Reception Dedicated to Victory Day Held in Alma-Ata

On May 7, 2026, on the eve of the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, a ceremonial reception was hosted on behalf of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Alma-Ata.

The guest of honor at the celebration was the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Among those invited were: Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen; Secretary of the Metropolitan District and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation O.N. Ovchinnikov; Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; and Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin.

Those gathered were congratulated on Victory Day by the Consul General of the Russian Federation in the Southern Capital D.A. Turaev and the Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in Alma-Ata D.V. Meleshkin.

Metropolitan Alexander addressed the participants of the celebration. The archpastor delivered greetings on the occasion of the approaching commemorative celebration, which unites people of different nationalities and confessions, different cultures and political convictions, and also warmly thanked the veterans of war and labor and the home front workers present at the event. “May the Great Victory, which is always celebrated during the radiant Paschal days, serve to strengthen the continuity of our history, our culture, and our spiritual self-awareness, and inspire the multiethnic and multiconfessional people of the Great Steppe toward noble labor, peaceful life, good selfless deeds, service to one’s neighbors, and to blessed Kazakhstan,” the Head of the Metropolitan District noted in conclusion.

A concert program was presented to the guests, one of the participants of which was a group of pupils from the Central Sunday School of the Alma-Ata Diocese (director – laureate of the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Prize Galina Cherepanova; choreographer Maria Privalova).