Feast Day of the Church of St. Nicholas in the Village of Malotimofeevka

May 25, 2025. Malotimofeevka village (present-day Akkayin), Akmola Region. On the sixth Sunday after Pascha, by the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, spiritual celebrations took place in the Church of St. Nicholas of the Astana Deanery on the occasion of its patronal feast.

The Divine Liturgy for the feast day was celebrated by Archimandrite Sergy (Karamyshev), Dean of the Astana Church District, concelebrated by the parish rector, Priest Vladislav Kovalenko.

A joyful highlight for the parishioners was the arrival of a special relic — a particle of the holy relics of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. The honorable relic was presented to Father Vladislav Kovalenko by the leadership of the Congregatio Missionariorum Oblatorum Sanctissimae et Immaculatae Virginis Mariae during his pilgrimage to Italy in the spring of this year. By the blessing of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, the relic will now permanently remain in the Church of St. Nicholas for devout veneration and prayer.

Before the start of the Liturgy, accompanied by the chanting of the troparion and kontakion to Saint Nicholas, Archimandrite Sergy solemnly brought the reliquary into the church, where it was reverently welcomed by the faithful.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Church of St. Nicholas under the direction of Ksenia Che.

Distinguished guests of the feast day included: His Excellency Aleksey Igorievich Bogdanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Kazakhstan; Aleksey Yuryevich Volkov, Director of the Institute of Diplomacy at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Sofia Sergeyevna Galchina, Secretary of the Group on Humanitarian Cooperation at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Kazakhstan; and Sergey Alexandrovich Kaimashnikov, Director of the Russian House in Astana.

The celebration gathered Orthodox faithful from across the Akmola region as well as parishioners from churches in the capital.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a festive procession of the cross took place. Archimandrite Sergy sprinkled the worshippers with holy water and delivered a homily.

After the service, a festive meal was organized for all guests by the efforts of the parish community.