A delegation of clergy and laity of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land

From 12 to 18 February 2026, with the blessing of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, a pilgrimage of clergy and laity of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District to the Holy Land took place.

The pilgrimage was made possible through the support of the public foundation “Eleos-Meirim” (President – V.M. Kapsamun).

The group of pilgrims was led by Bishop Ignaty of Aktobe and Kyzylorda. Among those who took part were: Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, dean of the Ili church district; Priest John Livinsky, Vice-Rector for Educational Work of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; Hieromonk Isaac (Isteluev), cleric of the Kazan Cathedral of Almaty; Priest Vyacheslav Sidarovsky, cleric of the Adrian and Natalia Church in the settlement of Otegen Batyr; Priest Bogdan Boyko, head of the Department of Culture of the Metropolitan District; Deacon Alexander Voronin; Deacon Rustik Yakupov; students of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; and staff members of the “Eleos-Meirim” foundation.

On 12 February, during the pilgrimage, the group met with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. On behalf of the Kazakh delegation, Bishop Ignaty of Aktobe and Kyzylorda greeted His Beatitude. In his address, the Patriarch spoke of the spiritual significance of the Holy Land for the Christian world and of the special spiritual mission of pilgrims who come to the holy places connected with the life of the Savior, the Mother of God and the Apostles. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Patriarch of Jerusalem bestowed his blessing upon those gathered.

Among the most significant events was the participation of the clergy and laity of the Metropolitan District in services celebrated at the principal Gospel sites of Israel: the night Divine Liturgy in the greatest shrine of the Christian world, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Liturgy in the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem.

The pilgrims offered prayers for the land of Kazakhstan, for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, for the Head of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and for the archpastors, pastors, monastics, benefactors and faithful of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.

Among the holy places visited were the Mount of Olives, the site of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ; Gethsemane, where are located the tombs of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed and the God-forebears Joachim and Anna. The pilgrims prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, where ancient olive trees still stand as silent witnesses of Christ’s prayer over the Cup and His betrayal by Judas.

A moving event was the visit to the ancient Lavra of St Sabbas the Sanctified. In this monastery, the centuries-old strict liturgical rule and the spirit of ancient monasticism are preserved to this day. There the pilgrims venerated the incorrupt relics of the founder of the Lavra, Venerable Sabbas the Sanctified.

On the banks of the sacred River Jordan, where the Savior received Baptism, the participants served a moleben and then immersed themselves in the waters of the Jordan.

A special place in the pilgrimage was the visit to the Convent of Gorny near Jerusalem, located on the site of the meeting of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Righteous Elizabeth. Here the pilgrims were able to sense the gracious protection of the Queen of Heaven and to pray in this remarkable corner of Russian Palestine.

In northern Israel, the delegation ascended Mount Tabor, the place of the Transfiguration of the Lord, where the divine glory of Christ was revealed to the Apostles.

In Nazareth, the pilgrims visited the Grotto of the Annunciation, the place where, according to tradition, stood the dwelling of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed. It was here that the Archangel Gabriel brought the Good News to the Virgin Mary of the birth of the Savior from her.

Concluding the Galilean part of the pilgrimage, the group visited the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias), where the years of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ were spent, where He preached, performed miracles and called the first Apostles.

On the final day of their stay in the Holy Land, the pilgrims walked the Way of the Cross of the Savior – the Via Dolorosa, stopping at all the stations located along the streets of the Old City in order spiritually to follow Christ on His sorrowful path to Golgotha.

This large-scale pilgrimage was made possible thanks to the comprehensive support of the public foundation “Eleos-Meirim,” which assumed responsibility for the organizational aspects of the journey. The foundation’s staff accompanied the group throughout the route, creating conditions for a focused and prayerful pilgrimage.