On the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, the Head of the Metropolitan District Commemorated Those Who Perished During the Great Patriotic War

June 22, 2026 – Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, marking the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated a Memorial Service for those who perished during the war years at the St. Alexander Nevsky Chapel of the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in Almaty.

Praying at the service were: Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Diocese of Astana; O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Metropolitan District and Honored Cultural Figure of Russia and Kazakhstan; Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baydek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Vladislav Pashkov, staff member of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Alexander Piven, Deacon Daniil Pasyuk, and employees of the diocesan administration.

The Male Choir of the Diocese of Almaty sang the hymns.

During the Litia, prayers were offered “for the leaders and soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield, those who died of wounds and hunger, those innocently tortured and killed in captivity and hard labor, all who labored for the sake of Victory, and all who perished during the hardships of war.”

Following the service, Metropolitan Alexander addressed those present with an archpastoral homily.

“On this day, June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began — our country was subjected to the most terrible invasion in its history. German Nazis and their allies from countries where fascist regimes had been established set out to destroy our homeland and enslave our people. The calamity that began on the day when the Russian Orthodox Church prayerfully commemorated All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land inspired millions of citizens, from Brest to Vladivostok and from the Arctic Ocean to the steppes of Central Asia, to rise as one in defense of their native land.

For the sake of the coming Victory, soldiers spared not their lives in fierce defensive and offensive battles; nurses and doctors selflessly saved the wounded on the battlefield; workers and peasants, including teenagers and children, labored tirelessly in the rear.

In those grievous times, many people turned to the faith of their fathers — Holy Orthodoxy. In its spiritual treasury they found strength and courage and fulfilled in deed Christ’s commandment: ‘Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). Our soldiers were united by a lofty purpose: they defended not only their families and homes, but saved the entire world from the deadly threat of Nazi ideology.

On the very first day of the war, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, spoke words that resonated in the soul of every person: ‘The homeland is defended by arms and by the common feat of the people, by the common readiness to serve in this difficult hour of trial with whatever each person can offer. There is work here for workers, peasants, scholars, women and men, youth and elders. Everyone can and must contribute his share of labor, care, and skill to the common endeavor. Our Orthodox Church has always shared the fate of the people. Together with them it has borne trials and rejoiced in their successes. It will not abandon its people now. It blesses with heavenly blessing the forthcoming nationwide feat.’

A crucial factor in the victory over the enemy was the decision made by the state leadership in 1943, at the height of the war, to release clergy from imprisonment and reopen churches, monasteries, and theological schools. Orthodoxy, as so often throughout history, inspired and united the people, preventing the enemy from breaking the nation’s spirit. More than 150 million rubles were collected by the Church and transferred to the state for the creation of tank columns, aviation squadrons, support of the home front, and assistance to the wounded. Sincere faith in God and fervent prayer strengthened both those who sacrificed themselves on the battlefield and those who worked around the clock in the rear.

The foundation of courageous resistance and Victory was the unity of the peoples of our country. United around the common goal of saving the homeland from the occupiers, people of different political views, nationalities, and religious traditions were able to defeat the invaders and preserve freedom and independence.

The example of those heroic days remains relevant for us today. The world has changed, yet even now forces arise that seek to lead people down the path of alienation and division. New generations must faithfully preserve the brotherhood sealed by blood shed on the battlefields. No matter how many years pass since that distant time, the memory of it must remain in the hearts of the people so that our children and grandchildren may live in peace, harmony, and friendship. We must all learn devotion and courage from those who endured the hardships and trials of war and won peace for the whole world.

Eternal and grateful memory to all leaders and soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield, who died of wounds and hunger, who were innocently tortured and killed in captivity and hard labor, and to all who labored for the sake of Victory.”

-From the address of Metropolitan Alexander on the anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.