On the Eve of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrates the All-Night Vigil at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata

May 20, 2026. On the eve of the feast of the Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the All-Night Vigil at the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Alma-Ata. For the principal church of the Southern Capital, this day is its patronal feast.

The vigil for the Feast of the Ascension was preceded by the Paschal glorification – the clergy sang the troparion to the Bright Resurrection of Christ, the Paschal Hours, and the stichera of Holy Pascha. For the last time in the current church year, the Paschal exclamation “Christ is risen! – Truly He is risen!” resounded beneath the cathedral vaults.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; Archimandrite Gerontius (Borisevich); Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), spiritual father of the Alma-Ata Diocese; Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko), head of the diocesan department for the canonization of saints; Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, dean of the Ascension Cathedral; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), personal secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and the cathedral clergy.

The hymns were performed by the Choir of the Metropolitan District (regent – V. Dudareva) and the Choir of the Ascension Cathedral (regent – E. Boguslavets).

Following the Church Typikon, during Great Vespers a litya (solemn intercessory prayer) was served with the blessing of bread, wine, wheat, and oil.

At Matins, after the reading of the Gospel lesson, Metropolitan Alexander addressed the faithful with a sermon in which he раскрыт the profound dogmatic meaning of the Savior’s Ascension into heaven.

During the singing of the canon to the Ascension, the faithful were anointed with blessed oil.

On the feast day itself, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern Capital. The service will begin at 8:00 a.m.