March 11, 2025 – Moscow. At the invitation of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation, Dauren Askerbekovich Abaev, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan visited the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Moscow.
The meeting was also attended by Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov, Acting Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary.
After an exchange of greetings, Dauren Abaev congratulated the hierarch on the 15th anniversary of his service as Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan. The diplomat noted that Metropolitan Alexander enjoys great authority in the Republic not only as the head of the second most significant religious confession after Islam of the Hanafi madhhab but also as a prominent public figure, actively working to uphold traditional moral values in the country.
A key topic of discussion was the preparation for the upcoming Primatial Visit to Kazakhstan by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who will arrive in Astana to participate in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, scheduled for September 17–18 of this year.
Metropolitan Alexander and Dauren Abaev also discussed the implementation of an initiative proposed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. The Primate, well aware of the history of persecutions against Orthodoxy, suggested the construction of a memorial chapel in Lisya Balka, located within the present-day city of Shymkent, in memory of the countless innocent martyrs who suffered for Christ. Lisya Balka is tragically known as the site where thousands of Orthodox Christians were executed and buried, including Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) of Kazan, Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovykh), Archbishop Alexy (Orlov), Bishop Eugene (Kobranov), and many other renowned hierarchs and pastors.
It was noted that descendants of the victims have appealed for the creation of a memorial chapel not only from Kazakhstan but also from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the United States, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan shared that the initiative to build the memorial chapel, which received the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, had been reviewed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. According to Metropolitan Alexander, this was conveyed to him by the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Maulen Ashimbayev, during their meeting on December 9, 2024, in Astana. After examining the matter, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the construction of two religious memorials in Lisya Balka—a Orthodox chapel and a Muslim mosque, as this site became the final resting place of innocent victims from both of Kazakhstan’s leading traditional faiths—Islam and Orthodoxy.
During the meeting, Metropolitan Alexander also informed Dauren Abaev about the ongoing construction in Astana of a spiritual, cultural, and educational center, which will include a church dedicated to All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Land of Kazakhstan. The hierarch emphasized that this project has received the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the approval of the President of Kazakhstan. It was noted that the educational center and Orthodox church being erected in the capital, alongside the recently completed complex of the Central Mosque—the largest in the Republic, will become a visible embodiment of the spiritual strength of the Kazakh people, their unity, and their loyalty to their historical and cultural heritage.
His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander invited Dauren Abaev to visit the Moscow Representation of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, located at the Patriarchal Metochion of the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their Mother Sophia on the Miussy. The hierarch shared with the diplomat about the activities of the Representation, which has been visited by prominent state and public figures, including the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Ambassador discussed various aspects of religious life in both Kazakhstan and Russia. A broad exchange of views took place on topics of mutual interest.
At the conclusion of the meeting, which took place in a cordial atmosphere, Metropolitan Alexander and Dauren Abaev exchanged best wishes and expressed their confidence in the continued fruitful cooperation between the Kazakhstan diplomatic mission and the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.
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