Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov chaired a meeting of the Department of Church Singing Disciplines at the Almaty Seminary

3 March 2026. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, a meeting of the Department of Church Singing Disciplines was held at the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary.

The work was chaired by the Head of the Department – Oleg Nikolaevich Ovchinnikov, professor of the seminary, Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Church–Public Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ for the Development of Church Singing, director of the Metropolitan Choir and Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

Participants in the meeting included: Vice-Rector for Educational Work of the Almaty Seminary, Priest John Livinsky; Head of the Regenten (Choirmaster) Department and choirmaster of the Metropolitan Choir V.V. Dudareva; and lecturers in musical disciplines of the Pastoral and Regenten Departments of the seminary.

Opening the meeting, Oleg Nikolaevich congratulated those present on the beginning of Holy Forty Days and announced the agenda.

Those gathered discussed current issues concerning the work of the Department of Church Singing Disciplines. Particular attention was given to pressing theoretical and practical matters related to the teaching of church singing.

The main topic of the meeting was the discussion of the Department’s preparation for the forthcoming inspection by the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Professor O.N. Ovchinnikov thanked those present for their labors for the benefit of the Almaty Orthodox Seminary and then issued the appropriate instructions to the members of the Department.