The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Visited the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Uralsk

October 9, 2024. Uralsk, West Kazakhstan Region. At the invitation of Alexey Valentinovich Gruboy, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Uralsk, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan visited the Russian diplomatic mission.

The meeting was attended by Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese, Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau, and staff members of the Consulate General.

The Consul General congratulated the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Almaty Diocese, as well as the 35th anniversary of his archpastoral service, noting the hierarch’s significant contribution to the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.

Alexey Gruboy briefed Metropolitan Alexander on the activities of the diplomatic mission in Uralsk and highly praised the preparation and execution of the spiritually significant event – the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to the capital of Western Kazakhstan.

During the conversation, the importance of the recent meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) held in Moscow was highlighted, where priority areas of the organization’s activities and plans for further mutually beneficial cooperation were discussed.

Metropolitan Alexander, the archpastors, and Alexey Gruboy also discussed plans for next year’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. They agreed that the upcoming commemorations should serve to unite nations under the banner of preserving historical memory and act as a warning to humanity against repeating the tragic mistakes of the past.

The meeting continued with an exchange of views on a wide range of issues concerning the role of traditional religions in modern society. Metropolitan Alexander quoted the words of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who emphasized the priorities in the public life of the Republic: “Strengthening interethnic harmony is one of the cornerstones of the sustainable development of our country.”

As a memento of the meeting, Metropolitan Alexander presented Consul General Alexey Gruboy with his scholarly work, History of Christianity in Central Asia, and the 2025 calendar of the Metropolitan District.

The participants exchanged mutual wishes for health, peace, and success in their respective endeavors.