As part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana Diocese, the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, M.S. Ashimbaev, visited the Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Metropolitan Distri

September 28, 2024. Astana. The Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Maulen Sagathanovich Ashimbaev, visited the Spiritual, Cultural, and Administrative Center of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equals-to-the-Apostles.

In the fireplace hall, a meeting took place between the Speaker of the Senate and the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Participating in the meeting were: Metropolitan Benjamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Evgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, member of the Higher Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Chairman of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis; Secretary of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of Russia, and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing, O.N. Ovchinnikov; Dean of the parishes of the capital, Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev); Acting Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov; Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Head of the Metropolitan's Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; President of the public foundation "Apostle Foundation," G.G. Sosnovsky; Senator of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan from Kostanay Region, S.A. Karplyuk; and Chief of Staff of the Senate, M.A. Spotkai.

Maulen Sagathanovich congratulated Metropolitan Alexander on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana Diocese and, through him, extended congratulations to all Orthodox believers on this important occasion. He noted that Kazakhstan provides all necessary conditions for its citizens to fulfill their religious and spiritual needs. The Speaker of the Senate highly praised the efforts to strengthen interethnic peace and interreligious harmony in the country, particularly acknowledging the contributions of Kazakhstan's two leading confessions—Hanafi Islam and Orthodox Christianity. The distinguished guest emphasized the importance of these traditional religions in preserving and passing on Kazakhstan's rich civilizational heritage to future generations, as reflected in the preamble of the Law "On Religious Activity and Religious Associations."

"For centuries, Kazakhstan has been a common home for both Muslims and Christians. In the tragic years of the 20th-century repressions, it also became a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people. I am confident that, under the leadership of the head of state, our country will continue to be renowned as a land where Muslims and Christians live in peace and harmony with representatives of other religions, contributing to its development and looking toward the future with confidence," remarked the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in response.

The participants of the meeting highly praised the spiritually significant initiative of bringing the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The relics will visit all the dioceses of the Metropolitan District.

Another key topic of discussion was the upcoming Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will mark the start of preparations for the next international forum scheduled for the fall of 2025.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, the hierarchs, and the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic exchanged well-wishes for health and success in their endeavors. Metropolitan Alexander presented Maulen Sagathanovich Ashimbaev with books published by the publishing department of the Metropolitan District, as well as stamps depicting spiritual and cultural landmarks of the country—the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, the Ascension Cathedral and the Alexander Nevsky Church in Almaty, and the Nativity of Christ Cathedral in Uralsk. Two of the cathedrals featured on the stamps—Ascension and Nativity—are included in the list of the 100 nationally significant sacred sites of Kazakhstan.