Defense of the Candidate Dissertation by the Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov

April 28, 2025. Moscow. The Candidate Dissertation Council of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Postgraduate and Doctoral School (OCAD) held a defense session for dissertations seeking the academic degree of Candidate of Theology.

The event was chaired by the Rector of OCAD, Protopriest Maxim Kozlov.

The defense was attended by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Within the framework of the session, the acting rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov, defended his dissertation titled: “The Russian Orthodox Church in the Kazakh SSR from 1943 to 1991: Church-State Relations, Diocesan Administration, and Parish Life.”

The dissertation was completed at the Religious Educational Organization of Higher Education “Ss. Cyril and Methodius Postgraduate and Doctoral School.”

The academic advisor was Mikhail Viktorovich Pervushin, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Candidate of Theology, and Associate Professor at the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius Postgraduate and Doctoral School.”

The official opponents were: Deacon Sergiy Kulpinov, Doctor of Church History, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Theological Work, and Associate Professor at the Department of Church History and Humanities of the Taurida Theological Seminary; and Priest Arkady Makovetsky, Doctor of Church History, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Dean of the Eastern City Deanery of the city of Vladimir, and Head of the Missionary Department of the Vladimir Diocese.

The leading organization was the Smolensk Theological Seminary.

Five positive reviews were received on the dissertation abstract.

Following the discussions and voting, the Candidate Dissertation Council decided to petition His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to approve Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov for the academic degree of Candidate of Theology.

At the conclusion of the defense, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, congratulated the acting rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary on the successful defense of his candidate dissertation.