September 18, 2025. Astana. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ celebrated a prayer service at the main church of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan – the Dormition Cathedral.
At the entrance to the cathedral, His Holiness was met by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Head of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Archimandrite Sergy (Karamyshev), Dean of the Astana Church District; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and students of the Sunday schools of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral and the Dormition Cathedral of Astana.
From the porch of the Dormition Cathedral, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church imparted his Patriarchal blessing to the numerous faithful gathered on the square before the church.
The prayer service was performed before the reliquary containing the relics of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan.
Concelebrating the Patriarchal service were: Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Office for Dioceses in the Near Abroad; Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz; Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk; Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Archbishop Barsanuphius of Kokshetau and Akmola; Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo; Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Ignaty of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Chrysanf of Shymkent and Turkestan; Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Bishop Alexy of Ramensk, Personal Secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
Also present in prayer at the cathedral were: Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Almaty Church District; Archimandrite Sergy (Karamyshev), Dean of the Astana Church District; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the Joy of All Who Sorrow in Astana; Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District; Hegumen Agafangel (Gagua), Vice-Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baydek), Sacristan of the Dormition Cathedral of Astana; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Personal Secretariat of the Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; the clergy of the Astana Deanery and the city of Moscow; heads of departments and commissions of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, clergy of the Kazakhstani dioceses and of Moscow; abbesses and sisters of the Kazakhstani monasteries; faculty and students of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; members of the Sisterhood of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God of the Kokshetau Diocese; and members of the Astana Orthodox Youth Movement.
Attending the Patriarchal service were: O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, member of the Church-Public Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ for the Development of Russian Church Singing, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation; A.N. Borodavkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan; A.I. Bogdanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Kazakhstan; V.A. Levin, Acting General Director of the Church Art Production Enterprise “Sofrino”; V.M. Kapsamun, President of the Public Foundation “Eleos-Meirim”; D.I. Gorbashov, General Director of LLP “Premier Group”; F. Dernd, expert of the Order of Malta in Germany; P.V. Gumenyuk, Head of the Department “Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus” of the international charitable foundation Kirche in Not.
Present in the cathedral were representatives of the Roman Catholic Church: Cardinal George Jacob Kooovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See, and Archbishop George Panamthundil, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Kazakhstan, with staff of the nunciature.
Large screens were installed on the porch at the entrance to the Dormition Cathedral, broadcasting the Patriarchal service.
The liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the Dormition Cathedral of Astana under the direction of O. Varentsova.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill read a prayer to the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan.
At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan addressed the Primate of the Russian Church with words of greeting and presented His Holiness with an ancient icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the faithful with his Patriarchal message.
As a gift to the Dormition Cathedral, the Primate presented the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God.
Following this, a presentation of church awards took place. Orders of the Russian Orthodox Church were bestowed as follows:
- Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan — in recognition of his diligent archpastoral labors — with the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, 1st Class;
- A.N. Borodavkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan — in recognition of his contribution to the development of church-state relations and on the occasion of his 75th birthday — with the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, 2nd Class;
- A.V. Kim — in recognition of his assistance to the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan — with the Order of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, 1st Class.
All participants of the service were given icons of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan with the Patriarchal blessing.
The concluding event of the official program of the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to Kazakhstan was a reception hosted by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and the Mayor of Astana Zh.M. Kassymbek.
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