July 12, 2025. Almaty. Following the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, celebrated by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, a festival dedicated to the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity was held.
The event was organized by the public organization Russian House in Almaty.
As part of the celebration commemorating the memory of the holy noble prince Peter and princess Fevronia of Murom — the patrons of Orthodox marriage — awards were presented to large families of the Southern capital.
Honoring parents of large families during great Church feasts is a longstanding tradition of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the award ceremony was conducted by Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Vicar of the Astana Diocese.
Attending the event were: Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; M.S. Simakova, Head of the Russian House in Almaty; T.V. Zubkova, Head of International Humanitarian Projects of the Russian House in Almaty; V.S. Shikhotov, Ataman of the Republican Public Association Union of Cossacks of Semirechye, Chairman of the Almaty Branch of the Association of Russian, Slavic and Cossack Organizations of Kazakhstan, and a member of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan; and many parishioners of the churches of the Southern capital.
The awards of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan were presented to parents who have raised three or more children. These families are examples of pious marriage and serve as models of spiritual, moral, and patriotic upbringing for the younger generation.
Before the start of the ceremony, Bishop Gennady addressed those present with a message on the importance of preserving family values:
“In the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, there exists a tradition of formally honoring large families — presenting ecclesiastical tokens of appreciation to people who embody the ideals of strong Christian family life. The purpose of such solemn events is to draw society’s attention to the preservation and enhancement of traditional family values. True love is not an abstract or theoretical concept, but an active one. As His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ wisely said: ‘It is the talent of giving, the talent of selflessness, the ability to do good to others. Moreover, it is the ability to sacrifice selfish desires for the happiness of another person.’ Those who choose to build a large family have made a blessed decision — not in favor of expensive things, but in favor of cherished people: in favor of parental joy, in favor of fatherhood and motherhood, in favor of filial love — in favor of those treasures which do not fade away, but only multiply with time.”
The following were awarded the high distinction of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan — the Parental Glory medal:
After presenting the awards, the Chancellor of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan wished all those present the Lord’s mercy, strong health, and well-being.
At the conclusion of the award ceremony, creative workshops and refreshments were organized for all participants of the celebration.
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