Meeting Held Between the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and Russian Ambassador A.N. Borodavkin

May 2, 2026. Astana. A meeting took place at the working residence of the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District between Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and Alexey Nikolaevich Borodavkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Kazakhstan.

Present at the meeting were: O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing; and Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), Dean of the parishes of the capital.

Following an exchange of greetings, Metropolitan Alexander informed Alexey Nikolaevich about the life of the Metropolitan District, placing particular emphasis on the international-scale events recently held in Alma-Ata – the Orthodox choral music festival Paschal Hymn and the Fourth Academic Conference Philosophy of Religion in the East and West.

The Russian Ambassador congratulated Oleg Nikolaevich Ovchinnikov on being awarded the honorary title Honored Worker of Kazakhstan by decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, K.-J.K. Tokayev, in recognition of outstanding achievements in the sphere of culture and exceptional service to the state.

The hierarch shared with the diplomat plans for commemorative observances in August of this year – the 25th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the Venerable Martyrs Seraphim and Theognostus of Alma-Ata and the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Monastery of Sts. Seraphim and Theognostus in the Aksai Gorge, established at the site of the monastic labors and martyrdom of the heavenly patrons of Kazakhstan.

Vladyka Metropolitan informed the guest about a forthcoming spiritually significant event for all Kazakhstan – the bringing in September of this year, to the territory of the Metropolitan District, of the right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and with the support of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation.

Alexey Nikolaevich informed Metropolitan Alexander about the state visit to Kazakhstan of the President of the Russian Federation, V.V. Putin, which took place on May 27–29. The Ambassador emphasized the political and historical significance of the event, during which Kassym-Jomart Kemelovich Tokayev and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin discussed the current state and prospects for strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership and allied relations between Kazakhstan and Russia.

During the meeting, the Head of the Metropolitan District and the head of the diplomatic mission also discussed a broad range of matters of mutual interest.

The meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere.