On the Feast Day of the Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrated the Liturgy at the St. Vladimir Church of the Southern Capital

February 12, 2026 – the celebration of the Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

The history of the establishment of this feast dates back to the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, when disputes arose in Constantinople regarding the primacy of one of these Fathers of the Church. According to tradition, in 1084 the three hierarchs appeared together to Metropolitan John of Euchaita, a renowned preacher and hymnographer, and commanded that a common day be established for the celebration of their memory, declaring that they are equal before God.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the St. Prince Vladimir Church in the Baganashil district of the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District were: the vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Administrator of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; the dean of the parishes of Almaty, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Candidate of Theology, mitred Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko); rector of the St. Vladimir Church Hieromonk Sergius (Vnukovsky); head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky); head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; rector of the Kazan Cathedral of Almaty Priest Georgy Rublinsky; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko; Deacon Makary Belitsky.

At the beginning of the service, an icon containing particles of the relics of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom – preserved in the house church of the Iveron–Seraphim Church at the Metropolitan residence in Almaty – was brought into the church for prayerful veneration and spiritual strengthening of the faithful.

Praying at the Liturgy were: the Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Worker of the Arts of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; the President of the public foundation “ELEOS-MEIRIM” V.M. Kapsamun; benefactors and parishioners of the church, residents of the Baganashil district.

The sermon following the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Rublinsky.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a glorification was performed before the icon of the Hierarchs of Christ, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District addressed those present with an archpastoral word on the significance of the spiritual labors of the Ecumenical Fathers and Teachers of the Church – Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

Many Years was proclaimed for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; for the Head and the episcopate of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; for the President, the authorities, the armed forces, and all the people of Kazakhstan.

At the end of the service, His Eminence congratulated Bishop Gennady on his name day, wishing him strength of soul and body and gracious help from the Lord in his service to the Holy Church.

In his response, the Administrator of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District thanked the Metropolitan for his congratulations and asked all participants in the service for fervent prayers for the sending down of God’s help in his further ministry.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated Priest Roman Kravchenko on his 55th birthday and Priest Georgy Rublinsky on the anniversary of his diaconal ordination, wishing the pastors God’s mercy, spiritual and physical health, and zealous service for the good of Christ’s Church on the land of Almaty.

His Eminence sprinkled the faithful with holy water.