At Lisya Balka – Site of the Martyrdom of Thousands of Orthodox Christians – the Foundation Was Laid for a Memorial Church in Honor of the New Martyrs of Chimkent

May 11, 2025 – Shymkent. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, at Lisya Balka – the place of suffering and martyrdom for countless Orthodox hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and laypeople – Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, performed the rite of blessing the cross and foundation stone for the construction of a memorial chapel in honor of the New Martyrs of Chimkent.

The initiative to erect the memorial church at Lisya Balka belongs to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. This place, sadly known throughout the world, became a site of execution and final rest for thousands of Orthodox Christians. Among those who suffered here were eminent church figures of the 20th century: Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) of Kazan, Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovykh), Archbishop Alexy (Orlov), Bishop Eugene (Kobranov), and many other hierarchs, pastors, and an innumerable multitude of faithful laypeople.

During an official meeting with the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Maulen Sagathanovich Ashimbayev, on November 22, 2024, Patriarch Kirill, well acquainted with the history of persecution against Orthodoxy, proposed the construction of a memorial church in Lisya Balka, now located within the boundaries of the city of Shymkent. The creation of a chapel will serve to perpetuate the memory of Orthodox hierarchs, clergy, and laypeople who suffered for the faith in southern Kazakhstan in the 20th century.

The project, blessed by His Holiness, was submitted for review by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev. After careful consideration, the President approved the establishment at Lisya Balka of two religious memorials – an Orthodox chapel and a Muslim mosque – as this location became the final resting place for innocently slain representatives of Kazakhstan’s two major traditional confessions: Islam and Orthodoxy.

Taking part in the prayer at the blessing of the cross and the foundation stone were: Bishop Chrysanth of Chimkent and Turkestan, ruling hierarch of the Chimkent Diocese; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, vicar of the Astana Diocese; clergy of the Chimkent Diocese; clergy who accompanied Metropolitan Alexander from Almaty; and Orthodox residents of Shymkent.

Also present at the ceremony was Bakhtiyar Altaevich Onerbayev, Head of the Department for Religious Affairs of the city of Shymkent.

Before the beginning of the service, Metropolitan Alexander addressed the assembled faithful with words of spiritual edification. Afterward, the official act of the blessing of the cross and foundation stone, signed by the Metropolitan and the hierarchs, was read aloud. The document was sealed in a metal capsule and placed in a specially prepared niche in the foundation of the church under construction.

After the appointed prayers, the Head of the Metropolis sprinkled the cross, the foundation stone, and all those present with holy water. A polychronion (Many Years) was proclaimed for: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; the Head, hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and God-preserved flock of the Kazakhstan Metropolis; the President, authorities, armed forces, and all the people of Kazakhstan.

The church will be built with donations from benefactors and voluntary contributions from the faithful.

“Your Graces, Reverend Fathers, beloved brothers and sisters – Christ is Risen! Today we are partaking in an event of great spiritual and historical significance: the cross is blessed, and the cornerstone laid for the construction of a memorial church in honor of the New Martyrs of Chimkent.In these radiant days of Pascha, when heaven and earth, angels and mankind rejoice in the victory of Christ over sin, the curse, and death, here in Lisya Balka – with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill – we begin the construction of a chapel in memory of all those who suffered innocently in this place for the truth of God, for the preaching of the Gospel, and for their faith in Christ.The initiative of building this memorial church, proposed by the Primate of our Church, received the approval of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev. The city authorities of Shymkent have also given their goodwill and consent to the project. I take this opportunity to express heartfelt gratitude to the Head of State, who, just recently – on the eve of the feast of Holy Pascha – during our meeting once again emphasized the important role of the Orthodox Church in promoting traditional and family values, educating the younger generation, and preserving the cultural heritage of our country. I also express hope for the support of the city’s leadership. The creation of a memorial church at the site of martyrdom and burial of countless people has long been awaited by many of their relatives. Appeals for the construction of a chapel at the sorrowfully renowned Lisya Balka have come from descendants of the victims not only from Kazakhstan but also from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, the United States, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and other countries.

It is our sacred duty to do all that is within our power to honor their memory. Here, in this memorial church, we will glorify the New Martyrs and prayerfully remember the innocent sufferers. The Lord has revealed to us ‘the exceeding riches of His grace’ (Eph. 2:7), granting us the opportunity to be participants in this holy beginning, which marks the start of the great work of building a sacred place. If the Lord so wills, and if we labor with diligence and love, yet another church will rise upon the blessed land of Kazakhstan. The significance of the church – which the holy fathers and teachers of the Church have called ‘Heaven on earth’ – cannot be overstated in the life of an Orthodox Christian. Under its domes, the most holy Eucharist is offered – the Bloodless Sacrifice ‘for the life of the world’ (John 6:51). May this new church, dedicated to the New Martyrs of Christ, become a true adornment of this land – a visible testimony to the power and glory of God, to the protective veil of the Queen of Heaven spread over all of us, and to the prayers of the saints who have shone forth upon our land. We all look forward with heartfelt hope to the day when this church will be consecrated by the Primate of our Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, who, God willing, will visit Kazakhstan in September of this year at the invitation of the Head of State.” — From the address of Metropolitan Alexander at the laying of the foundation of the church in honor of the New Martyrs of Chimkent.