Celebrations Marking the Arrival of St. Spyridon’s Wonderworking Relics Held in Alma-Ata

October 3, 2026 – the Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the feast day of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Oleg of Bryansk and the Holy Confessor Prince Michael of Chernigov.

Celebrations marking the arrival of the incorrupt relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous were held in Alma-Ata, the Southern Capital of Kazakhstan.

The festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-St. Seraphim Convent, where the reliquary containing the wonderworking relics of St. Spyridon has remained since the evening of October 2. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, the great Orthodox shrine has been visiting Kazakhstan since September 21.

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District were Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Metropolitan District; Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Benjamin of Talgar, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, dean of the churches of Alma-Ata and rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archimandrite Gerontius (Borisevich); Archpriest Eugene Vorobyov, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Alma-Ata; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko), Head of the Diocesan Department for the Canonization of Saints; Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, dean of the Ili church district; Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Metropolitan District’s Public Relations Department; Archpriest Alexander Sokolov, sacristan of St. Sophia Cathedral; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; rectors and clergy of churches of the Alma-Ata Diocese; and ordained heads of departments of the Metropolitan District. The diaconal service was led by Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service.

Praying at the service were Oleg N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation; representatives of the delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), superior of the Iveron-St. Seraphim Convent in Alma-Ata, together with the sisters of the monastery; V.M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation; staff of the Alma-Ata Diocesan Administration; representatives of the Cossack community; students of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary; and benefactors of the diocese.

Numerous faithful gathered to celebrate the feast and venerate the great Orthodox shrine.

The hymns were performed by the choir of St. Sophia Cathedral under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

Following the Communion verse, Metropolitan Alexander’s address on the occasion of the bringing of the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous to Kazakhstan was read aloud.

The Liturgy concluded with the veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and a service of glorification to St. Spyridon and the Holy Right-Believing Prince Oleg of Bryansk.

The Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District blessed the faithful with the reliquary containing the holy relics of the Wonderworker of Trimythous. He then warmly thanked the hierarchs, clergy and all those taking part in the celebrations for their common prayer and congratulated those gathered on the arrival in Alma-Ata of the great shrine of the Orthodox world.

The feast day of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Oleg of Bryansk is also the name day of Oleg Nikolayevich Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Artist, choirmaster of the Metropolitan District Choir and church composer.

Metropolitan Alexander warmly congratulated the maestro on his name day and wished him the Lord’s mercy, strength of soul and body, creative success, many years of life and God’s help in his work for the benefit of the Church of Christ. Vladyka presented Oleg Nikolayevich with a holy prosphora and a bouquet of flowers.

On behalf of the clergy of the Alma-Ata Diocese, Archpriest Valery Zakharov also congratulated the Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District on his name day and wished him many years of life.

Following the Liturgy, molebens continued to be celebrated at St. Sophia Cathedral before the wonderworking relics of St. Spyridon.