In Pavlodar, the 25th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Annunciation Cathedral Was Prayerfully Celebrated

October 27, 2024 – 18th Sunday after Pentecost, the feast day honoring the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council.

Celebrations took place in Pavlodar, the capital of the Irtysh Region, to mark the 25th anniversary of the consecration of the Annunciation Cathedral.

Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz presided over the Divine Liturgy at the main church of the Pavlodar Diocese. Serving with His Eminence were the Secretary of the Pavlodar Diocese and Dean of the Pavlodar Deanery, Protopriest Alexei Stepanov, Annunciation Cathedral clergy Priest Sergiy Golubnichiy, and Deacon Ambrosiy Taukenov.

The cathedral choir, directed by Elena Yusupzhanova, sang during the service.

Praying at the Liturgy were Hegumeness Seraphima (Bolibok), abbess of the Peter and Paul Convent in Pavlodar, along with the convent sisters, members of the Cossack community, diocesan administration staff, and students of Sunday schools.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a thanksgiving moleben was held, followed by a procession around the cathedral with clergy and laity.

Archbishop Barnabas congratulated the gathered faithful on this significant milestone in the history of the Annunciation Cathedral, expressing gratitude to all who contributed to the parish’s life through prayer, offerings, and labor, and delivered a sermon.

After the service, a festive meal and concert program were organized for parishioners.

Historical Note

Construction of the Annunciation Cathedral, the principal church of Pavlodar Irtysh, began in 1993. Six years later, on October 22, on the feast of the Discovery of the Relics of Venerable Confessor Sebastian of Karaganda, Archbishop Alexy of Astana and Almaty (currently Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov) performed the rite of great consecration of the cathedral.

The Annunciation Cathedral boasts unique features, including its central monolithic dome, made of reinforced concrete, which is one of the largest in Kazakhstan. The roof was manufactured in Novosibirsk using a special technique involving galvanized iron coated with a polymer film. The cathedral’s windows are adorned with stained glass created by artisans from Tomsk. The bells of the cathedral’s bell tower were cast in Moscow at the Likhachev Factory.

On August 2, 2000, the Head of State, Nursultan Nazarbayev, visited the cathedral and presented an icon of Christ the Savior to the church.

By resolutions of the Akim of Pavlodar Region dated October 7, 2002, and July 29, 2013, the Annunciation Cathedral was granted the status of a monument of local historical and cultural significance.