A press conference of the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District dedicated to the feast of Holy Easter was held

10 April 2026. Alma-Ata. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan held an online press conference from his office at the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), dedicated to the feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

The pre-Easter event was organized by the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency.

Participants in the virtual meeting included journalists from state and private media, representatives of news agencies and analytical portals, and bloggers.

The speaker of the event was the director of the Interfax press center, Zh.D. Zeyneshev.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated representatives of the media on the approaching feast of the Resurrection of Christ and spoke about the essence of the celebration:

“As the main Christian feast approaches – the Bright Resurrection of Christ – on the night from 11 to 12 April Kazakhstan, together with the entire Orthodox world, will meet Holy Easter – the Feast of feasts and the Triumph of triumphs. From the bottom of my heart I congratulate the participants of the press conference, the Orthodox Christians of our country, and all for whom this radiant day is dear, on the coming great Feast.

Together with the spring transformation of the blossoming nature, the joyful message of salvation is proclaimed to the world again and again: ‘You seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified? He is risen; He is not here’ (Mk. 16:6). The tomb is empty. The Lord is risen, as He said (Mt. 28:6)! In the events of the New Testament Easter, the true meaning of all the phenomena and events of past epochs and of our contemporary life is revealed, and God’s design for humanity and for each of us becomes clear. If we strive to be with the risen Savior, then His immortality is with us, His love, peace, joy and light are with us.

The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev, noted that ‘Easter traditions, closely woven into our national cultural code, inspire all citizens to creative achievements, care for their neighbors and assistance to those in need’.”

A separate topic of the archpastor’s address was the arrival of the Holy Fire in the Republic:

“The situation in the Middle East is currently very difficult. Every day we receive tragic reports. The information about those killed, wounded and affected, about the destruction of homes and hospitals, resonates with pain in the heart of each of us. As a result of the armed conflict, thousands of people have suffered and continue to suffer, among whom there is a great number of civilians, children, the elderly and the disabled. I am asked: will the Holy Fire descend? Only the Lord knows the answer. Of course, the Orthodox world awaits this blessing of God.

Despite all circumstances, as in previous years, thanks to the assistance of the state authorities and the help of benefactors, on the night of Easter the Holy Fire will be delivered to Alma-Ata from the holy city of Jerusalem, from the Holy Sepulchre. We will receive and preserve this shrine in a special inextinguishable lamp, and then distribute the Holy Fire to the churches of the Metropolitan District. The meeting of the Holy Fire will take place on the very day of Easter, at 5 p.m., at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata.”

The Metropolitan also shared with the journalists the joyful news that a great shrine – the right hand of St Spyridon of Trimythous – will be brought to Kazakhstan:

“In the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, a good tradition has developed – the bringing of especially venerated shrines for prayerful veneration and the spiritual strengthening of people. Our country has been visited by reliquaries with the relics of well-known saints and miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. This year we are expecting a special gift.

From 14 September to 1 October of this year, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, one of the most famous shrines in the world – the right hand of St Spyridon of Trimythous – will visit Kazakhstan. Let me remind you that the incorrupt relics of this great and especially venerated saint are kept on the Greek island of Corfu.

In 2012, the shrine already visited the dioceses of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. Within a relatively short period of time, about 500,000 people venerated the right hand of St Spyridon. Clergy and faithful have repeatedly appealed to me with requests to organize the bringing of the holy relics to Kazakhstan again.

At the beginning of March this year, negotiations were held with Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu and Paxoi, who is the custodian of the holy relics, and a positive response was received. Moreover, His Eminence expressed his desire to accompany the reliquary with the right hand of St Spyridon on its pilgrimage to Kazakhstan. Through prayers before this shrine, many people have been granted deliverance from physical and spiritual ailments, and have received help and consolation. The bringing of the shrine will become a significant event in the spiritual and cultural life of Kazakhstan.”

Metropolitan Alexander also informed the media about the celebration this year of the 80th anniversary of the return of the Orthodox Church to St Nicholas Cathedral of Alma-Ata – a spiritual, historical and cultural pearl of Kazakhstan:

“Today this ancient church is one of the symbols of the revival of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan and a monument to the courage of hierarchs, clergy and laity of the twentieth century who endured persecutions and repressions for faith in Christ. On 10 May, a Liturgy will be celebrated in the square before St Nicholas Cathedral, with the participation of guest hierarchs from dioceses of Kazakhstan and from abroad. After the service, an exhibition of unique historical photographs will open, telling about the revival of the church in the post-war years through the labors of the confessor Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky).”

During the press conference, the Head of the Metropolitan District also spoke about the opening in the Southern capital of the house-museum of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Alma-Ata and Kazakhstan, and about the holding of the international music festival – the choral assembly “Easter Hymn”.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Metropolitan thanked the leadership of the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency and the participants of the conference and congratulated everyone on the forthcoming feast of the Resurrection of Christ, wishing them health, prosperity, peace and God’s mercy.

“Easter is an entirely special feast; it is celebrated by the Church for forty days. ‘Easter is deliverance from sorrow’ – thus this holy feast was called by the great teacher of the Church, St John of Damascus, who lived in the 8th century. Let us also multiply the joy of the Resurrection of Christ by deeds of love and mercy. How many people in need await someone who would ease their lives in these days. With the Easter greeting, let us bring consolation to the suffering, peace to those at enmity, help to those in need, joy to the despondent, and to Christ – our souls enlightened by love and goodness,” said the archpastor.