April 27, 2026. Almaty. A meeting took place at the Spiritual, Cultural and Administrative Center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) between Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and the delegates of the IV International Academic Conference “Philosophy of Religion in the East and the West.”
Participants in the meeting with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan included leading scholars who have made a significant contribution to the development of theology, philosophy, and philosophical theology. Among the guests were: Professor Sister Teresa Obolevitch, Head of the Department of Russian and Byzantine Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków; Professor M.K. Ghidini, Professor of Russian Literature at the Faculty of Humanities, Social and Cultural Sciences of the University of Parma (Italy); PhD, Assistant at the Department of the History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków (Poland), Priest Konrad Rychlik; PhD of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Priest Robert Slesinski.
Also participating in the meeting were: Secretary of the Metropolitan District, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Church Singing, Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District, Candidate of Theology Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Vice-Rector for Educational Work of the Almaty Seminary Priest Ioann Livinsky; Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Priest Petr Bakhtiyarov; Vice-Rector for Research, Candidate of Philosophy A.P. Solovyov; Assistant to the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov.
Welcoming the guests, Metropolitan Alexander thanked them for their visit to Almaty and for participating in the IV International Academic Conference “Philosophy of Religion in the East and the West” – a significant educational event held in the Southern capital during the bright Paschal days. The archpastor highly praised the scholarly and educational work of the delegates from the represented universities, noting the importance of these authoritative platforms for academic, interconfessional, and civic dialogue.
The hierarch spoke to the scholars about the life of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, paying special attention to the educational work carried out within the Metropolitan District.
Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov informed the distinguished guests about the activities of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary – the main center for training personnel for the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, which holds a state license to conduct educational activities in accordance with the legislation of the Republic.
At the conclusion of the meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, His Eminence presented the scholars with his academic work – the book “Christianity in Central Asia in the Middle Ages,” the Metropolitan District calendar for 2026, and an icon of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan. The distinguished guests, in turn, presented the archpastor with their academic publications in English devoted to Russian religious philosophy.
A group photograph was taken to commemorate the meeting.
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