Head of the Metropolitan District Meets with a Delegation of Scholars and Public Figures from the Islamic Republic of Iran

November 8, 2026. Almaty. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, met with a delegation of scholars and public figures from the Islamic Republic of Iran in the fireplace hall of the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Spiritual and Cultural Centre of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.

The delegation included Sona Ahmadi, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Almaty; Mohammad Masoud Sadeghi, Cultural Attaché of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Ali Nematollah Pourmand, Professor at the University of Tehran; Hamid Parsania, Professor at the University of Tehran; Mahdi Mosaeb Gorjian, representative of Baqir al-Ulum University; Dr. Reza Mohammad Ali Azarian, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Religions of Al-Mustafa International University; and interpreter Nuradil Dosmurat.

Also participating in the meeting were Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolitan District; Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), Acting Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service.

Following an exchange of greetings, the representatives of the Iranian delegation shared with Metropolitan Alexander their favourable impressions of their visit to the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty the previous day. With the blessing of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov had conducted a guided tour of the cathedral for the guests.

The hierarch informed his guests about the extensive professional restoration of Almaty’s main cathedral, carried out between 2017 and 2020. It was noted that all restoration work had been conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNESCO, with the involvement of highly qualified specialists from Kazakhstan, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Germany and France. The hierarch emphasized that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had described this major undertaking as the “second birth of a sacred landmark of national significance to Kazakhstan.”

During the conversation, Metropolitan Alexander spoke about preparations for the celebration of the 155th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkestan Diocese, which will be marked in 2027. Reflecting on the history of the Orthodox presence in the territory of present-day Kazakhstan and the countries of Central Asia, the archpastor paid particular attention to Hieromartyr Pimen (Belolikov), Bishop of Verny and Semirechye, the heavenly patron of Almaty.

The Head of the Metropolitan District told his guests that, before his appointment to the See of Verny, the future hieromartyr had served for many years in the Urmia Spiritual Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church in Persia, where he engaged in the religious education of local Christians and the translation of liturgical and patristic texts. Metropolitan Alexander emphasized that the ministry of St. Pimen bore witness to the longstanding historical and spiritual ties between Kazakhstan and Iran.

The guests told the hierarch about their participation in the international round table entitled “The Place of Al-Farabi in the Development of Theoretical and Practical Wisdom” and the Second International Conference “Al-Farabi and His Contribution to the History of Humanity,” jointly organized by Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). The academic gathering was dedicated to the first meeting of the Secretariat of the international conference scheduled to take place on January 21-22, 2027, in Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran.

The principal aim of the meeting was to undertake a comprehensive study of the scientific and philosophical legacy of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi, determine its significance for contemporary society, and strengthen academic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Iran.

The participants exchanged views on the ongoing international conflict involving Iran. The distinguished guests asked the Head of the Metropolitan District to convey their gratitude to His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, for expressing condolences to the Iranian people following the killing of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Metropolitan Alexander emphasized that Kazakhstan, which has demonstrated its commitment to peace and openness throughout the years of its independence, stands ready, should the parties involved so request, to provide a venue for negotiations. According to the hierarch, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan pays particular attention to strengthening interreligious harmony and preserving traditions of mutual respect and good-neighbourly relations among representatives of different faiths.

His Eminence noted that the policies pursued by the country’s leadership contribute to the development of constructive dialogue between religious communities and the strengthening of social stability.

At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives of the Iranian delegation invited clergy of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan to participate in an interreligious conference scheduled to take place in Tehran in February 2027.

The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere.

The Head of the Metropolitan District presented the guests with an illustrated book dedicated to the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty, a spiritual and cultural treasure of Semirechye, and a calendar of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.

The Iranian scholars presented the hierarch with Russian translations of scholarly works by specialists from the University of Tehran.