The Book “The Orthodox Church in Northern Kazakhstan (1920–1930s): A Historical and Documentary Collection” Published

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the scholarly work “The Orthodox Church in Northern Kazakhstan (1920–1930s): A Historical and Documentary Collection” by Priest Mikhail Berezin, a lecturer at the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary, has been published.

The book was produced as part of the seminary’s academic work by the Publishing Department of the Kazakhstan Metropolia (headed by Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov).

The study is based on a body of previously unexplored or little-known sources preserved in the archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.

Readers of this book will gain insight into the little-studied history of the Russian Orthodox Church in Northern Kazakhstan during the 1920s and 1930s. This period was marked by repression against clergy, the repurposing and destruction of places of worship, and the prevalence of anti-religious propaganda. Utilizing archival data, the book reveals the tragic process of the near-total eradication of church life in Northern Kazakhstan over two decades prior to World War II.

The book will soon be available for purchase at church bookstores in the Almaty Diocese.