On the Feast Day of Righteous Paul of Taganrog, the Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in the Southern Capital

June 20, 2026 – the feast day of the Holy Righteous Paul of Taganrog.

It is well known that the ever-memorable Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Alma-Ata and Kazakhstan held Righteous Paul of Taganrog in special veneration and maintained spiritual ties with the elder’s disciples. The connection between them was established through the eldress Maria Velichko, the spiritual successor and last disciple of Paul of Taganrog himself. She foretold the future episcopal ministry of the young subdeacon John (Chernov) with the words: “Behold, the Bishop of Taganrog is coming.” Later, on the day Hieromonk Joseph was elevated to the rank of hegumen (1925), she presented him with an icon of Saint Paul the Confessor, the heavenly patron of the elder. In 1943, it was Bishop Joseph who officiated at the funeral service for the departed eldress Maria in St. Nicholas Church.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Churches of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko), Head of the Diocesan Department for the Canonization of Saints; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Almaty; Archpriest Igor Svetlichny, Dean of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Oleg Nasymov of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Priest John Livinsky, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon John Churkin; and Deacon Alexander Voronin.

Praying at the service were: V.M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation; staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; teachers and students of the Central Sunday School of the Southern Capital led by Director G.V. Cherepanova; and parishioners of the cathedral.

The liturgical hymns were sung by the customary choir under the direction of O. Solomonova.

During the Litany for the Departed, prayers were offered for the repose of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov; †1975), confessor of the faith; Archimandrite Isaac (Vinogradov), companion and spiritual son of Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky); the builders of the cathedral and those who restored its liturgical life; and the departed clergy and parishioners of the church.

The sermon before Holy Communion was delivered by Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek).

At the conclusion of the service, the Head of the Metropolitan District thanked the clergy and faithful for the joy of their common Eucharistic prayer and addressed the congregation with words of instruction.

Special congratulations were extended to Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Churches of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, who is celebrating the 75th anniversary of his birth this year. In connection with this significant milestone and in fulfillment of the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Metropolitan Alexander presented Father Valery with the high ecclesiastical distinction of the right to wear the Patriarchal Pectoral Cross. His Eminence wished the Dean good health, many years of life, and God’s help in his continued pastoral labors for the benefit of the Holy Church in the land of Semirechye.

The hierarch sprinkled the faithful with holy water.