The winners of the international Christmas online carousel “On the Way to Bethlehem” have been determined

On December 21, 2025, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the Commission for Educational Ministry of the Astana Diocese held the international youth online quiz “On the Way to Bethlehem”.

Along with young people from Kazakhstan, teams of school pupils and students from Uzbekistan, Russia, and Latvia took part in the intellectual competition. In total, 24 teams participated (6 from parish youth clubs and secular organizations and 18 from Sunday schools and general education schools).

The online carousel is a team competition in solving tasks. All teams participating in the carousel are simultaneously offered the same questions in a strict order, to which correct answers must be provided. The duration of the online quiz is limited to seventy minutes.

The intellectual competition was held in two subgroups: Sunday schools and youth clubs.

The quiz included tasks testing knowledge of events from Gospel history and the liturgical features of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Holy Theophany, and the Meeting of the Lord.

Based on the results of the online quiz, the following teams were recognized as winners and prizewinners.

Sunday schools subgroup

First place

• “Blagovest” (Annunciation Cathedral, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan)
• “Joy of Faith” (Sebastian and Magdalene Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Little Rays” (St Nicholas Church, Tonshaevo settlement, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia)
• “Youths” (Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Rezekne, Latvia)
• “Seeds of Faith” (combined team of Sunday schools, Kerch, Republic of Crimea)
• “My Joy” (Church of St Seraphim of Sarov, Baykent village, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan)
• “Outpost” (Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia)
• “Pure in Heart” (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
• “Radonezh” (All Saints Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)

Second place

• “Guiding Star” (Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Maranatha” (St Alexander Nevsky Church, Irtyshsk village, Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan)
• “Peresvet” (Archangel Michael Church, Presnovka village, North Kazakhstan Region)
• “New Generation” (Ascension Cathedral, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Little Radonezh” (All Saints Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Faith, Hope, Love” (Iveron and Seraphim Cathedral, Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan)
• “Crystal” (St Vladimir Church, Aktobe, Kazakhstan)
• “Swallow” (All Saints Church, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Peresvet” (combined team of Sunday schools, Bryansk, Russia)

Youth clubs subgroup

First place

• “Mikhailovtsy” (Archangel Michael Church, Maykop, Republic of Adygea, Russia)
• “Agape” (Archangel Michael Church, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan)
• “Scythian” (Iveron and Seraphim Cathedral, Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan)

Second place

• “East Express” (St Vladimir Church, Chemolgan station, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan)
• “Guiding Star” (Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan)
• “Farmaprim SRL” (representation of a Moldovan pharmaceutical company, Almaty, Kazakhstan)

The questions of the completed intellectual tournament are available on the website of the “Orthodox Internet Carousel”.