Delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu Visits the Holy Sites of Alma-Ata

October 5, 2026. A delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece, which brought the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous to Kazakhstan, visited the holy sites of Alma-Ata.

The delegation consisted of Protopresbyter Evangelos Koutras, Protopresbyter Thomas Kostamonitis, Pavel Spiridonis and Spyridon Agathos.

The tour of the holy sites of the Southern Capital began with a visit to the Ascension Cathedral, a historic and architectural monument of Kazakhstan.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the tour of Alma-Ata’s principal church was conducted by Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, sacristan of the cathedral and Head of the Metropolitan District’s Public Relations Department.

Father Alexander told the guests about the history of the cathedral’s construction, highlighting the uniqueness of its architecture, its historical role and its significance in the spiritual life of the city. The priest spoke in detail about the large-scale professional restoration of the cathedral carried out from 2017 to 2020. It was noted that all the work was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNESCO, with the involvement of highly qualified specialists from Kazakhstan, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Germany and France. Archpriest Alexander emphasized that the Ascension Cathedral is included in the list of Kazakhstan’s 100 national sacred sites established under the President’s “Rukhani Zhangyru” program.

Representatives of the Metropolis of Corfu noted the elegance and grandeur of the cathedral’s exterior, as well as the beauty of its interiors, decorated with murals created by talented Palekh iconographers under the direction of V.K. Kurilov, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia. At the conclusion of their visit, the pilgrims venerated the cathedral’s holy sites.

Continuing their tour, the guests visited the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. The members of the delegation prayed before the honorable relics of Kazakhstan’s heavenly patron, Hieroconfessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata, and venerated the holy sites of the Southern Capital’s oldest church, including reliquaries containing particles of the relics of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the Great Martyr Barbara. Archpriest Valery Zakharov, dean of the city church district and rector of the cathedral, told the guests about the life of the parish, the work of the Central Sunday School, the activities of the Miloserdie social and charitable service, and the projects of the pilgrimage department.