The Transfiguration of the Lord. The Head of the Metropolis Celebrated the Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty

August 19, 2025 – the great feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolis were: the Vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Dean of the Almaty parishes and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Protopriest Valery Zakharov; Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese, Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and Head of the Information Department of the Metropolis, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov; Protopriest Dimitry Sidorov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat, Hieromonk Prochor (Endovitsky); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolis, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Hieromonk Kheruvim (Levin); Sacristan of the Adriano-Natalievsky Church, Priest Ioann Konoplev; Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko; Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

The service was attended by staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration, diocesan benefactors, and numerous parishioners.

The hymns were performed by the Choir of the Metropolis (conductor – Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov, choirmaster – V. Dudareva) and the Ascension Cathedral Choir (conductor – E. Boguslavets).

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, according to the Church Typikon, grapes of the new harvest, along with other fruits ripened by this time, were blessed.

The clergy and choir chanted the troparion, kontakion, and magnification of the feast; the archpastor read the prayers of blessing and sprinkled the newly ripened fruits and the faithful with holy water.

The Metropolitan congratulated the hierarchs, clergy, and laity on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and addressed the gathered with a sermon.

The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan also congratulated Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov on the anniversary of his priestly ordination, presented him with the holy prosphora, thanked him for his dedicated labors, and wished him strength of soul and body, as well as God’s mercy in his continued service to the Holy Church.

The entire festive service was broadcast live on the YouTube channel “Proobraz” with the support of the Eleos Foundation (director – V.M. Kapsamun).

The filming of the metropolitan service was carried out by the Semirechye television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolis (director – Honored Cultural Worker V.L. Posadneva, cameraman – A. Shmidt); photography was done by Information Department staff member A. Khalin.

“Each Great Feast dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ or His Most Pure Mother opens for us a new page in the spiritual life. Through the profound and penetrating festal services, our real encounter with God takes place; the renewal of human nature is accomplished. Guided by the words of Holy Scripture and inspired by the liturgical texts, in which shines the pure gold of patristic wisdom, the Christian is strengthened in trials and receives power for good works. The Transfiguration of the Lord, which enlightened the hearts and minds of the apostles, urges us also to moral transfiguration and spiritual renewal. The manifestation of Divine glory on Mount Tabor reminds all people of the incorruptible glory of the future eternal Heavenly Kingdom, where ‘God will be all in all’ (1 Cor. 15:28) and ‘the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father’ (Matt. 13:43). On this radiant feast, we are called to transfigure the world around us. How? Through our participation in the lives of others. The grace and spiritual joy we received today at the Liturgy must be shared with our families, given to those with whom we communicate, meet, or work, and shown to each person in need through active love and mercy. May the light of the Lord’s Transfiguration strengthen and inspire us to do good works, give us courage and strength amid the storms of life to remain steadfast and calm, resist temptations, and walk the Gospel path with firm hope in the eternal salvation granted us by God.” — From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.