On the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, the Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Festal Great Vespers in the Main Church of Almaty

On the evening of April 20, 2025, the Feast of the Radiant Resurrection of Christ, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Great Paschal Vespers at the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Protopriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Almaty Deanery; Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon of the Theotokos; Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese; department heads of the Metropolitan District in holy orders; and clergy of the churches of the Southern Capital.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov, the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of E. Boguslavets, and students of the Orthodox Choir School “Tsevnytsa” under the direction of N. Golovina.

Praying at the service were: Hegumeness Lyubov (Yakushkina), Abbess of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent, with the sisters of the monastery; staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; and benefactors of the diocese.

Among the honored guests was N.M. Kikimov, Head of the Department for Religious Affairs of Almaty.

Following long-standing tradition, the Holy Fire from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was brought to the Almaty Cathedral by a delegation of clergy and laity from the Astana–Almaty Diocese in time for the beginning of Great Vespers.

The Head of the Metropolitan District warmly thanked the benefactors for organizing the bringing of the Holy Fire from the Holy City of Jerusalem to Kazakhstan.

Ascending the ambo, Metropolitan Alexander was the first to light the bundles of candles from the sacred flame and blessed the faithful with them. From this flame, candles throughout the cathedral were lit, spiritually uniting the faithful of Almaty with the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

In accordance with the liturgical typikon, the Great Prokeimenon was chanted during Vespers.

Standing in the Royal Doors and facing the people, Metropolitan Alexander read the appointed Gospel passage from the Gospel of John, recounting the first appearance of the Risen Lord to His disciples, when the Apostle Thomas was absent.

At the conclusion of Vespers, Bishop Gennady, on behalf of the bishops, clergy, monastics, and laity of the Metropolitan District, congratulated the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on the Feast of the Radiant Resurrection of Christ.

On behalf of the executive authorities of the city of Almaty, Metropolitan Alexander and the faithful were greeted by Nurlan Medsantovich Kikimov, Head of the Department for Religious Affairs of Almaty, who read the official congratulatory message from Mayor Yerbolat Askarbekovich Dossayev.

The faithful were also greeted with Paschal hymns performed by the students of the Ascension Cathedral’s Sunday School.