5 April 2026. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the vicars of the Astana diocese celebrated the divine services of Palm Sunday, the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, in the churches of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.
On the eve, in the evening of 4 April, the Administrator of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, celebrated the All-Night Vigil at St Nicholas Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.
Concelebrating with His Grace were: Dean of the churches of Alma-Ata, rector of St Nicholas Cathedral, Candidate of Theology Archpriest Valery Zakharov and the clergy of St Nicholas Cathedral.
The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of St Nicholas Cathedral under the direction of O. Solomonova.
At Great Vespers, according to the liturgical Typikon, a litiya (augmented supplication) was served with the blessing of bread, wine, wheat and oil.
At Matins, after the reading of the Gospel pericope, the archpastor performed the rite of blessing of the palms.
On 5 April, the day of the feast, Bishop Gennady concelebrated with Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan at the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern capital.
4 April, on the eve of the Twelve Great Feast, vicar of the Astana diocese Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan presided at the All-Night Vigil at the Annunciation church, the representation of the Taldykorgan vicariate of the city of Alma-Ata.
Concelebrating with the hierarch were: Archimandrite Gavriil (Tutberidze), Archpriest Vladimir Glukhikh, Priest Nikolai Matlashov, Hierodeacon Veniamin (Vdovin), Deacon Rustik Yakupov.
The choir of the Annunciation church sang under the direction of I. Polishcheva.
At Great Vespers, according to the liturgical Typikon, a litiya (augmented supplication) was served with the blessing of bread, wine, wheat and oil.
During the reading of Psalm 50, the archpastor censed the palms, read the prayer for their blessing: “O Lord our God, who sittest upon the Cherubim…”, and then sprinkled the branches brought by the faithful with holy water, pronouncing the words: “These palms are blessed by the sprinkling of this holy water, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
On 5 April, the day of the feast, Bishop Klavdian concelebrated with Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan at the Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern capital.
Vicar of the Astana diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar celebrated the Liturgy at the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of Kostanay.
Concelebrating with the archpastor were: Secretary of the Kostanay diocese Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), sacristan of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral Archpriest Vasily Korolev, confessor of the Kostanay diocese Archpriest Andrey Korchazhnikov, clergyman of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay Hegumen Innokenty (Pomogalov), Deacon Eliazar Aitbakin, Deacon Tarasy Takenov.
The hymns were performed by the choir under the direction of regent T. Zhebrak.
The sermon before Communion was delivered by Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha).
The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the feast: the choir and clergy sang the troparion and kontakion of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Then the blessing of willow branches took place.
At the conclusion of the divine service, Bishop Veniamin thanked the clergy and parishioners for the common prayer and addressed those present with words of instruction.
On the eve in the evening, the hierarch celebrated the All-Night Vigil with litiya at the main church of the Kostanay diocese.
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