Charity Christmas Concert Held in Almaty

January 14, 2026. Almaty.

A traditional concert dedicated to the feast of the Nativity of Christ was held at the concert hall of the Kazakh State Philharmonic named after Zhambyl.

The event was organized with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan by the Department of Culture of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.

The concert program featured: the Choir of the Metropolitan District (conductor – Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Church Singing Oleg Ovchinnikov, choirmaster – Viktoria Dudareva); the Central Sunday School of the city of Almaty at St. Nicholas Cathedral (director – laureate of the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Prize Galina Cherepanova; choreographer Maria Privalova); the Choir of the Sophia Cathedral of the Iversko–Seraphim Monastery in Almaty (conductor – Olga Usoltseva); the “Aspan” choreographic ensemble of Gymnasium No. 83 of Almaty, laureate of international and national competitions (leaders – Lyudmila Kurlikova and Malika Radzhibayeva); the children’s choir “Kókek”, laureate of international and national competitions (leader – Natalia Marchenko, accompanist – Erkebulan Chaqim); the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Kazakhstan named after T. Abdrashev (conductor – laureate of international competitions, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Yerbolat Akhmedyarov); soloists of the Metropolitan Choir, laureates of international competitions – Honored Cultural Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sofiana Blagodarnaya, Honored Cultural Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roza Bakbergenova, and laureate of international competitions Evgeny Shagarov.

The audience was presented with works by classical and contemporary composers, sacred hymns, symphonic pieces, operatic arias, and traditional Christmas carols.

Opening the festive event, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, greeted the audience with words of congratulations on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year.

Among those present were: the auxiliary bishops of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; the abbess of the Iversko–Seraphim Monastery of Almaty, Igumenia Lyubov (Yakushkina), with the sisters of the monastery; clergy and parishioners of the churches of the southern capital.

Guests of the musical celebration included: Consul General of the Russian Federation in Almaty D.A. Turaev with his wife, Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in Almaty D.V. Meleshkin, public figures, representatives of the creative intelligentsia, and leaders of ethnocultural associations.