In Almaty, the memory of the heavenly patrons of the city – the Holy Hieromartyrs of Nikolo-Kuchugury – priests Stephan, Alexander and Philip – was prayerfully commemorated

January 17, 2026 – the Forefeast of Theophany; the commemoration day of the heavenly patrons of Almaty – the Holy Hieromartyrs of Nikolo-Kuchugury – priests Stephan, Alexander and Philip.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Southern capital, where in the 1920s–1930s the Hieromartyrs Archpriests Alexander Skalsky, Stephan Ponomarev and Philip Grigoriev carried out their priestly ministry.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: the vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Dean of the churches of Almaty and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Sacristan of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya, Rector of the Church of St. Paraskeva and the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky Archpriest Ioann Lopatin, Rector of the Church of Theophany Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Dean of the Ili Church District Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Archpriest Alexander Sokolov, Sacristan of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul Archpriest Kirill Shklyar, Vice-Rector for Educational Work of Almaty Seminary Priest Ioann Livinsky, Head of the personal secretariat of the Metropolitan Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov, Deputy Chairman of the diocesan commission for social ministry Priest Vyacheslav Isikov, Sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral of Almaty Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Priest Vladislav Pashkov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Alexiy Kanushin, Hierodeacon Athanasius (Kozel), Deacon Ioann Churkin, Deacon Alexander Voronin, Deacon Georgy Tkachenko, Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

Praying during the service were: the Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Choir Director of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, Member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration, benefactors of the church, teachers and pupils of the Central Sunday School of the Southern capital headed by Director G.V. Cherepanova.


A guest of the celebration was the President of the public foundation “Eleos–Meirim” V.M. Kapsamun.

Liturgical chants were performed by: the choir of St. Nicholas Cathedral under the direction of O. Berekesheva and the plainchant choir under the direction of O. Solomonova.

During the Liturgy, special prayers were offered for the repose of the departed hierarchs of Kazakhstan, the ever-memorable builders and adorners of the St. Nicholas Church, the leaders and warriors who laid down their lives on the battlefield for the faith and the Fatherland, all those tortured and killed during the fierce persecutions by the godless, those who died from hunger, cold, wounds, illnesses and unbearable labor, and all Orthodox Christians who lived and piously passed away in the land of Kazakhstan.

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Ioann Livinsky.

After the Liturgy, a glorification of the Hieromartyrs of Nikolo-Kuchugury took place – the clergy and choir sang the troparion, kontakion and magnification to the martyrs of Christ.

Then the Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the hierarchs, clergy and laity on the commemoration day of the heavenly patrons of Almaty and Semirechye and addressed those gathered with words of exhortation.

On the occasion of the commemoration day of the Hieromartyrs of Nikolo-Kuchugury and in connection with the 80th anniversary of the return of St. Nicholas Cathedral to the Orthodox Church, relics were presented to the parish from the Holy Mount Athos: particles of the relics of the Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer and the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother Empress Helena, icons of the Myrrhbearer Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene and of Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea, with particles of their holy relics.

The project was implemented with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, through the efforts of the President of the public foundation “Eleos–Meirim” V.M. Kapsamun and the benefactor of the Almaty Diocese, General Director of LLP “Premier Group” D.I. Gorbashov.

Video recording of the festive service was carried out by the Orthodox TV studio “Semirechye” (Director – Honored Worker of Culture V. Posadneva, cameraman A. Schmidt); photo documentation – A. Khalin.

“During the days of celebrating the appearance in the world of Christ the Giver of Life, the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan prayerfully commemorates the anniversary of the martyrdom of the pastors who labored in the time of fiery trial (1 Peter 4:12) in the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the city of Almaty – Archpriests Alexander Skalsky, Stephan Ponomarev and Philip Grigoriev. To them in fullness we may apply the laudatory words of Venerable Ephraim the Syrian: ‘Blessed are these strugglers of Christ, partakers of light and eternal life, pillars of the faith, sons of the honorable Church, strongholds of the walls of the Heavenly Zion.’ ‘God is with us!’ (Isaiah 8:10; Matthew 1:23), resound now in the churches the words of the ancient prophecy fulfilled in the mystery of the Nativity of Christ. With this joyful news the Orthodox Church has lived for more than two thousand years. This confidence inspired those who laid its unshakable foundation – the Holy Apostles. With it, the ancient martyrs shed their blood for Christ. With this faith, hierarchs and pastors selflessly labored, enlightening and establishing countries and nations in the Orthodox faith. ‘God is with us!’ – this truth gave strength of spirit to Archpriests Stephan, Alexander and Philip, and to the countless host of New Martyrs and Confessors of the 20th century who ascended Golgotha in the years of the fiercest persecutions against Orthodoxy.”

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.