On the Eve of the Commemoration Day of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrated the All-Night Vigil at St Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty

On December 18, 2025, on the eve of the commemoration day of St Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the All-Night Vigil at St Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Vicars of the Astana Diocese – Administrator of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Dean of the churches of the Southern Capital, Rector of St Nicholas Cathedral Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Almaty church dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyev; Key-bearer of St Nicholas Cathedral Archpriest Igor Svetlichny; Head of the Department for Relations with the Public of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Key-bearer of the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern Capital Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; Key-bearer of the Saints Peter and Paul Church Archpriest Kirill Shklyar; Dean of the Ili Church District Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov; city clergy. The diaconal order was led by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.

Before the beginning of the service, the reliquary containing the relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, kept in the altar of the cathedral, was brought out for prayerful veneration by the faithful. A portion of the relics of the Myra hierarch is a gift to St Nicholas Cathedral from Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan. All participants in the service were given the opportunity to venerate this great shrine.

The hymns were performed by the choir of St Nicholas Cathedral under the direction of O. Berekesheva and the common chant choir under the direction of O. Solomonova.

Praying in the church were: Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, choir director of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; benefactors and parishioners of the cathedral; Orthodox residents of the Southern Capital.

At Great Vespers, in accordance with the Church Typikon, a litia (supplicatory prayer) was served with the blessing of bread, wine, wheat and oil.

At Matins, Metropolitan Alexander and the concelebrating clergy chanted the Akathist Hymn to the Archbishop of Myra.

After the reading of the Gospel pericope, the Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the faithful on the patronal feast of one of the oldest churches of Almaty and delivered a homily on the veneration of St Nicholas.

During the chanting of the festal canon, the faithful who venerated the icon and relics of the Saint of God were anointed with blessed oil.

On December 19, the commemoration day of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Cathedral. The service will begin at 8:30 a.m.