His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ Arrives in the Capital of Kazakhstan – Astana

On September 16, 2025, the Primatial visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church began.

Accompanying the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church on his visit to Kazakhstan are: Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Office for the Affairs of Dioceses in the Near Abroad and Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolia; Bishop Alexy of Ramensk, personal secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Archpriest Andrey Bondarenko, head of the Patriarchal Protocol Service; V.R. Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media; and N.I. Derzhavin, deputy head of the Patriarchal Press Service.

At the international airport of Astana, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was greeted by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Head of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and M.S. Ashimbaev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Also among those present were: A.G. Balaeva, Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan; D.A. Abaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation; A.N. Borodavkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Kazakhstan; Zh.M. Kassymbek, Mayor of the capital city; Zh.K. Asanov, Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan; A.I. Lukin, chairman of the Senate Committee on International Relations, Defense and Security; M.A. Spotkay, head of the Senate Office. Representing the Metropolitan District were Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), dean of the parishes of Astana; Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; Archpriest Sergiy Kaliev, keyholder of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Astana; Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and I.E. Yatsenko, assistant to the Metropolitan.

In the airport building, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with Senate Speaker M.S. Ashimbaev, Minister A.G. Balaeva, Mayor Zh.M. Kassymbek, diplomats, and senators.

On September 17, in the capital of Kazakhstan, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church will speak at the opening ceremony of the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. On Thursday, September 18, His Holiness will celebrate a prayer service in the Assumption Cathedral of Astana. The program of the visit also includes visiting churches, celebrating divine services, and meetings with the clergy and faithful of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan.