The Rector of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Almaty, Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, Reposed in the Lord

11 November 2025. Almaty. After a long illness, Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, rector of the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian in Almaty, reposed in the Lord at the age of 54.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan commemorated the newly departed pastor during the Divine Liturgy and performed a memorial litia in the Church of Blessed Matrona of Moscow.

The funeral service for the newly departed Archpriest Georgy will take place on 12 November at the Kazan Cathedral of Almaty following the Divine Liturgy. The beginning is at 10:30.

Archpriest Georgy Valeryevich Chistyakov was born on 14 August 1971 in Almaty. From 1978 to 1986 he studied at Secondary School No. 105 in Almaty. From 1986 to 1988 he worked at the city bus depot while continuing his studies at the Evening School for Working Youth No. 19, which he completed in 1989.

Beginning in 1988, he served as subdeacon and cell attendant to Bishop Eusebius (Savvin) of Almaty and Kazakhstan (later Metropolitan of Pskov; now retired).

From 1989 to 1991 he fulfilled compulsory military service in the Soviet Army. After demobilization, from January to July 1992, he again served as subdeacon to Bishop Eusebius.

On 1 September 1992 he entered the Almaty Diocesan Theological School.

On 14 October 1992, in the Church of the Protection of the Mother of God in Almaty, Archbishop Alexy (Kutepov) of Almaty and Semipalatinsk (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov) ordained him deacon and assigned him to the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in Shemonaikha, East Kazakhstan Region.

On 18 October 1992, in the St. Nicholas Cathedral of Almaty, Archbishop Alexy ordained him priest. On 19 November 1992 he was appointed rector of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in Shemonaikha.

On 1 September 1997 he was appointed to the Church of Archangel Michael in Kaskelen, Almaty Region, and on 11 November of the same year became its rector.

On 1 November 1998 he was appointed rector of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Almaty.

In 2004 he began teaching “History of the Russian Orthodox Church” at the Almaty Diocesan Theological School.

In 2007 he graduated from the St. Tikhon Orthodox Humanities University.

In 2011 he was appointed responsible for the construction of the chapel at the Northern Cemetery of Almaty.

In 2012 he was elected judge of the Diocesan Court, and since 2015 he had served as a member of the court.

He was married and the father of five children – three daughters and two sons.