The ministry of the vicars of the Astana Diocese on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross

15 March 2026. Alma-Ata. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, on the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent – the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross – the vicars of the Astana Diocese celebrated services in the churches of the Southern capital.

On the eve of the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Klaudian of Taldykorgan celebrated the All-Night Vigil with the rite of bringing out the Precious and Life-giving Cross of the Lord at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with His Grace were: spiritual father of the Alma-Ata Diocese Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral, head of the Department for Relations with the Public of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov and the cathedral clergy.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of E. Boguslavets.

At Matins, after the Great Doxology during the singing of the Trisagion, Bishop Klaudian brought out from the altar the Cross of the Lord – a gift of the ever-memorable Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoros containing particles of the Life-giving Wood of the Cross of the Lord, Mount Golgotha and the Holy Sepulchre.

During the singing of the stichera of the veneration of the Cross, the archpastor anointed the faithful who venerated the Life-giving Tree with blessed oil.

On 15 March, on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, Bishop Klaudian celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the representation of the Taldykorgan vicariate – the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Alatau district of the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with the hierarch were: Archpriest Vladimir Glukhikh, Priest Nikolay Matlashov, Hierodeacon Veniamin (Vdovin).

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Annunciation Church under the direction of K. Bocharova.

Praying at the service were Orthodox residents of the Alatau district and faithful from the surrounding settlements.

At the conclusion of the service the glorification and veneration of the Cross of Christ took place.

Bishop Klaudian congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross and delivered a sermon.

Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, on the eve of the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, celebrated the All-Night Vigil with the rite of bringing out the Precious and Life-giving Cross of the Lord at the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in the Karasu district of the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with the archpastor were: sacristan of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross Priest Roman Burdukov, Hieromonk Levkiy (Yershov), Priest Evgeniy Postrigan, Deacon Pavel Kornienko.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross under the direction of N. Burdukova.

At Matins, after the Great Doxology during the singing of the Trisagion, His Grace brought the Cross of the Lord out from the altar, after which the clergy and the faithful, while singing the verse «Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master», venerated the Life-giving Tree.

On 15 March, on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, Bishop Veniamin celebrated the Liturgy at the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in the Karasu district of the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with the hierarch were: sacristan of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross Priest Roman Burdukov, Priest Evgeniy Postrigan, Deacon Pavel Kornienko.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross under the direction of N. Burdukova.

The sermon at the time of the Communion verse was delivered by Reader Dmitry Yadrushkin.

At the conclusion of the service the glorification and veneration of the Cross of Christ took place, after which Bishop Veniamin addressed those gathered with a word of instruction.