25th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata – heavenly patron of Kazakhstan (+VIDEO)

September 8, 2025 – feast of the Vladimir and Pskovo-Pechersk “Tenderness” icons of the Mother of God; commemoration of the martyrs Adrian and Natalia; remembrance of the uncovering of the relics of the confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata – heavenly patron of Kazakhstan.

On this day in the year 2000, with the blessing of Archbishop Alexy of Astana and Alma-Ata (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov), the holy relics of Saint Nicholas (Mogilevsky), confessor and metropolitan, were uncovered at the city cemetery and solemnly translated to St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty, where they remain in the southern chapel. This cathedral had been returned to the faithful and restored by Metropolitan Nicholas in 1946. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the saintly hierarch of Almaty.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, a vicar of the Astana diocese, celebrated the festive Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral of the southern capital.

His Grace was concelebrated by: Protopriest Valery Zakharov, dean of the Almaty churches and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Protopriest Igor Svetlichny, keyholder of St. Nicholas Church; Protopriest Alexander Gaichenya, keyholder of the Nativity Cathedral; Protopriest Georgy Kharlov, rector of St. John the Baptist Church in Guldala; Protopriest Valery Shavrin, rector of the Epiphany Church; Hieromonk Pimen (Tkachenko), rector of the St. Xenia parish in Konaev; Priest Ioann Livinsky, vice-rector for educational work of the Almaty Seminary; Hieromonk Sergy (Vnukovsky), keyholder of the Vladimir Church; Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the administrative secretariat of the Metropolitan; Priest Georgy Rublinsky, keyholder of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty; Priest Vladimir Savvin; Priest Sergy Slesarchuk, cleric of the Nativity of the Theotokos Church in Akzhar; Hierodeacon Afanasiy (Kozel); Deacon Alexander Voronin; and Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

The choir of St. Nicholas Cathedral, directed by O. Solomonova, performed the liturgical hymns.

Praying at the service were the staff of the Almaty diocesan administration and numerous parishioners.

During the Liturgy, prayers were offered for the repose of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), confessor of the faith; Archimandrite Isaakiy (Vinogradov), companion and spiritual son of Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky); and all Orthodox Christians “tortured and slain in the time of cruel persecutions by the godless, those who died from hunger, cold, wounds, illnesses, and forced labor.”

The homily after the Communion hymn was delivered by Priest Ioann Livinsky.

Following the dismissal of the Liturgy, a service of glorification was performed before the reliquary containing the holy relics of Saint Nicholas.

After venerating the relics of the heavenly patron of Kazakhstan, Bishop Veniamin congratulated the clergy and faithful on the feast of the uncovering of the relics of Metropolitan Nicholas of Almaty, and addressed those present with a sermon on his ascetic life, his confession of Christ, and his apostolic labors as a remarkable hierarch of the 20th century.

The liturgy was filmed by the television studio Semirechye of the Kazakhstan Metropolis (director – Honored Worker of Culture V.L. Posadneva, cameraman A. Schmidt); by I. Tikhomirov of Eleos-Blagovest; and photographed by A. Shcheglov of the information department.

For a detailed account of the life, sufferings for the faith, and episcopal service of Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky), see the article by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan: “His confessorial feat teaches us that there is no power in the world that can overcome the power of God.”