Head of the Metropolitan District Holds Meeting on Restoration and Renovation Work at Kazan Cathedral in Alma-Ata

May 22, 2026. Alma-Ata. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan visited the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the “Malaya Stanitsa” district.

Accompanying the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan to the oldest church in the Southern Capital was the President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation, V.M. Kapsamun.

Also accompanying the hierarch were the head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov, and the head of the Metropolitan Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin.

Metropolitan Alexander and V.M. Kapsamun were welcomed by the rector of Kazan Cathedral, Priest Georgy Rublinsky, the clergy, and active members of the parish community.

Upon arrival, the Head of the Metropolitan District offered a festal glorification to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and venerated the cathedral’s holy objects, including the revered 17th-century Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, gifted to the parish by the confessor of the faith and ascetic of piety of the twentieth century, Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), as well as an exact copy – a “measure and likeness” – of the Vatican copy of the wonderworking Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Metropolitan Alexander and V.M. Kapsamun then held a working meeting dedicated to issues concerning restoration and renovation work at the oldest church in the city of Alma-Ata.

During the meeting, Priest Georgy Rublinsky showed the hierarch and Valery Mikhailovich the new chandeliers (panikadila) and spoke about the process of installing the church lighting fixtures.

The guests also familiarized themselves with the operation of the “electronic bell-ringer” – a device for reproducing various forms of bell ringing installed in the bell tower of Kazan Cathedral. Earlier, on May 4, Metropolitan Alexander blessed a new set of bells for the church.

Participants in the meeting discussed further plans for carrying out restoration work, and the Head of the Metropolitan District together with V.M. Kapsamun gave the rector appropriate instructions.