously ended up at the age of nine, along with his adoptive parents, the Borodins, as a prisoner in Karlag, a descendant of the famous German aristocratic family, inspired by the exploits of repressed clergy, becomes a humble monk. Recalling those difficult times, he told his spiritual children, "It was during those years that I truly believed in God because I saw an example of true, confessional faith." As a young man, he felt two callings—to be a school teacher and to heal people, but the Lord granted him a higher service—to teach the people the Gospel truth and to heal human souls from sin. During the tragic years of the "Khrushchev thaw," the future ascetic took holy orders and was deemed worthy to suffer for Christ persecutions and reproaches from the enemies of Orthodoxy. He worked under the memorable His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I (Simansky), was his secretary, and served in the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.
A special role in the spiritual formation of Archimandrite Kirill belongs to two great Kazakh ascetics, courageous confessors of faith, pleasing to God, whose names are now known to a vast number of people both in our country and far beyond—Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) and Schema-Archimandrite Sebastian (Fomin). Pilgrims continuously visit their tombs in Almaty and Karaganda, seeking to receive divine gifts from the Lord, to heal from ailments, and to rid themselves of sorrows. Thanks to the Venerable Sebastian of Karaganda—the "Servant of the Holy Trinity," one of the last elders of the Optina Monastery—the future great pastor, then a very young man facing a life choice, fell in love with prayer and ascetic life, took on the "angelic image," and learned the traditions of monastic deeds. Metropolitan Joseph treated Archimandrite Kirill, then a hieromonk, paternally, conversing at length, strengthening and supporting him in pastoral labors. According to contemporaries, Metropolitan Joseph called him "Golden Head" or "Royal Head."
In the 1970s, following the precept of Venerable Sebastian and by the blessing of Metropolitan Joseph, Archimandrite Kirill founded a women's monastery in Tselinograd, as the city of Astana was then called, dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Seeker of the Lost," which still operates today. He restored an ancient wooden Cossack church in the name of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Kings Constantine and Helena, setting up two new side-chapels in the renovated temple. Father Kirill particularly venerated the Tselinograd-Pochaev Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos—a copy of the revealed Pochaev Icon brought from the Pochaev Lavra of the Assumption. He recounted how, during his seminary studies, the Queen of Heaven appeared to him, proclaiming God's will to create a monastic abode in Tselinograd under the patronage of the Pochaev image. Miracles from the Tselinograd Icon of the Mother of God continue to this day.
Forty years of the life of Archimandrite Kirill (Borodin), wholly given to God and people, were connected with Kazakhstan. It is important to remember that the current development of various aspects of church activity has been made possible thanks to those who, in the dark era of militant atheism, preserved and passed on the light of faith, the firmness of hope, and the power of Christ's conquering love to those around them. Gratefully recalling the life and labors of Archimandrite Kirill, we speak of the past, present, and future of the Orthodox Church, as the name of this ascetic unites history and modernity.
I would like to express words of gratitude to the initiator of the creation of the exhibition—the research fellow of the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary, candidate of historical sciences, Andrey Vladimirovich Pecherin, who undertook a great and significant effort—gathered detailed information about Archimandrite Kirill, found documents, and personal belongings of the elder.
We need to know our historical past well, to draw lessons from it. This knowledge makes us internally stronger and more stable in the face of modern challenges. According to the Scripture, "the righteous live forever" (Sirach 5:15) and show their care for their prayerfully remembering spiritual children. I hope that the exhibition telling about Archimandrite Kirill (Borodin) will allow everyone not only to remember but also to better know the righteous pastor, whose service has made a significant contribution to the spiritual development of Kazakhstan.
Eternal and grateful memory to the blessed Archimandrite Kirill, confessor of Orthodoxy, teacher of true faith, ascetic, and spiritual mentor!
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