A meeting was held between the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Akim of Almaty, D.A. Satybaldy

26 February 2026. Almaty. A meeting took place at the city akimat between Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and the Akim of the Southern capital, Darkhan Amangeldievich Satybaldy.

The head of the executive authority and the archpastor discussed current developments in the life of the Southern capital. In particular, the conversation concerned the significance of the forthcoming national referendum on the adoption of a new Constitution. According to the Akim, “the draft of the new Constitution is aimed at strengthening sovereignty and independence, protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, ensuring the rule of law, fostering national unity and improving the welfare of Kazakhstan’s citizens.”

Darkhan Amangeldievich informed Metropolitan Alexander about the results of his meeting with the President of Kazakhstan, K.-J.K. Tokayev, during which specific instructions were given for the further development of Almaty. The head of the executive authority noted that among the priority areas identified by the Head of State are economic diversification, improvement of the environmental situation, development of sustainable transport and tourism infrastructure, the creation of a comfortable urban environment and enhancement of the quality of life of residents.

At the meeting, the Akim of Almaty spoke about addressing tasks related to the development of the city’s cultural and tourism cluster and the inclusion of religious sites in popular tourist route programs. As Darkhan Amangeldievich noted, the economic development of the metropolis is inseparably linked with the growth of its tourist appeal, and for this purpose annual studies are conducted in Almaty to better understand the target audience, including socio-demographic characteristics, purposes of visits and length of stay.

Metropolitan Alexander spoke to D.A. Satybaldy about the life of the Almaty diocese, provided statistical data concerning the number of parishes and clergy, reported on the activities of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and shared plans for the implementation of educational, cultural, youth and social projects.

The metropolitan informed his interlocutor about the details of the large-scale professional restoration of the principal church of Almaty – the Ascension Cathedral – carried out in 2017–2020. It was noted that all work was performed under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNESCO, with the participation of highly qualified specialists from Kazakhstan, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Germany and France. The hierarch emphasized that during his visit to the cathedral, the Head of State, K.-J.K. Tokayev, described the grand project as a “second birth of a national shrine of Kazakhstan.”

Metropolitan Alexander noted that beautification of the cathedral is currently ongoing – carved gilded icon cases are being produced, quality liturgical items are being acquired and new icons are being painted.

By mutual opinion, the Ascension Cathedral, included in the list of 100 national sacred sites of Kazakhstan under the presidential program “Rukhani Zhangyru,” is a place of attraction for numerous pilgrims and tourists; distinguished guests regularly become acquainted with the history and contemporary life of the spiritual jewel of the Southern capital – heads of state and diplomatic missions, members of royal families, ministers, leaders of world religions and prominent scholars.

The hierarch conveyed to D.A. Satybaldy the requests and wishes of the faithful concerning the improvement of the church grounds and the cathedral house.

The participants in the meeting discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest. The conversation addressed cooperation between the city administration and the Almaty diocese in strengthening the spiritual and moral foundations of urban life and preserving cultural and historical heritage.

It was noted that constructive dialogue between the executive authorities and the leading traditional confessions of the Republic – Hanafi Islam and Orthodox Christianity – has been and remains an essential condition for preserving interreligious peace and interethnic harmony in the metropolis, which in turn serves as one of the important factors of socio-economic development.

As a memento of the meeting, the Head of the Metropolitan District presented the Akim with books about Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan. Among the gifts was an illustrated album dedicated to the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty and its scientific restoration.

At the conclusion of the meeting, which took place in a cordial atmosphere, Metropolitan Alexander and Darkhan Amangeldievich exchanged wishes of health and success in their labors.