Head of the Metropolitan District Holds a Working Meeting on Preparations for Anniversary Celebrations in the Almaty and Astana Diocese

November 13, 2026. Almaty. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan held a working meeting on preparations for the celebration of the 155th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkestan and Tashkent Diocese and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Almaty and Semirechye Diocese.

The meeting took place at the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Administrative, Spiritual and Cultural Centre of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.

The meeting was attended by O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan and Honoured Worker of the Arts of the Russian Federation; Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat.

The main topic of the meeting was the programme of anniversary celebrations to be held in Almaty and Astana from May 18 to 22, 2027.

“In the coming year, the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan will commemorate two significant historical anniversaries - the 155th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkestan and Tashkent Diocese and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Almaty and Semirechye Diocese.

“These anniversaries offer us an opportunity to turn to the origins of Orthodox Church life in Kazakhstan and to remember with gratitude the selfless labours of the first archpastors and the spiritual struggles of the clergy and laity who remained faithful to Christ during years of the most severe trials.

“Our task is not only to commemorate these historical anniversaries in a fitting manner, but also to reveal to our contemporaries the rich spiritual heritage of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan and to demonstrate the inseparable link between the past and present of Church life.

“The forthcoming celebrations should become a significant event for the entire Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, contributing to the strengthening of ecclesiastical unity, the development of spiritual education and the preservation of historical memory,” Metropolitan Alexander noted.

Those assembled outlined the most significant spiritual, educational, academic, youth, cultural and social events to be held as part of the anniversary celebrations. Particular attention will be devoted to the ministry of the archpastors who laid the foundations of Church life in Semirechye, the history of Orthodox parishes, and the preservation of the memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan.

The anniversary celebrations are also expected to include the Great Consecration of the newly built Church of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Land of Kazakhstan in Astana. According to the Head of the Metropolitan District, the establishment of a new church in the capital of the Republic will mark an important event in the lives of Orthodox believers and bear witness to the fact that the labours of previous generations of archpastors, pastors and laypeople continue to bear good fruit in the Church life of contemporary Kazakhstan.

The anniversary celebrations are expected to bring together hierarchs of Kazakhstan and visiting archpastors from Russia and other CIS countries.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Metropolitan Alexander thanked everyone for their labours and issued the relevant instructions to those assembled.