Head of the Metropolitan District celebrates the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint George in Baikonur, where the relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous are being venerated

October 7, 2026 – the commemoration day of Saint Thecla of Iconium, the Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles, of Seleucia.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious in the city of Baikonur, where a reliquary containing the right hand of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous had been brought.

The bringing of the sacred relic was organized by the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation (President – V.M. Kapsamun).

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Archpriest Vitaly Ivashinin, Rector of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Kyzylorda; Priest George Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Cyprian (Dakhno), Acting Dean of the Aktobe Church District and Rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael; Priest Daniel Ivashinin, Acting Rector of the Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious in Baikonur; Priest Seraphim Ivashinin, a cleric of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Kyzylorda; Priest Andrei Ivashinin, a cleric of the Church of Saint Sergius in Astana; Priest Boris Fateev, Chancellor of the Aktobe Diocese; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Protodeacon Alexander Mokiy; and Deacon Mikhail Kharchenko.

Praying during the service were O.N. Ovchinnikov, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and Honored Worker of Arts of the Russian Federation; V.M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation; representatives of the delegation of the Holy Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; and numerous faithful from Baikonur and nearby settlements.

The guests of honor at the celebration included K.D. Busygin, Head of the Baikonur City Administration, and K.Y. Nurtai, Deputy Akim of Kyzylorda Region and Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Divine Liturgy was sung by the male choir of the Almaty Diocese under the direction of Deacon Makary Belitsky.

Following the Communion verse, Hieromonk Cyprian (Dakhno) read the Metropolitan’s Address on the occasion of the bringing of the relics of Saint Spyridon to Kazakhstan.

The Divine Liturgy concluded with a glorification service before the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated those gathered on the arrival of the great sacred relic and delivered a homily.

His Eminence sprinkled the worshippers with holy water.

In the Church of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, services of supplication with an Akathist to Saint Spyridon of Christ will be celebrated continuously before the reliquary containing the relics of the Hierarch of Trimythous.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the Head of the Metropolitan District visited the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Unburnt Bush”, a bishop’s metochion of Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda.

Less than a year ago, with the blessing of the diocesan hierarch, a women’s monastic community consisting of four members was established at the church. Nun Joanna (Periastrova) was appointed as the senior sister.

Upon his arrival, the Metropolitan celebrated a glorification service to Saint Spyridon of Trimythous at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Unburnt Bush”, after which he venerated the church’s holy relics and spoke with members of the parish community.

Bishop Ignatius informed His Eminence that the church building had undergone a complete renovation the previous year: the walls and vaults of the church were repaired, new window frames were installed, the flooring was replaced, the heating system and electrical wiring were renewed, and the surrounding grounds were improved. The Bishop of Aktobe noted that K.D. Busygin, Head of the Baikonur City Administration, had taken a particularly active part in the restoration of the church.

The Head of the Metropolitan District highly commended the work that had been carried out.

This was followed by a meeting between the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the sisters of the women’s monastic community. During the conversation, matters concerning spiritual life, ascetic practice, and the further development of the community were discussed.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Metropolitan gave the sisters his archpastoral blessing to continue their monastic vocation, wishing them spiritual strength and unfailing zeal in carrying out the service they had chosen.

On the same day, accompanied by K.D. Busygin, Head of the Baikonur City Administration, and the participants in the bringing of the relics of Saint Spyridon, the Head of the Metropolitan District visited the open-air Museum of the History of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in G.M. Shubnikov City Park.

After visiting the memorial complex, the Metropolitan, together with Konstantin Dmitrievich Busygin and those accompanying him, laid flowers at the monument commemorating the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, after which those gathered sang “Memory Eternal” for the departed.