The Reliquary Containing the Holy Relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous Arrives in the Diocese of Chimkent

October 9, 2026. Shymkent. The incorrupt relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, which are being hosted in Kazakhstan with the blessing of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, and with the gracious consent of Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu and Paxos, have been brought to the Diocese of Chimkent.

The bringing of this holy relic to Kazakhstan has been organized by the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation.

The capital of Southern Kazakhstan will be the final stop on the pilgrimage of the relics of the hierarch of Trimythous to the cities of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

The holy relic is accompanied on its journey by: Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Diocese of Astana; O. N. Ovchinnikov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan and Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; V. M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation; and representatives of the Metropolis of Corfu, led by Protopresbyters Evangelos Koutras and Thomas Kostamonitis.

At Shymkent Airport, the relics of this great servant of God were welcomed by members of the Diocesan Administration of Chimkent, led by Bishop Chrysanf of Chimkent and Turkestan.

The holy relic was then brought to St. Nicholas Cathedral, where a large number of faithful had gathered, including residents of the city, nearby towns, and surrounding settlements.

Amid the ringing of bells and the singing of the troparion and magnification to St. Spyridon, the reliquary containing the relics was carried into the principal church of the Diocese of Chimkent and placed at a specially prepared location in the centre of the cathedral.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated Bishop Chrysanf, the clergy, and those gathered in prayer on this significant event in the spiritual life of the capital of Southern Kazakhstan — the arrival of the venerable and wonderworking relics of the Hierarch of Trimythous, before which prayer is endowed with special grace.

The hierarch warmly thanked V. M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation, for his valuable assistance in organizing the pilgrimage of this holy relic throughout the Metropolitan District.

Protopresbyter Evangelos Koutras, the custodian of the venerable relics, addressed those gathered.

The hierarchs and clergy celebrated a service of supplication before the relics of the wonderworking Hierarch of Trimythous, after which the faithful began to venerate the holy relic.

The relics of St. Spyridon will remain at St. Nicholas Cathedral until the evening of October 10.