On December 11, 2025, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, a meeting was held at the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary between students of the pastoral and choir-director departments and the Patriarchal Archdeacon Constantin Bargan.
The meeting was attended by: the rector of the seminary, Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; the vice-rector for educational work, Priest Ioann Livinsky; the vice-rector for academic affairs, Priest Petr Bakhtiyarov; and the seminary inspector, Priest Evgeny Bessonov.
The rector welcomed the guest and introduced him to the students, noting that Archdeacon Constantin, being a native of Gagauzia – an autonomous territorial unit within Moldova – in addition to his church ministry, also provides spiritual care for the Gagauz community in Russia. He serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gagauz Heritage Foundation and as a member of the Expert Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ for cooperation with the Islamic world.
The Patriarchal Archdeacon spoke to those gathered about the history, cultural, religious and national characteristics of the Gagauz – a Turkic-speaking people who confess Orthodox Christianity. “The Gagauz are a unique ethno-confessional phenomenon of Eastern Europe. They have managed to carry the Orthodox faith through the centuries without losing either the Turkic foundation of their language or the richness of their customs. Faith has become the cultural axis for this people, around which society, family life and the transmission of tradition are built,” the clergyman emphasized. According to the archdeacon, no fewer than three dozen Orthodox parishes and several monasteries operate in Gagauzia today.
The students learned about the work of the Expert Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ for cooperation with the Islamic world – an institution whose activity is aimed at fostering interaction and dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Muslim world on social, cultural, scholarly, theological and other matters.
Father Constantin answered numerous questions from the seminarians regarding the specifics of archdeaconal ministry.
As a memento of the meeting, the vice-rector for academic affairs, Priest Petr Bakhtiyarov, presented the guest with biblical books published in the Kazakh language – the Gospel according to Matthew, the Psalter and the Proverbs of Solomon – as well as an illustrated edition of the scholarly work of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Christianity in Central Asia.
Father Petr then led Archdeacon Constantin on a tour of the seminary building.
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