Delegation of the Kaluga Metropolis Visits the Holy Sites of Alma-Ata

On June 13, 2026, a pilgrimage delegation of the Kaluga Metropolis visited the holy sites of Alma-Ata.

The delegation included: Rector of the Kaluga Theological Seminary Archpriest Sergiy Tretyakov and Rector of the Dormition Ferapont Monastery (Pustyn) in the village of Borovensk, Hieromonk Andrey (Sinitsyn).

The pilgrimage to the shrines of the Southern Capital began with a visit to the Ascension Cathedral — a historic and architectural landmark of Kazakhstan.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the tour of Alma-Ata’s principal church was led by the cathedral’s dean and Head of the Metropolitan District’s Department for Public Relations, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov.

Fr. Alexander spoke to the guests about the history of the cathedral’s construction, emphasizing its unique architecture, historical significance, and role in the spiritual life of the city. He gave particular attention to the large-scale professional restoration of the cathedral carried out from 2017 to 2020. It was noted that all work was completed under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNESCO, with the participation of highly qualified specialists from Kazakhstan, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, and France. Archpriest Alexander also emphasized that the Ascension Cathedral is included in the list of the 100 National Sacred Sites of Kazakhstan within the presidential program Rukhani Zhangyru.

Representatives of the Kaluga Metropolis remarked upon the elegance and grandeur of the cathedral’s exterior, as well as the beauty of its interiors, adorned with frescoes created by talented iconographers from Palekh under the direction of Russian Artists’ Union member V.K. Kurilov. At the conclusion of the visit, the pilgrims lit candles before the cathedral’s holy objects.

The pilgrimage continued with a visit to St. Nicholas Cathedral of Alma-Ata. Members of the delegation prayed before the relics of the heavenly patron of Kazakhstan — Hieroconfessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata — and venerated the sacred objects of the oldest church in the Southern Capital, including reliquaries containing relics of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the Great Martyr Barbara. Dean of the city church district and rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov, spoke about parish life, the work of the Central Sunday School, the activities of the Mercy social-charitable service, and projects of the pilgrimage department.

The delegation then visited St. Vladimir’s Church in Alma-Ata. Members of the group venerated the church’s holy objects — the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, an exact seventeenth-century copy of the wonderworking image presented to Orthodox Christians of Kazakhstan by the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, N.A. Nazarbayev, as well as an ancient icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The church rector and Managing Director of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, told the guests about the history of the church’s construction and the architectural features of the complex, designed in the traditions of Old Russian ecclesiastical architecture.

At the conclusion of the pilgrimage, Archpriest Sergiy Tretyakov, on behalf of the delegation, asked Bishop Gennady to convey words of gratitude to Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and expressed hope for continued cooperation between the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Kaluga Metropolis.