On the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos a Traditional Procession Took Place in the Kostanay Diocese to the Mass Grave of the Innocently Repressed

August 28, 2025 – on the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, with the blessing of the Acting Administrator of the Kostanay and Rudny Diocese, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the diocesan secretary Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), together with the diocesan clergy, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Tobyl.

The choir of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral sang under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

After the service, a procession took place to the site of the mass grave of clergy, monastics, and laity who had been repressed and executed in 1937–38, located near the village of Novoselovka.

Participating in the sacred procession were the clergy of the Kostanay Diocese and numerous faithful.

Upon arrival at the burial site of the sufferers for the faith of Christ, Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha) served a memorial litia for political prisoners and those repressed in the 20th century.

At the conclusion of the prayer service, the secretary addressed the gathered faithful with a homily:

“For the seventh time now we have conducted this prayerful procession to this memorial site, in order to honor the martyric feat of priests, monastics, and laity who gave their lives for the faith of Christ. For us, Christians living today in the 21st century, this is an example of profound faith, which we contemplate with reverence, according to the words of the Apostle Paul: ‘Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct’ (Heb. 13:7),” – noted Hieromonk Gennady.

At the burial site of the sufferers for Christ, a memorial litia was served, after which the rector of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the settlement of Zatobolsk, Priest Andrey Krutin, spoke about the history of the repressions of 1937–1938, thanked the faithful for their prayerful labor, and emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of those who suffered for their faith.