Festive Services Begin in the Kazan Church of Tobyl in Honor of the 15th Anniversary of the Kostanay Diocese

On October 10, 2025 — the day commemorating the martyrdom of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsy, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne — Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Tobyl, located on the opposite bank of the Tobol River from Kostanay.

His Eminence was concelebrated by Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese; Priest Andrey Krutin, Dean of the Kostanay Church District and Rector of the Kazan Church; Archpriest Oleg Kalmykov, Dean of the Lisakovsk Church District and Rector of the Church of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt in the city of Lisakovsk; Archpriest Vitaly Kleba, Dean of the Sarykol Church District; Monk Maksim (Boikov), Rector of the Church of All Saints in the settlement of Sarykol; Archpriest Vitaly Gutsan, Sacristan of the Church of St. Nicholas in the city of Kostanay; Archpriest Alexey Mostovshchikov, Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in the settlement of Fedorovka; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s personal secretariat; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Protodeacon Alexander Mokiy; and clergy of the Almaty and Kostanay dioceses.

The choir of the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Kostanay sang under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

After the Eucharistic Canon, Metropolitan Alexander ordained Alexey Fedorchenko, a student of the Almaty Theological Seminary, to the diaconate.

During the communion hymn, Archpriest Vitaly Kleba read aloud the message of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Kostanay Diocese.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the archpastor congratulated the clergy and faithful on the solemn celebration of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Kostanay and Rudny Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, and addressed the gathered with words of pastoral instruction.