Visit of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan to the Diocese of Chimkent Begins

On May 10–11, 2025, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, will visit the Diocese of Chimkent.

Accompanying the Metropolitan are: Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, vicar of the Astana Diocese; Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyev, rector of the Almaty Church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the Metropolitan’s administrative secretariat; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service; and Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky.

The archpastoral visit will include:

• Sunday Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Shymkent (beginning at 9:00 a.m.);
• A memorial litia at the gravesite of the ever-memorable Archbishop Eleutherius (Kozorez), located near the cathedral;
• A memorial service at the commemorative cross in Lisya Balka – the site of execution of Christian martyrs, political prisoners, and victims of repression;
• Visits to churches; meetings with clergy, representatives of civil authorities, and leaders of public and ethnocultural organizations.

During his stay in Shymkent, and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Alexander will perform the rite of blessing the cross and foundation stone for the future memorial chapel in honor of the New Martyrs of Shymkent at the site of Lisya Balka.