Metropolitan Alexander Leads Celebrations Marking the Arrival of St. Spyridon’s Relics in Kostanay

October 1, 2026 – the Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the feast day of St. Euphrosyne of Suzdal.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the principal church of the Kostanay Diocese – the Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Kostanay, where the reliquary containing the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon of Trimythous had been brought shortly beforehand.

The bringing of the relic was organized by the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation, headed by its president V.M. Kapsamun.

Numerous parishioners from churches across the city, as well as faithful from towns and villages throughout the Kostanay Region, came to take part in the celebrations and venerate the relics of the great saint of God.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Protopresbyter Evangelos Koutras of the Church of Greece; Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese; Archpriest Georgy Levintsa, rector of St. Seraphim Church; Archpriest Vasily Korolev, sacristan of the Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral; Abbot Innokenty (Pomogalov), cleric of Kostanay’s principal church; Archpriest Oleg Kalmykov, dean of the Lisakovsk church district and rector of the Church of St. John of Kronstadt in Lisakovsk; Abbot Maxim (Boikov), sacristan of the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Rudny; Archpriest Vitaly Kleba, dean of the Sarykol church district; Archpriest Vitaly Gutsan, sacristan of St. Nicholas Church in Kostanay; Archpriest Alexiy Mostovshchikov, rector of St. Nicholas Church in the village of Fedorovka; Priest Andrey Krutin, dean of the Kostanay church district; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and clergy of the Kostanay and Astana Dioceses.

The diaconal service was led by Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

Praying at the service were representatives of the delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; the sisters of the Iveron-St. Peter and Paul Convent, headed by Abbess Nika (Otroshchenko); staff of the Kostanay Diocesan Administration; representatives of the Cossack community; and parishioners of Kostanay’s principal church.

Following the Communion verse, Archpriest Vitaly Kleba read Metropolitan Alexander’s address marking the bringing of the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon of Trimythous to Kazakhstan.

The Liturgy concluded with the veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and a service of glorification to St. Spyridon before the reliquary containing his relics.

The Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated those gathered on the arrival of the great shrine and delivered a sermon on the life and spiritual labors of St. Spyridon and his prayerful intercession.

In remembrance of the service, Metropolitan Alexander presented the Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral with a newly painted icon of St. Spyridon, created by iconographers from Kostanay.

His Eminence sprinkled those present with holy water.

Following the service, the faithful began venerating the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon of Trimythous. Residents and visitors of Kostanay, including large numbers of pilgrims from nearby communities, gathered to offer their prayers to the saint.

Clergy of the Kostanay Diocese will continuously offer molebens with an akathist to St. Spyridon before the reliquary containing his relics.