Exhibition “The Church Is Heaven on Earth” Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of the Return of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Alma-Ata to the Orthodox Church Concludes in the Southern Capital

May 10 – June 7, 2026. Alma-Ata. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the exhibition “The Church Is Heaven on Earth” was held on the grounds of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The exhibition was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the return of St. Nicholas Cathedral to the Orthodox Church. In 1946, through the labors of the confessor of the faith Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky) of Alma-Ata and Kazakhstan, the cathedral was returned to the faithful, and liturgical life was restored within its walls.

The exhibition was organized by staff members of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary (curator – Vice-Rector for Educational Work Priest Ioann Livinsky).

The opening of the exhibition took place on May 10, the day marking the 80th anniversary of the return of St. Nicholas Cathedral to the Orthodox Church. The event was presided over by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The exhibition was visited by hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and laity who arrived in Alma-Ata to participate in the jubilee celebrations. A guided tour for guests was conducted by the exhibition’s curator, Priest Ioann Livinsky.

The exhibition displays featured archival photographs, historical documents, and informational materials dedicated to the history of St. Nicholas Cathedral and its role in the ecclesiastical life of Kazakhstan.

The banners included information about the confessor of the faith St. Nicholas of Alma-Ata, the hieromartyrs Alexander, Stephen, and Philip of Nikolo-Kuchugury; the ever-memorable Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov); Archimandrite Isaac (Vinogradov); and the holy objects preserved at St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Part of the exhibition was devoted to the long-serving rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov, and to the ministry of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan at St. Nicholas Church.

During its run, the exhibition was visited by parishioners of Alma-Ata churches, pilgrims, students of theological and secular educational institutions, and residents and visitors of the Southern Capital.