7 April 2026 – Great Tuesday of Holy Week and the Twelve Great Feast of the Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom at the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Dean of the churches of Alma-Ata, rector of St Nicholas Cathedral, Candidate of Theology Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko); sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral, Head of the Metropolitan District Department for Public Relations Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; rector of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District, Candidate of Theology Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; clergyman of the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern capital Archpriest Alexander Ievlev; Hieromonk Onisim (Tulnikov); personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov); Head of the Metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky); Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Andrey Pleten; Hierodeacon Sofoniya (Mazurenko); Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.
Praying at the service were: Ataman of the Republican public association “Union of Cossacks of Semirechye”, chairman of the Almaty city branch of the Association of Russian, Slavic and Cossack Organizations of Kazakhstan, member of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan V.S. Shikhotov; staff of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration, ktitors of the diocese, Cossacks, pupils of the Sunday school and parishioners of the cathedral.
The hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (regent – Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; choirmaster – V. Dudareva) and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral (regent – E. Boguslavets).
On Great Tuesday, which coincided with the feast of the Annunciation, two Gospel readings were proclaimed – accounts of the Second Coming and the Last Judgment, and the parables of the Savior about the ten virgins and the talents (Mt. 24:36–25:2), as well as the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Most Pure Virgin Mary (Lk. 1:26–38).
After the Eucharistic canon, instead of the hymn “It is truly meet”, the zadostoinik of the feast was sung – the irmos of the 9th ode of the Matins canon with a refrain. In translation into Russian, the zadostoinik of the Annunciation reads as follows: “Proclaim, O earth, great joy; praise, O heavens, the glory of God. Let not the hand of the uninitiated touch the living Ark of God, but let the lips of the faithful, unceasingly chanting the Angel’s cry, in joy call out to the Theotokos: ‘Truly thou art higher than all, O Pure Virgin!’”.
The sermon before Communion was delivered by Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko).
After the dismissal of the Liturgy, the glorification of the feast took place – the troparion, kontakion and magnification of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos were sung: “With the voice of the Archangel we cry to Thee, O Pure One: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee”.
The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated those gathered on the feast of the Annunciation and addressed those present with words of instruction.
Many years were proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; to the Head, archpastors, clergy and flock of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; to the President, authorities, armed forces and all the people of Kazakhstan.
After the conclusion of the divine service, in accordance with the ancient tradition of the Annunciation, the Metropolitan, clergy, parishioners and pupils of the children’s Sunday school released white doves into the sky from the steps of the cathedral.
A live broadcast of the entire festal divine service took place on the YouTube channel “Proobraz” with the support of the public foundation “Eleos-Meirim” (head – V.M. Kapsamun).
The live broadcast of the Liturgy was carried out by the television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District “Semirechye” (director – Honored Worker of Culture V.L. Posadneva); photographic coverage was carried out by A. Shcheglov.
“Today is a great Twelve Great Feast – the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, which the Church of Christ calls the ‘beginning’, the start of our salvation. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Most Pure Virgin Mary with the good news: ‘Rejoice, O Full of Grace! The Lord is with Thee; blessed art Thou among women. Thou hast found favor with God; and behold, Thou shalt conceive in Thy womb and bear a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. The Holy Spirit shall come upon Thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow Thee; therefore also that which is born shall be called the Son of God’ (Lk. 1:28, 30–31, 35). The good news to the humble Virgin became a triumph for all people, a proclamation of the salvation of mankind – the Son of God, the Creator of heaven and earth, becomes the Son of man. Not a mediator, nor an angel, but God Himself comes to earth to raise us to heaven.
The Lord cannot save a person without his own ardent desire, without his good will; therefore, in this Gospel event, the humble response of the Most Pure Virgin Mary to the Archangel, Her complete obedience to the Creator, is also important. On Her own behalf and on behalf of the whole human race, She answers: ‘Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word’ (Lk. 1:38). The response of the Theotokos is an example for every believer in Her Divine Son, the Lord and Savior. She dedicated Her life to God, gave over Her will, entrusted to Him Her destiny, accepting with full faith the news that She would become the Mother of the Incarnate Messiah–Christ. The power of humility, which we see in the image of the Mother of God, is manifested in devotion to God, in firm hope in His wise Providence, in complete trust in Him as a loving Heavenly Father who will arrange everything for good and benefit. With such a disposition of spirit, everything that happens in life is entrusted to Divine Providence. In days of trial, inspired and strengthened by the example and gracious help of the Most Blessed Lady the Theotokos, we must clearly hold in mind and heart the thought that the Lord will not leave us without His mercy, and having blotted out our sins and forgiven our errors, will grant us peace and well-being. Like the ancient youths cast into the Babylonian furnace, we pray and believe that ‘our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace’ (Dan. 3:17). Let us ask the Mother of God with all our heart to raise our prayers to the Throne of Her Son, Who for our sake was incarnate, suffered, was buried, and rose on the third day. Calling upon the name of the Queen of Heaven, let us strive to be worthy of being Her children. With faith and hope let us cry out to the Protectress of peace: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee, and through Thee – with us!” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.
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