On the Feast Day of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Alexander of Svir, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Liturgy at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Alma-Ata

September 12, 2026 – the commemoration of the Holy Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Alexander of Svir.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, prayerfully celebrating his name day on the feast of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Alexander of Svir, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Alma-Ata.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was concelebrated by: Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk; Archbishop Amfilohije of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Archbishop Barsanuphius of Kokshetau and Akmola; Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulayevo; Archbishop Ipatiy of Satpayev, Vicar of the Karaganda Diocese; Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan; Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Chrysanthus of Shymkent and Turkestan; Bishop Benjamin of Talgar, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the churches of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), Dean of the parishes of Astana; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon of the Mother of God in Alma-Ata; Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko), Head of the Diocesan Department for the Canonization of Saints; Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, Dean of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Metropolitan District Department for Public Relations; Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya, Dean of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral; Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Dean of the Ili Church District; Abbot Filaret (Petrochenko), Rector of the Iveron Church in Boraldai; Archpriest Ioann Lopatin, Rector of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; rectors and clergy of the churches of the Alma-Ata Diocese, and heads of Metropolitan District departments in holy orders. The diaconal rank was headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.

For the divine service, a reliquary containing a portion of the holy relics of the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky was brought to the cathedral.

Praying at the Liturgy were Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), Superior of the Iveron-St. Seraphim Convent, together with the sisters of the monastery; staff members of the Alma-Ata Diocesan Administration; students of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary; and benefactors of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

N.M. Kikimov, Head of the Alma-Ata Department for Religious Affairs, attended the celebration as a guest.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District, conducted by O.N. Ovchinnikov, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation, with V. Dudareva as choirmaster, and by the male choir of the Alma-Ata Diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Piven.

Following the Communion verse, Priest Georgy Rublinsky delivered a sermon.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Alexander of Svir.

At the conclusion of the divine service, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, together with the clergy and faithful, proceeded to the monument to the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky on the cathedral square, where they laid flowers at the monument.

Archbishop Amfilohije read aloud the greeting from the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, on the occasion of Metropolitan Alexander’s name day.

Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen congratulated Vladyka Metropolitan Alexander on his Angel Day on behalf of the clergy and laity.

The Head of the Metropolitan District expressed his gratitude for the kind wishes and asked those present in the cathedral for their fervent prayers that God would grant him His grace-filled assistance in his service to the Church of Christ. He then congratulated the archpastors, clergy, monastics and laity on the commemoration of the great saints – the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Alexander of Svir.

“Many Years” was proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; to the Head, episcopate, clergy, monastics and laity of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; to the President of the country, K.-J.K. Tokayev; and to the authorities, armed forces and all the people of Kazakhstan.

The festive divine service was filmed by the Semirechye television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District (Director – V.L. Posadneva, Honored Worker of Culture) for the Semirechye YouTube channel, and by staff members of the Eleos-Meirim Foundation (President – V.M. Kapsamun).