International Academic Conference “The History of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan” Held in the Diocese of Petropavlovsk

July 30, 2026. With the blessing of Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulayevo, the International Academic Conference “The History of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan” was held at the Spiritual and Administrative Center of the Ascension Cathedral in Petropavlovsk.

The conference formed part of the commemorations marking the 158th anniversary of the birth of the Hieromartyr Methodius, Bishop of Petropavlovsk.

The event was organized by Priest Mikhail Berezin.

The conference was chaired by the ruling bishop of the Diocese of Petropavlovsk and brought together A.P. Solovyov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; I.V. Petrov, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Fyodor Dostoevsky Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities; D.M. Krikhan, Master of Philosophy, Master of Theology, and doctoral candidate at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland); members of the diocesan administration, deans, heads of diocesan departments, rectors and clergy of local parishes, representatives of the North Kazakhstan Regional Department of the Penal Correction System, monastics, and lay faithful.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks by Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulayevo, who wished the participants fruitful deliberations, engaging presentations, meaningful discussions, and the establishment of new academic contacts.

The following papers were presented:

• “Saint Dimitry (Antoniy) Abashidze in the Context of His Ministry in the Russian Empire” — I.V. Petrov, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Fyodor Dostoevsky Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities.
• “The Reasons for Choosing the City of Verny as the Residence of the Bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent: Marking the 155th Anniversary of the Establishment of the First Orthodox Diocese in Central Asia” — A.P. Solovyov, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences and Vice-Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary.
• “His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (Bellavin) and the Petropavlovsk Vicariate of the Omsk Diocese in the Early 1920s” — Priest Mikhail Berezin, Research Fellow at the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary.
• “The Rectors of the Ascension Vicariate Cathedral in Petropavlovsk Prior to the 1917 Revolution” — I.S. Ulanov, Head of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Diocese of Petropavlovsk.
• “The Place of Rational Theology in Contemporary Orthodoxy” — D.M. Krikhan, Master of Philosophy, Master of Theology, and doctoral candidate at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland).
• “The Discussion of Theological Issues within the Framework of the International Orthodox–Islam Commission” — E.O. Berezina, Master of Theology and theologian at the Center for the Analysis and Development of Interfaith Relations under the Department for Religious Affairs of the Akimat of North Kazakhstan Region.

Following the presentations, the speakers answered questions from the audience, after which the conference concluded with a summary of its proceedings.