On the Feast Day of the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Akzhar

November 14, 2026 - the commemoration of the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Asia and their mother, Venerable Theodota.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Akzhar microdistrict of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were the Vicars of the Astana Diocese - Bishop Gideon of Malotimofeevka and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Churches of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Hieromonk Alexy (Cherevtsov), Rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Akzhar; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Hierodeacon Innocent (Strunov); and Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

Before the service, a reliquary containing a particle of the holy relics of Cosmas and Damian of Asia, kept at the Iveron-Seraphim house church of the Metropolitan’s residence in Almaty, was brought to the church for the prayerful veneration and spiritual strengthening of the faithful.

Among those praying at the Liturgy were staff members of the Almaty Diocesan Administration and parishioners of the church.

The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Almaty under the direction of E. Skorova.

Priest Georgy Sidorov delivered the sermon after the Communion verse.

The Liturgy concluded with a service of glorification in honour of the saints commemorated on this day, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the clergy and laity on the feast of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian.

Metropolitan Alexander addressed the congregation with an archpastoral sermon of edification, after which he sprinkled those present with holy water.

The service was filmed by Semirechye, the television studio of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan (Director - V.L. Posadneva, Honoured Worker of Culture), which operates the Semirechye YouTube channel. Photography was provided by A. Khalin.

“Today, the Holy Church prayerfully glorifies the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian. The very memory of these saints of God fills our hearts with a special light, warmth and profound hope. Possessing extensive knowledge of the healing art, they offered assistance to all those who suffered without seeking payment, making no distinction between the rich and the poor, the noble and the common people, friends and enemies.

“For their selflessness, the people rightly called them unmercenaries, thereby emphasising the guiding principle of their lives: ‘Freely ye have received, freely give’ (Matthew 10:8).

“The Holy Unmercenaries left us an example of how ordinary human talents - in their case, the healing art - can become instruments for glorifying God when exercised with love and selflessness. Each of us, wherever we may be, within our families, at work or among our acquaintances, is called to do good without expecting reward or gratitude. To comfort those who have been wronged, to support the weak and to extend a helping hand to those who have stumbled - this is our Christian calling.”

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.