A Diocesan Assembly of the Almaty Diocese Dedicated to the Results of 2025 Took Place in Almaty

December 12, 2025. Almaty. In accordance with the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, a diocesan assembly of the clergy of the Astana and Almaty Diocese of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District was held at St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iversko-Seraphim Women’s Monastery.

The annual diocesan assembly, chaired by the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, was attended by: vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Administrator of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iversko-Seraphim Women’s Monastery in Almaty and Abbess Sevastiana (Plotnikova) of the Monastery in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Recovery of the Lost” in Astana; members of the diocesan council, deans, chairmen and secretaries of diocesan departments, secretaries of diocesan commissions, abbots of monasteries and parishes, assistants to rectors, sacristans; Secretary of the Metropolitan District O. N. Ovchinnikov; members of parish councils; and employees of the diocesan administration.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan addressed the clergy and laity with a report on the results of the concluding year.

The Metropolitan presented statistical data on the number of clergy and parishes, the number of divine services celebrated, ordinations and monastic tonsures performed, and the construction of new churches.

Participants of the assembly sang “Memory Eternal” for those who reposed in 2025 – Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, rector of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Almaty, and Nun Varvara (Stashan), a sister of the Monastery in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Recovery of the Lost” in Astana.

At the beginning of his report, the hierarch noted that “the principal event of this year in the life of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was the visit to the Republic of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. At the invitation of the President of the country, K.-Zh. K. Tokayev, His Holiness took part in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in mid-September in Astana. On the eve of the opening of the Congress, whose participants included more than 100 religious leaders from 60 countries of the world, His Holiness met with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For his contribution to strengthening spiritual ties between peoples and as a sign of special respect, Kassym-Jomart Kemelovich presented His Holiness with the highest state award – the Order of Altyn Kyran (Golden Eagle). I would like to note that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill became the first religious leader to be awarded this order since its establishment. During his Primatial visit, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church performed the rite of the small consecration of the Church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh in Astana, which forms part of the spiritual-cultural and educational center of the Metropolitan District in honor of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Land of Kazakhstan, currently under construction in the capital. On September 19, His Holiness led a prayer service at the Dormition Cathedral in Astana. Numerous faithful from various regions of Kazakhstan prayed at the service. Following the moleben, His Holiness awarded me the Order of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, First Class. I would like, taking this opportunity, once again to express my sincere gratitude to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The visit of His Holiness to Kazakhstan may rightly be called a historically significant spiritual celebration which, in my conviction, gave a powerful impulse to the further development of church life and served to strengthen Orthodoxy on the land of the Great Steppe.”

The Head of the Metropolitan District reminded those present of the main events in the life of the diocese in 2025: “The concluding year in the life of the Astana Diocese was filled with many significant events. The principal one was the 15th anniversary of the confirmation of the canonical and legal status of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Metropolitan District, which initially included only three dioceses – Almaty, Uralsk and Shymkent – today already consists of nine dioceses. The Synod of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District is functioning, organizing, coordinating and overseeing the entire diversity of church life in our country. It is gratifying that in the dioceses of Kazakhstan, alongside the restoration of destroyed shrines and the construction of new churches, the creation and development of spiritual-cultural centers continues, and a wide range of cultural, educational, social and youth projects are being carried out at parishes. Recalling the path traversed by the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in the contemporary historical period, it is necessary to draw lessons from it, to impartially assess what has already been done for the development of the spiritual life of society, and where special efforts and talents are still required. Speaking of the achievements attained, it is important to understand that an even broader field of activity lies ahead of us.”

His Eminence summarized the celebration of several other significant anniversaries: “Notable events of this year, directly connected with the life of the city of Almaty, included the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the repose of the Holy Confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Almaty and Kazakhstan, and the 25th anniversary of the uncovering of his honorable relics; as well as the 50th anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Almaty and Kazakhstan. As part of these commemorations, spiritual-educational, scholarly and cultural events were held. Our jubilees and commemorative dates are always an assessment of what has been accomplished, both at the pan-ecclesiastical level and at the level of personal spiritual life. They provide material for reflection, for outlining prospects and forming plans, for analysis and evaluation of the path already traveled.”

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan reminded those present that “the current year is marked by the 225th anniversary of the birth of the ever-memorable Archbishop Sophonia (Sokolsky) – a prominent church figure and spiritual enlightener of the 19th century, the Apostle of the Great Steppe, the first hierarch of the Turkestan Diocese, whose successors today are the Kazakhstan and Central Asian Metropolitan Districts. As part of the commemoration, the chapel in honor of the Resurrection of Christ at the Iversko-Seraphim Monastery – the burial place of the Turkestan hierarch – was painted. On December 16, the feast day of the heavenly patron of the ever-memorable Turkestan hierarch – the Prophet Zephaniah – we will perform a special commemoration of the hierarch and transfer his honorable remains to the crypt of the Resurrection Chapel.”

The hierarch shared his impressions of a meeting with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, K.-Zh. K. Tokayev, during which the Head of State presented Metropolitan Alexander with a high state award – the Order of Dostyk, First Class (Order of Friendship).

Metropolitan Alexander informed the participants that “this year the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary marked the 15th anniversary of its activity. On a historical scale, this period is quite brief, yet very significant in terms of the work accomplished in training pastoral personnel for the entire Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. As the only institution of higher theological education of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan at present, the Almaty Seminary must actively form its educational and formative traditions, preparing diligent laborers in the vineyard of the Lord, capable of responding to the challenges of the modern world. This year the seminary concluded cooperation agreements with the Kazan and Kuzbass Theological Seminaries. Under these agreements, the institutions will hold joint conferences, seminars, round tables and expert meetings on issues of mutual interest, and will implement joint scholarly, educational-methodological, cultural-educational and academic programs. Once again, the International Scholarly Conference ‘The 23rd Almaty Orthodox Educational Readings in Memory of Saint Sophonia (Sokolsky)’ was held, with the participation of rectors and teachers of theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church and specialists in church-historical and theological disciplines from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.”

In his address, the Administrator of the Astana and Almaty Diocese spoke about the celebration in the diocese of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, during which thematic lessons, theatrical performances and concerts dedicated to the heroism of soldiers and home-front workers were held at all parishes. Seminary students and parish youth clubs coordinated by the Diocesan Youth Commission took part in organizing the concert programs.

A separate section of His Eminence’s report was devoted to the activation of parish life in the diocese for the sake of preserving civil peace and social stability.

Metropolitan Alexander’s address also mentioned significant commemorative dates marking the upcoming year 2026 – the 25th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the heavenly patrons of Kazakhstan, the Venerable Martyrs Seraphim and Feognost of Almaty; the 200th anniversary of the birth of the prominent spiritual enlightener Bishop Alexander (Kulchitsky) of Turkestan and Tashkent; and the 80th anniversary of the return to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Cathedral in honor of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, one of the oldest churches of the Southern Capital.

During the assembly, in accordance with the diocesan statute, a new member of the diocesan court was elected by secret ballot.

The Head of the Metropolitan District thanked the vicar bishops, members of the diocesan council, deans and heads of diocesan departments and commissions for their work during the concluding year, and parish clergy for their pastoral labors.

At the conclusion of the assembly, Metropolitan Alexander bestowed his blessing upon all those present and congratulated them on the approaching Nativity of Christ and the New Year.

On behalf of those gathered, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen expressed gratitude to the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District for his archpastoral labors.

The assembly concluded with the presentation of a collection of works by local historian V. A. Kazantsev entitled “The Formation of the Turkestan Diocese (The History of Orthodoxy in Semirechye)”. The book was presented by its editor and compiler, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and head of the Metropolitan District’s Department for Relations with the Public.

All participants received as gifts: the Orthodox Church calendar of the Metropolitan District for 2026 and the Nativity Message of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.