On the Feast of Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral of Alma-Ata

May 22, 2026 – the Afterfeast of the Ascension of the Lord; the commemoration of the Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra in Lycia to the city of Bari.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Alma-Ata, which observed its patronal feast.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, dean of the churches of the Southern Capital and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archimandrite Gerontius (Borisevich); Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Alma-Ata; Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko), head of the diocesan department for the canonization of saints; Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, head of the Metropolitan District’s department for public relations and dean of the Ascension Cathedral; Archpriest Valery Shavrin, rector of the Theophany Church; Archpriest Vladimir Volkov; Archpriest Kirill Shklyar, dean of Sts. Peter and Paul Church; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Ioann Livinsky, vice rector for student affairs of the Alma-Ata Seminary; Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), head of the Metropolitan’s Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and the deacons headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich and Protodeacon Sergiy Kulikov.

Before the beginning of the service, the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Nicholas, preserved in the cathedral altar, was brought out for the prayerful veneration of the faithful. The portion of the relics of the Hierarch of Myra was a gift to St. Nicholas Cathedral from Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Praying during the Liturgy were: O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Figure of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, choirmaster of the Metropolitan District Choir, and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing; V.M. Kapsamun, president of the public foundation Eleos-Meirim; staff of the Alma-Ata Diocesan Administration; and teachers and pupils of the central Sunday school of the Southern Capital headed by director G.V. Cherepanova.

Numerous faithful gathered to honor the memory of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and venerate his holy relics – parishioners of St. Nicholas Cathedral and churches of the Southern Capital, as well as pilgrims from the Alma-Ata Region.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the Choir of St. Nicholas Cathedral under the direction of O. Berekesheva and the congregational choir directed by O. Solomonova.

During the Litany for the Departed, prayers were offered for the repose of: Confessor of the Faith Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov, †1975), Archimandrite Isaac (Vinogradov) – companion and spiritual son of Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky), the builders of the cathedral and restorers of liturgical life, departed clergy, and parishioners of the church.

The sermon after the communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a festal procession took place, after which the clergy celebrated a glorification before the icon of the Ascension of the Lord and the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Nicholas.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful on the Feast of the Ascension and the patronal celebration, and then addressed those gathered with a sermon.

As a prayerful remembrance and blessing for his labors, the hierarch presented jeweled pectoral crosses to Archpriest Valery Zakharov, dean of the churches of the Southern Capital and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District also offered special congratulations and good wishes to Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Alma-Ata, who this year marks the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination. In connection with this memorable date, and in fulfillment of the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Metropolitan Alexander presented Father Evgeny with a high church award – the Order of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, Second Class. The hierarch wished the pastor strength of soul and body and God’s help in his continued labors for the benefit of the Holy Church on the blessed land of Kazakhstan.

“Today we solemnly glorify the memory of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. He lived at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth century. Nearly 1,700 years separate us from that distant era, yet throughout all these centuries his memory has been carefully preserved in the Church because this servant of Christ lived an extraordinary life, acquired immense strength of spirit, and through his fervent faith drew so close to God that he was granted from above a special power – the power to work miracles.

Our remembrance of Saint Nicholas is so living that we very often turn to him, asking his help in our lives – in matters great and small. And we receive his response – our prayers are fulfilled. The hierarch of God reveals his presence in our lives, including through his wonderworking relics resting in the city of Bari, which are abundantly covered with fragrant myrrh.

A particle of his holy relics is preserved in St. Nicholas Cathedral of Alma-Ata – one of the oldest churches in Kazakhstan – and anyone seeking the intercession and support of Saint Nicholas may come to this church and prayerfully ask the saint for all that is needful for spiritual and material life.

What, then, so glorified Saint Nicholas? He acquired a special virtue – a merciful heart. He sought to help everyone in need, and for this he received great grace from God. He was a man of prayer, an ascetic, and a defender of the faith, but his greatest feat was mercy. The entire life of the Hierarch of Myra was permeated with love for people, compassion for weaknesses, and sympathy for those who suffer.

Centuries pass, yet Saint Nicholas remains with us, and for all he is alive. By the grace given him from God, he sees and hears the petitions of people – helping in misfortunes, comforting in sorrows, healing illnesses, delivering from destruction, and showing the way to the Heavenly Kingdom. By his life, Saint Nicholas teaches us to be Christians not merely in word, but in deed.”

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.