Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross – Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral in Astana

September 27, 2026 – the 17th Sunday after Pentecost and the Great Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross is a special day in the life of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan. Thirty-seven years ago, he was consecrated a bishop at the Epiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo in Moscow. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, the consecration was presided over by the ever-memorable Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Rostov and Novocherkassk, who later became Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral in Astana.

Serving with the Head of the Metropolitan District were Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev), dean of the Astana church district; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Alma-Ata; Protopresbyter Evangelos Koutras of the Church of Greece; Hegumen Agathangel (Gagua), Vice-Rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor; Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov), cleric of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Astana; Protopresbyter Thomas Kostamonitis of the Church of Greece; Priest Grigory Kulikov, cleric of the cathedral; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Rublinsky, rector of the Kazan Cathedral in Alma-Ata; Priest Viktor Drozhnikov; Priest Andrei Ivashinin, cleric of St. Sergius Church; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Protodeacon Alexander Mokiy; Deacon Ilya Davydov; Deacon Mikhail Chumakov; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Deacon Alexander Piven; and Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

Placed in the center of the cathedral for the veneration of the faithful were the Cross, which had been brought out the previous evening, and the reliquary containing the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Trimythous. The relic is visiting Kazakhstan with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and with the support of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation.

Praying at the Liturgy were V.M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation and organizer of the pilgrimage of the relic; representatives of the delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; staff of the diocesan administration; representatives of the Astana Orthodox youth movement; students of the cathedral Sunday school; pilgrims; and parishioners.

The hymns were sung by the choir of the Dormition Cathedral under the direction of O. Varentsova.

In accordance with the liturgical Typikon, instead of the Trisagion the following hymn was sung at the Liturgy: “Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.”

Special commemoration was made of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and the departed hierarchs who took part in Metropolitan Alexander’s episcopal consecration – His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), Metropolitan Chrysanth (Chepil) and Metropolitan Isidore (Kirichenko); his spiritual mentor, Archbishop Meliton (Solovyov); the ever-memorable hierarchs of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) and Archbishop Sophonias (Sokolsky); and all those who labored for the establishment of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan.

Following the Communion verse, Priest Georgy Sidorov delivered the sermon.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and St. Spyridon. The bishops and clergy offered a prayer to the Wonderworker of Trimythous.

Many Years was proclaimed for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; the Head and bishops of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.-J.K. Tokayev; the authorities, armed forces and all the people of Kazakhstan.

At the conclusion of the service, Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan congratulated Metropolitan Alexander on behalf of the clergy and faithful of the Astana Diocese on the anniversary of his episcopal consecration.

The Head of the Metropolitan District thanked him for the kind wishes and asked those present to offer special prayers that God would grant him His gracious help in his service to the Church of Christ.

Vladyka congratulated the clergy and faithful on the twofold spiritual celebration – the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the arrival in Kazakhstan’s capital of the relics of St. Spyridon – and then delivered a sermon.