The Enlightenment Commission of the Astana Diocese Held the International Youth Online Quiz “The Artistic Culture of Byzantium”

On 23 November 2025, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the Enlightenment Commission of the Astana Diocese held the international youth online quiz “The Artistic Culture of Byzantium.”

The intellectual contest continued a series of four games of the international quiz for Orthodox youth, united under the title “World Artistic Culture” and dedicated to the heritage of the great civilizations of the Christian and Arab–Muslim world.

Teams of school pupils and university students from Kazakhstan, Russia and Latvia took part in the intellectual competition. A total of 16 teams participated in the event.

The quiz consisted of twenty questions on the architecture, iconography and decorative and applied arts of the Byzantine Empire.

Based on the results of the intellectual tournament, the following teams were recognized as winners and prize-holders.

I place

• “Luchiki” (St Nicholas Church, Tonshaevo settlement, Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia)
• “Zyornyshki Very” (Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Church, Kerch, Russia)
• “Radost Very” (St Sebastian–St Mary Magdalene Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Novoye pokoleniye” (Ascension Cathedral, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Radonezh” (All Saints Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Agape” (St Michael the Archangel Church, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan)
• “Radost moya” (St Seraphim of Sarov Church, Baikent village, Almaty region, Kazakhstan)

II place

• “Peresvet” (combined team of Sunday schools, Bryansk, Russia)
• “Guiding Star” Sunday School (Petropavlovsk Cathedral, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Guiding Star” Youth Center (Petropavlovsk Cathedral, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Otroki” (Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Rezekne, Latvia)
• “Vostok-Express” (St Vladimir Church, Chemolgan station, Almaty region, Kazakhstan)

III place

• “Maly Radonezh” (All Saints Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Peresvet” (St Michael the Archangel Church, Presnovka, North Kazakhstan region, Kazakhstan)
• “Lastochka” (All Saints Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)

The next online carousel “On the Way to Bethlehem” will take place on 21 December 2025. The tournament questions are available on the website of the “Orthodox Internet Carousel.”