March 27, 2025 – the feast of the Feodorov Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. On this day, fifteen years have passed since Metropolitan Alexander assumed the administration of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan — the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.
His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty, where a measure-for-measure copy of the wonderworking revealed icon is kept.
Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk; Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Vicar of the Astana Diocese, Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Bishop Chrysanth of Shymkent and Turkestan; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Dean of the Churches of Almaty, Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Protopriest Valery Zakharov; Dean of the Astana Church District, Archimandrite Sergy (Karamyshev); Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyov; Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese, Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Head of the Department of Education and Catechization of the Metropolitan District, Rector of the Intercession Church and of the Church of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Southern Capital, Protopriest Evgeny Bobylev; Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolitan District, Protopriest Alexander Suvorov; Acting Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov; Heads of departments and commissions of the Metropolitan District in holy orders; Rectors and clergy of the churches of Almaty; and clergy who arrived with the hierarchs. The diaconal rank was headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.
The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Metropolitan District under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia O. N. Ovchinnikov; the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of Ye. Boguslavets; and students of the Orthodox Choir School “Tsevnitza” under the direction of N. Golovina.
Praying at the Liturgy were: the Abbess of the Iveron-St. Seraphim Convent, Hegumenia Lyubov (Yakushkina), together with the sisters of the monastery; the head of the Eleos Public Foundation, V. M. Kapsamun; staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; students of the Almaty Theological Seminary; Cossack representatives; and parishioners of the cathedral.
The homily after the Communion verse was delivered by Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a glorification was offered to the Most Holy Theotokos before Her Feodorov Icon, followed by the veneration of the Cross of Christ.
A Polychronion (Many Years) was proclaimed for: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church; the Head, hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; the President, authorities, armed forces, and all the people of Kazakhstan.
Archbishop Amphilochius read aloud the address of greeting to Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan from the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of his archpastoral ministry in Kazakhstan:
“It has been fifteen years since, on the feast of one of the great sacred treasures of Orthodoxy — the wonderworking Feodorov Icon of the Mother of God — you set foot upon the blessed land of the Great Steppe as the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan. With Christian humility and a deep awareness of the great responsibility entrusted to you, you accepted the good and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2), revealed through the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Fifteen years is no short span. Giving praise to God, the Giver of all good things, we can joyfully and gratefully testify that everything you have accomplished together with the clergy and the faithful over the past fifteen years is remarkable in its scope. Much could be said about important and meaningful projects, about facts and figures — but most importantly, a dynamic of comprehensive development has emerged and continues to grow in both diocesan and parish life.”
In his response, the Head of the Metropolitan District warmly thanked the hierarchs, clergy, and all the participants of the Liturgy for their kind wishes, and asked those gathered in the cathedral for fervent prayers for the bestowal of God’s strengthening and grace-filled help in his archpastoral service.
“The Psalmist David teaches us that in our labors, in the realization of plans and in seeing the fruits of our efforts, we must say: ‘Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory’ (Ps. 113:9). Everything that has been done and accomplished in the field of Church life I do not ascribe to myself, but solely to God, the Giver of all blessings. The commemorative date we mark today is a tribute to the work of us all — hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and laity — all who labor here, on this ancient and blessed land, sanctified by the blood of the New Martyrs and called ‘the Antimension spread beneath the open sky’,” the hierarch said, among other things.
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan also extended his congratulations to the faithful on the solemn occasion — the feast of the Feodorov Icon of the Mother of God — and delivered a homily. At the conclusion of the service, His Eminence sprinkled the worshippers with holy water.
In honor of the jubilee date, a significant holy relic — an icon containing a particle of the holy relics of Saint Nectarios, Metropolitan of Pentapolis and Wonderworker of Aegina — was presented to the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty by benefactors of the Metropolitan District.
V. M. Kapsamun, head of the Eleos Public Foundation, presented Metropolitan Alexander with a copy of the Gospel in the Gagauz language (a branch of the Oghuz group of Turkic languages).
The archpastor congratulated Hieromonk Alexy (Cherevtsov), rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Akzhar district, on the 20th anniversary of his diaconal ministry.
The Divine Liturgy was broadcast live by the Semirechye television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District (Director — Honored Cultural Worker V. L. Posadneva, Camera Operator — A. Schmidt); photography was carried out by A. Khalin.
“The history of the Feodorov Icon of the Queen of Heaven, which has been kept in Kostroma for nearly eight centuries, preserves the memory of many miracles, of the gracious intercession and maternal help of the Most Holy Theotokos revealed to Orthodox Christians. This great holy icon is closely connected with renowned ascetics of faith and piety, with famous commanders and tsars. The ancient Feodorov Icon was the object of prayerful veneration for the holy, right-believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky. It was with this very icon that he was blessed for marriage, and he never parted from it — defending the western frontiers of the homeland from foreign invaders and journeying eastward to the Golden Horde. After the repose of the holy prince Alexander, in the early 1260s, the Feodorov Icon was miraculously discovered by his younger brother, Prince Vasily Yaroslavich, in a forest near the city of Kostroma. By the power of God, the wonderworking icon survived devastating fires that had consumed the city, granted victory to a small Kostroma militia over a foreign army that had approached the city’s borders. Before the Feodorov Icon, the holy and right-believing Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy wept over the loss of defenders of the homeland; and his son, Grand Prince Vasily Dmitrievich of Moscow, prayed for deliverance from enemies. But even greater glory was given to this icon during the events that marked the end of the Time of Troubles. In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected the young Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov to the throne of the Russian state. With this news, the delegation of the Sobor arrived in Kostroma, at the Holy Trinity Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail Feodorovich was then staying with his mother, the pious nun Martha. A great procession of clergy and faithful came to the monastery walls, bearing the main sacred treasure of the city — the wonderworking Feodorov Icon of the Mother of God. It was before this very image of the Most Pure Lady that young Mikhail Feodorovich accepted the popular election to the Russian throne. And with this icon, his mother blessed him for the monarchy with heartfelt words: ‘Into Thy most pure hands, O Sovereign Lady, I commend my child; guide him upon the path of truth, arrange all that is beneficial for him and for all Orthodox Christians.’ Thus, in the Kostroma monastery, before the face of the Queen of Heaven, began both the historical path of the royal House of Romanov and the overcoming of the state turmoil that had tormented Rus’ for many years. The Feodorov Icon became especially venerated by all subsequent generations of Russian sovereigns — the last of whom, the passion-bearer Tsar Nicholas II, together with his august family, prayed before the revealed icon in 1913. In the modern history of our Church, the veneration of the Feodorov Icon of the Mother of God has been revived among the Orthodox people. Millions of believers from towns and villages across Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and near and far abroad lift their eyes to this ancient image, calling upon the name of the Sovereign Protectress. From January 28 to February 1, 2009, the wonderworking Feodorov Icon was present in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow during the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was in the presence of this holy icon that the election and enthronement of our Primate — His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia — took place. In 2015, the Feodorov Icon visited Almaty. Glorified by countless miracles, the Feodorov Icon of the Queen of Heaven is venerated as an intercessor for family well-being, the birth and upbringing of children, and as a helper in difficult childbirth. Prayers before this icon bring healing from severe illnesses, including infertility — miracles of which are attested by real, documented evidence.” — From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.
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