Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrates Lenten Liturgy at the Kazan Cathedral in the Southern Capital

April 2, 2025 – Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Great Lent, the feast day of the Holy Martyr Photini (Svetlana) the Samaritan Woman.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregory the Dialogist in the oldest church of Almaty – the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Protopriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the churches of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon of the Mother of God; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral; Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin) and Hieromonk Isaac (Istyleyev); Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; and Deacon Konstantin Volnyagin.

The choir of the Kazan Cathedral sang under the direction of M.S. Chistyakova. The hymn “Let My Prayer Arise” was performed by Deacon Alexander Piven, Dimitry Kochua, and Ioann Guseynov.

The homily after the Communion verse was delivered by Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin).

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the archpastor addressed the faithful with a sermon, followed by words of blessing for the parishioners of the church who bear the name Svetlana in Holy Baptism.

The Head of the Metropolitan District also congratulated Deacon Konstantin Volnyagin, cleric of the Kazan Cathedral, on the occasion of his birthday and presented him with a holy prosphora, wishing him the mercy of God, spiritual and bodily health, and dedicated service to the Church of Christ.