Metropolitan Alexander Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata

May 9, 2026 – Saturday of the 4th Week after Pascha; Victory Day of our people in the Great Patriotic War.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy according to the Paschal rite at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata.

A special feature of the service was the participation of a Byzantine choir from the Holy Mountain Athos under the direction of protopsaltis, chief choirmaster and typikon keeper of the New Skete of the Monastery of St. Paul, Schema-monk Damaskinos (Simeonidis). The renowned choir, well known in Greece and the Balkans, arrived in the Southern Capital to participate in the International Music Festival “Paschal Hymn.”

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: visiting hierarchs – Bishop Irenei of Orsk and Gai (Orenburg Metropolitanate); Bishop Vikenty of Tara and Tyukalinsk (Omsk Metropolitanate); members of the episcopate of Kazakhstan – Archbishop Amfilokhiy of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Chancellor of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen; Bishop Ignaty of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Dean of the churches of the Southern Capital, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral and Candidate of Theology Archpriest Valery Zakharov; rector of the church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Alma-Ata Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyev; rector of the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral in Uralsk Archimandrite Feodosiy (Kuryanov); Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko); Archimandrite Gerontiy (Borisevich); dean of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; rectors of churches and clergy of the Alma-Ata Diocese; clergy who arrived together with the hierarchs.

Praying at the Liturgy were: Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, conductor of the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; president of the public foundation “Eleos-Meirim” V.M. Kapsamun; staff members of the Alma-Ata Diocesan Administration, students of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary, and numerous parishioners.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of E. Boguslavets and the Byzantine choir from the Holy Mountain Athos under the direction of Schema-monk Damaskinos (Simeonidis).

On Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, in accordance with the Resolution of the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church of 1994, a special commemoration of the departed took place. Metropolitan Alexander and the clergy prayed for the repose of “leaders and soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield, those who died from wounds and hunger, those innocently tortured and slain in captivity and bitter labors, and all who labored for the sake of Victory.”

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Rublinsky.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a glorification of the Bright Resurrection of Christ and a thanksgiving moleben to the Lord God for the granting of victory in the Great Patriotic War were celebrated.

Following the service, the Head of the Metropolitan District thanked the hierarchs, clergy, and parishioners for the joy of common prayer at the holy altar, and also expressed words of gratitude to the conductor of the choir from the Holy Mountain Athos, Schema-monk Damaskinos (Simeonidis), and the musical ensemble under his direction for the high level of performance, wishing them health, prosperity, and further creative success.

A live broadcast of the service was carried out on the “Proobraz” YouTube channel with the support of the “Eleos” public foundation (director – V.M. Kapsamun).

The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan sprinkled the faithful with holy water.