Day of Commemoration of the Great Martyr Barbara. The Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Church in the City of Talgar

December 17, 2025 – the day of commemoration of the holy glorious Great Martyr Barbara and Venerable John of Damascus.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, in the city of Talgar, Almaty Region.

Before the beginning of the divine service, His High Eminence performed the rite of consecration of the newly constructed iconostasis of St Nicholas Church. The iconostasis was created under the guidance of Leonid Konstantinovich Ryabov in a workshop of artistic wood carving that also produces icon cases for the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty. The iconostasis was executed according to sketches by the Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov, in the finest traditions of the Classical period.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyev, Rector of the Almaty church dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Archpriest Nikolay Tkachenko, Rector of the Epiphany Church in the village of Malovodnoye; Archpriest Anatoly Boyko, Rector of the St Alexius Church in the settlement of Bayterek; Archpriest Vladimir Bartashevich, Rector of the St Paraskeva parish in the city of Talgar; Hieromonk Varsonofy (Larionov), Rector of the Archangel Michael Church in the village of Turgen; Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest Roman Klyuev, Rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church in the village of Saymasay (Alexandrovka); Acting Dean of the Talgar Church District and Rector of St Nicholas Church in Talgar, Priest Kirill Freygang; Hieromonk Alexy (Samosenkov), cleric of the St Alexius Church in Bayterek; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Key-bearer of Kazan Cathedral in Almaty; Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko; Deacon Vladimir Yudin.

For prayerful veneration and spiritual strengthening of the faithful, a reliquary containing a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr Barbara was brought to the church.

The men’s choir of the Almaty Diocese sang under the direction of Deacon Alexander Pivny.

Residents of the city of Talgar and nearby settlements prayed during the divine service.

The sermon after the Communion hymn was delivered by Priest Georgy Rublinsky.

The Divine Liturgy concluded with a glorification before the reliquary containing the relics of the Great Martyr Barbara.

His High Eminence congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the feast day of the Great Martyr Barbara and addressed those gathered with a sermon.

Metropolitan Alexander also offered special congratulations and good wishes to those who bear the name Barbara in holy Baptism.

The Head of the Metropolitan District warmly thanked the Rector of the parish and Acting Dean of the Talgar Church District, Priest Kirill Freygang, as well as the benefactors and creators of the iconostasis, noting that the beautification of the church interior became a remarkable gift to the parish on significant historical dates – the 30th anniversary of the consecration of the restored church and the 40th anniversary of the resumption of parish life.

“Today, St Nicholas Church in the city of Talgar is one of the symbols of the ecclesiastical revival of Orthodoxy on the land of Kazakhstan and a monument to the courage of clergy and lay people of the twentieth century, who boldly confessed the truth of God in the face of militant unbelief. This holy place bears witness to the triumph of Christ over non-being, to the power of the spirit, and to the truth that ‘neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God’ (Rom. 8:38-39). Let us always remember the significance of the church in the life of an Orthodox Christian. Here, by attending the divine services and participating in the saving sacraments of the Church, we are spiritually transformed and strengthened in love for God and neighbor, drawing grace-filled strength for our life’s journey. The righteous Archpriest John of Kronstadt loved to repeat: ‘The church is heaven on earth.’ I would like to recall the profound words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: ‘He who builds and restores churches enters history – not only human history. The names of these people are specially recorded in the Book of Life.’ May God grant that the ongoing renewal of the church dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker may continue to serve the spiritual benefit and salvation of all who come here for prayer and consolation with faith and trust,” the archpastor said in particular.