Metropolitan Alexander Led the Celebrations for the 15th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Kostanay Diocese

October 12, 2025 – 18th Sunday after Pentecost, the commemoration day of Hieromartyr John, Archbishop of Riga and Latvia, and the uncovering of the relics of St. John (Maximovich), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, Wonderworker.

In the main cathedral city of the Kostanay Diocese – Kostanay – spiritual celebrations took place marking the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese.

The Sunday Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Kostanay was celebrated by the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were:Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese; Protopriest Vasily Korolev, Sacristan of the Cathedral of Sts. Constantine and Helen; Igumen Innokenty (Pomogalov), cleric of the cathedral; Protopriest Oleg Kalmykov, Dean of the Lisakovsk Church District and Rector of the Church of St. John of Kronstadt in Lisakovsk; Protopriest Andrey Korchazhnikov, Spiritual Father of the Kostanay Diocese; Igumen Maksim (Boykov), Sacristan of the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Rudny;Protopriest Vitaly Kleba, cleric of the Cathedral of Sts. Constantine and Helen and Dean of the Sarykol Church District; Protopriest Vitaly Gutsan, Sacristan of the Church of St. Nicholas in Kostanay; Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest Mikhail Berezin, Rector of the Church of St. Methodius in Petropavlovsk; Priest Andrey Krutin, Dean of the Kostanay Church District and Rector of the Kazan Icon Church in Tobyl; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky;Protodeacon Alexander Mokiy; Deacon Eliazar Aytbakin; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

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

Praying at the service were: Igumenia Nika (Otroshchenko), Abbess of the Iversky–Petropavlovsky Convent, with the sisters of the monastery; teachers and students of the Sunday schools of Kostanay; and numerous parishioners.

Following the Eucharistic Canon, Metropolitan Alexander ordained Subdeacon Tarasy Takenov to the diaconate.

After the Communion verse, Protopriest Vitaly Kleba read aloud the message from the Head of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Kostanay Diocese.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a magnification was chanted to the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon before the reliquary containing a portion of the saint’s relics.

A polychronion was proclaimed for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Head and bishops of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, visiting archpastors, the President, the authorities, the military, and all the people of Kazakhstan.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated those present on the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Kostanay Diocese and the bringing of the relics of the greatly venerated Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon to Northern Kazakhstan, after which he addressed the faithful with words of spiritual exhortation.

Following the service, veneration of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon continued at the Cathedral of Sts. Constantine and Helen, and the opening of a photo exhibition dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Kostanay Diocese took place.

“Today we mark a significant date – the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Kostanay and Rudny Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.

Fifteen years is a short span in the context of history, yet for Orthodoxy on the Kostanay land, these years have become a meaningful time of formation and development in various spheres of church life. With God’s help, and through the joint labors of hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and laypeople, ancient holy sites have been and continue to be restored, new parishes have been established, Sunday schools for children and adults have begun their work, and educational and charitable projects have been undertaken.

The Iversky–Petropavlovsky Convent, destroyed during the years of godless persecution, has been restored from oblivion, and now, on this historic site, the lamp of humble monastic prayer once again burns.

A major step in the development of diocesan life was the construction of the spiritual, cultural, and administrative center in Kostanay, which bears the name of the confessor of the faith and ascetic of piety, Bishop Timon (Rusanov).

All the efforts accomplished in the Kostanay Diocese over these 15 years are our humble response to the Lord’s command: ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel’ (Mark 16:15). Saving faith, as the Apostle Paul affirms, is sown in human hearts through hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Today, we Orthodox Christians – and especially those who serve at the Lord’s altar – must tirelessly bear witness, both near and far, that true life – life in abundance – is found only in the Crucified and Risen Christ (John 10:10).

Today we have many opportunities for this – the main thing is not to squander precious time, not to fall into laziness or carelessness.

By the intercession of the Queen of Heaven, through the prayers of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan, may the Kostanay Diocese continue to be strengthened and to flourish – and may our light so shine before others that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).”

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander