On March 31, 1999, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Astana, along with its suburban settlements, became part of the extensive Almaty Diocese, which was then headed by Archbishop Alexy of Almaty and Semipalatinsk (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov). The ruling bishop's title was changed to "Astana and Almaty."
At the time of transferring the capital of Kazakhstan to Astana, the city had only two Orthodox churches – the Constantine and Helen Cathedral, built in the 1850s, and a small church in honor of Saint Alexander Nevsky, built in 1980 for the nuns of the Monastery of the Icon of the Mother of God "Recovery of the Perished."
On Sundays and holidays, the churches could not accommodate all who wished to pray. The Orthodox population of the new capital numbered about 120,000 people, making the construction of new churches an urgent necessity for the normal spiritual life of believers.
The initiative to build was approved and supported by President N.A. Nazarbayev. The Akimat of Astana allocated land plots for the construction of two new Orthodox churches in the city. On a plot along Tlendiev Avenue (Astrakhan Highway), construction of the Holy Seraphim Parish Church began in 2000, and in microdistrict No. 6 on Zhumabayev Street, the creation of a magnificent cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was planned.
In mid-2004, by the blessing of Metropolitan Methodius of Astana and Almaty (now Metropolitan of Perm and Kungur), project and survey work began. According to the project, the appearance and interiors of the Dormition Cathedral should be in the strict classical style of Russian church architecture of the 16th-17th centuries.
By the blessing of Bishop Methodius, Archimandrite Serapion (Dunay) was appointed curator of the cathedral construction.
The parish community was forming and growing around the still-unbuilt church. In response to the wishes of the faithful, a small wooden church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built on the future cathedral's grounds in December 2004, where services and rites were held on Sundays and holidays.
In the spring of 2005, the construction site was electrified, the foundation pit was dug, and by August 15, 396 piles were driven. This stage can be considered the starting point of construction.
On January 14, 2006, on the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the day of St. Basil the Great, Metropolitan Methodius performed the rite of consecration of the cornerstone for the construction of the cathedral, after which the stage of pouring the walls of the lower church in the basement began.
By April 2006, the ceilings were installed, and the lower church was fully prepared for services. The first Divine Liturgy was held on the Feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. The festive Paschal service, attended by numerous parishioners, was led by Archimandrite Serapion (Dunay).
After the Paschal Liturgy, services and rites in the under-construction church became regular.
In January 2007, with the assistance of the Astana Akimat, a Public Fund for the construction of the Dormition Cathedral was organized, from which the completion of the project and current construction work were financed.
On Pascha in 2007, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev visited the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Astana. After the traditional greeting of the faithful, the Head of State held a working meeting with the dean of the Astana district churches, Archimandrite Serapion (Dunay), and the Akim of Astana A.U. Mamin to discuss the construction of the Dormition Cathedral.
Thanks to the personal support of the Leader of the Nation, the construction of the main cathedral of Astana received a new and powerful impetus, the subsequent stages of construction were more clearly and competently organized, and assistance in fundraising was provided by the Akimat.
In 2007, bells were ordered, cast, and brought from Russia, forming a complete belfry. The small wooden church was entirely moved from the construction site to the village of Malotimofeevka, 30 kilometers from Astana.
In 2008, the construction took on the recognizable majestic appearance of an Orthodox church – the walls were erected, the vaults were secured, with five domes towering above, and the eastern wall was marked by three semicircular apses.
Alongside the cathedral's construction, the complex's landscaping work was underway: a stone fence with metal grilles was created around the perimeter, the church grounds were paved with cobblestones, trees were planted, and a water-blessing chapel with a bell tower above it was built.
At this time, the crowning crosses for the church were also being made. Their metal surfaces acquired a glittering gold look thanks to a special vacuum deposition technology of titanium nitride.
By Pascha 2009, the cladding of the exterior walls with white marble began, windows and doors were installed. Entrances to the cathedral square from Zhumabaev and Kuishi Dina streets were constructed, adorned with domed holy gates.
Even during its construction, the Dormition Cathedral made a significant impression. It became the largest Orthodox church in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The height from the base to the top of the central dome cross reached 68 meters. The cathedral comprises lower and upper churches, with a total area exceeding 2000 square meters; it can accommodate up to 4000 people simultaneously. The height inside the upper church from floor to vaults is 32 meters, and from floor to the top of the central dome is 44 meters.
Thanks to the high window openings, the church interiors are filled with light. The outer vaults are covered with blue-painted roofing iron, symbolizing the utmost purity and incorruptibility of the Most Holy Theotokos. The church is crowned with five domes, symbolizing Christ the Savior and the four Evangelist Apostles. The domes are covered with metal "scales," gilded with titanium nitride. In Orthodox tradition, gold symbolizes Divine grace, the beauty of the Heavenly Kingdom, and the splendor of the Other World.
The church has four altars: the central altar of the upper church is dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos; the southern side chapel is dedicated to the Archangel Michael and the other Heavenly Hosts; the northern side chapel is dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Enlighteners of the Slavs; and the altar of the lower church is dedicated to the Assembly of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan.
In August 2009, on the eve of the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, a significant event marked the completion of the most challenging and lengthy phase of the cathedral's construction. Metropolitan Methodius consecrated the five domes and crosses, after which they were installed on the cathedral's drums. Guests at this festive event included the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan M.N. Bocharnikov and the Akim of Astana I.N. Tasmagambetov.
After the installation of the domes, interior finishing work continued for another four and a half months, preparing for the grand consecration of the church.
On January 16, 2010, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia arrived for his Primatial visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan. The next day, January 17, on the Sunday before Theophany and the feast of the Assembly of the Seventy Apostles, His Holiness performed the rite of great consecration of the Dormition Cathedral in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, and then led the Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church.
At the service were present the Akim of Astana I.N. Tasmagambetov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan M.N. Bocharnikov, representatives of the Presidential Administration and the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, employees of the Russian Embassy in Kazakhstan, and numerous believers.
After the Liturgy, Patriarch Kirill delivered a sermon in which he said, in particular:
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan, the local authorities, and to you, Metropolitan Methodius, for the construction of this majestic cathedral in the new capital of the new Kazakhstan. I believe that faith gives people the ability to build their relationships correctly – not only with those who are close by blood or religion but also with those who have different religious beliefs and even those who are distant from any religion. This is because faith fills a person's heart with love, and love overcomes any human divisions. That is why when we build churches, we lay the foundation for healthy human relationships. Through the development of spiritual life, we create a healthy social life, peace, and harmony, above all the boundaries that exist in any human society.
And I hope that this temple of God, like many other churches that have appeared on the land of Kazakhstan, will contribute to the creation and further prosperity of a multinational and multireligious Kazakhstan.”
For the efforts in the creation and beautification of the Dormition Cathedral, the Primate presented high church awards: to Metropolitan Methodius of Astana and Almaty – the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 1st degree; to the Akim of Astana I.N. Tasmagambetov – the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 2nd degree; to the Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Samruk-Kazyna Fund, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NC KazMunayGas T.A. Kulibayev – the Order of St. Daniel of Moscow, 2nd degree; to the President of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy A.U. Mamin – the Order of St. Daniel of Moscow, 3rd degree. His Holiness also presented church tokens of appreciation to the donors and benefactors of the newly consecrated church.
In memory of the Primatial visit and the service held, His Holiness presented the Dormition Cathedral with a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. All the faithful who prayed during the Liturgy that day received small icons of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord with the Patriarchal blessing.
The Akim of Astana, in his speech, congratulated Patriarch Kirill and all the Orthodox Christians of the capital on the consecration of the Dormition Cathedral. He noted that “tolerance, harmony, and the desire for dialogue are among the principles of the policy of our country's President, Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev. The construction of this cathedral, commissioned and personally supported by Nursultan Nazarbayev, testifies to the unwavering interfaith harmony in Kazakhstan.”
At the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church held on July 26, 2010, at the Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Charter of the Republican Religious Association “Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan” and the Internal Regulations of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan were approved (meeting journal No. 68). This decision of the Holy Synod provided a new impetus for the development of Orthodoxy on the land of Kazakhstan. After the approval of the canonical status of the Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Dormition Cathedral of Astana became the main church of the entire Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.
Archimandrite Serapion (Dunay) was awarded the Patriarchal award and the Order of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan "For Merit" for his efforts in the construction of the Dormition Cathedral.
Since the consecration, the Dormition Cathedral has been adorned with new liturgical items and icons and has been filled with holy relics.
In 2011, Metropolitan Alexander gave a blessing to create a new magnificent iconostasis. Kostroma craftsmen from the Artistic Production Workshop named after Theodore Stratilat were invited to the task. After the preparation of the project assignment, the workshop artist O.V. Petrovich began his work. The optimal design for the Dormition Cathedral was chosen to be a high, three-part iconostasis in the style of the 18th century, known in literature as "Moscow" or "Naryshkin Baroque." The prototypes were two iconostases from the second half of the 18th century: the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Sidorovskoye in the Kostroma region and the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Ipatiev Monastery in the city of Kostroma.
The created iconostasis, taking into account the curves, has a width of 37 meters; the height of the central five-tier part of the altar in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, including the crowning Crucifixion with those standing by, is 18 meters. The two side chapel parts, 12.5 meters high, have four tiers and a three-part completion. The Royal Doors of the main altar are 2.5 meters wide and 4 meters high, while the side ones are 1.4 meters by 3.25 meters.
On the body of the iconostasis, painted in a dark blue cobalt color of a complex shade, 78 carved columns representing grapevines – a symbol of the Eucharist – are installed, supporting the cornices.
All the cornices, undercolumns, consoles, and icon frames are adorned with gilded carvings. Each hand-carved decorative element was meticulously polished, then covered with several layers of gesso and polished again, only then covered with the finest sheets of gold leaf on mordant varnish, and finally polished to a mirror shine. The finished details were carefully packed and transported to Astana.
The icons for the cathedral's iconostasis were ordered from the icon-painting workshop in the city of Yaroslavl by the honored artist of the Russian Federation, Sergey Nikolaevich Sokolov. As a model, the works of the icon painters of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, the works of Yaroslavl and Kostroma icon painters of the second half of the 17th – early 18th century were chosen.
All 170 icons are painted on linden boards, fastened with oak dowels, and in their design correspond to the carved decor of the iconostasis. They are distinguished by the multicolored festivity of the palette, the meticulous detail work, the complex chiaroscuro modeling of the "face" painting; the gilded details of the garments, architecture, and angel wings are done in the technique of blackening. The icons of the local row, the middle parts of all the chapels, and the Crucifixion are painted on a gold background; the icons of the third, fourth, and fifth tiers – on a blue background with gradations. All six deacon doors are made full-length. In the main chapel, the doors depict Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Michael. In the left chapel – the deacons Stephen and Lawrence, and in the right – the good thief and the prophet Melchizedek, king of Salem.Beneath the local tier is an impost row, which is a rare occurrence. Here, on a pink background with gold decoration, are written the troparia, kontakia, and prayers of the icons in the local tier.
After the installation and assembly of all the carved elements, the iconostasis of the Dormition Cathedral began to resemble a wondrous paradise garden where the images of the saints reside.
The next step in creating a finished and cohesive interior of the Dormition Church was the decoration of its walls and vaults with frescoes, executed according to the traditions of Orthodox iconographic canons.
Painting the church is an extremely labor-intensive and lengthy process, involving preparatory work – calculating areas, selecting materials, planning the composition, treating the walls, and the actual painting of sacred images.
By the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander, the main church of Kazakhstan was painted by a team of iconographers from the city of Palekh (Russia, Ivanovo region) under the leadership of the member of the Union of Artists of Russia, V.K. Kurilov. Thanks to his skill and talent, the walls of reviving and new Orthodox churches in many cities of the "Golden Ring" of Russia were adorned.
Thirty masters worked from October 2013 to April 2014. The area of the painted walls and vaults of the cathedral amounted to more than 6000 square meters.
On April 17, 2014, on the eve of the feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, the main work was completed.
The frescoes, made according to the sketches of V.K. Kurilov, cover the walls with a continuous painted carpet, harmonizing with the iconostasis of the cathedral. The figures of Christ, the Mother of God, apostles, and saints are painted in the best traditions of Palekh masters on golden and sky-blue backgrounds.
In the conch of the central apse of the main altar, according to ancient iconographic canon, is placed the image of the Mother of God Oranta (from Latin orans — praying), representing the Most Holy Theotokos with raised hands, in a traditional gesture of intercessory prayer. In the semicircle of the apse is painted the icon of the Resurrection of Christ. In the lower register of the apse semicircle is placed the icon of the Eucharist — the Communion of the Apostles by Christ.
On the sides are written the texts of prayers before the Holy Communion: "I believe, O Lord, and I confess" and "Of Thy Mystical Supper." The disc of the central dome traditionally features the icon of Christ Pantocrator; in the space under the dome are images of Old Testament righteous ones and prophets. On the four sides of the cross-dome vault, on the so-called "pendentives" supporting the dome, are depicted the Evangelist Apostles – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. On the vaults are scenes of the Twelve Great Feasts. The walls are divided into three registers. In the upper register are frescoes depicting events from the earthly life of the Savior described in the Gospels – the Baptism in the Jordan, the Sermon on the Mount, the calling of the apostles, the Agony in the Garden, and others. In the middle register are Christ's miracles, from turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee to the raising of righteous Lazarus. The lower register represents a decorative band of intertwining plants and flowers.
Among the images are the Astana-Pochaev and Almaty-Feodor icons of the Mother of God, images of the heavenly patrons of Semirechye, and the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan.
In 2011, by the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander, alongside the decoration of the Dormition Cathedral, the construction of the Spiritual and Cultural Educational Center and the Synod building of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan began.
On January 7, 2012, the feast of the Nativity of Christ, President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev visited the Dormition Cathedral. After the traditional greeting of the parishioners, the Head of State familiarized himself with the sketch project and the construction of the Center, approving the initiative and signing the project document.
Construction continued day and night, and by May 2012, most of the work was completed.
The total area of the Spiritual and Cultural Center building is 12,245 square meters, with a usable area of 8,833 square meters. The building footprint is 3,106 square meters, and the dimensions of the building are 110.64 meters by 37.8 meters.
As initially planned, the Orthodox Spiritual and Administrative Center represents a multifunctional complex consisting of three blocks.
Block "A" is the Spiritual and Cultural Educational Center, which includes: a cloakroom, foyer, classrooms for the Sunday school for children and adults, a dance class, a teachers' room, a "small" concert hall for 100 people, and a "large" concert hall for 500 people.
Here also are the expositions of the Church-Archaeological Cabinet and the Museum of New Martyrs of Kazakhstan, the archive, and the library.
In the basement are a garage for service vehicles, a prosphora bakery, and a kitchen with storage rooms.
Block "B" is administrative, including: a central hall, a conference room, a throne room, an archbishop's dining room, offices for secretaries and accounting, the Synodal Church in honor of the Astana Icon of the Mother of God, a meeting room of the Synod of the Metropolitan District, an archondaric, a fireplace room, and the working office of the Head of the Metropolitan District with a reception room. On the third floor of the block is the archbishop's hotel with 10 rooms. In the basement part, there are two dining rooms - a small one for 70 people and a large one for 300 people.
Block "C" includes: a clergy hotel for 40 people, a pilgrim hotel for 140 people, and apartments for the clergy of the Astana Deanery. In the basement part of this block is a sales hall of a shop for Orthodox literature, storage rooms, a gym, and fitness rooms.
On May 29, 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia arrived in Astana for a Primatial visit. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church performed a moleben to the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan in the Dormition Cathedral.
The moleben was attended by the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.A. Mami, Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.S. Sudyin, Akim of Astana I.N. Tasmagambetov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan M.N. Bocharnikov, other officials, and numerous believers.
After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan greeted His Holiness the Patriarch:
"Today we welcome you in this magnificent Dormition Cathedral, the main church of the land of Kazakhstan.
This majestic church, the largest in Central Asia, was built with the direct involvement of our esteemed President N.A. Nazarbayev.
In the capital of our republic, you will consecrate the spiritual, cultural, and educational center, eagerly awaited by all Orthodox residents of Astana and Kazakhstan. This center, in addition to administrative premises housing the Synod of the Metropolitan District, will include a museum of the new martyrs of Kazakhstan and the history of Orthodoxy in Semirechye. There will also be a central Sunday school, which has grown so large that it required a special building to accommodate 400 children studying the foundations of their native faith and the history of their homeland; it will also have a church and an assembly hall."
The Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District presented His Holiness with a Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
Then the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the assembled with a Primatial word, in which he said, in particular:
"I have entered the land of Kazakhstan with great joy, and entering the shade of this magnificent cathedral, where I was almost three years ago, I again rejoiced seeing you all gathered in such numbers.
In the years since my first visit, significant changes have taken place in the Orthodox Church serving on this land. New dioceses have been created, bishops have been consecrated, the Metropolitan District in Kazakhstan has received complete organizational forms, and perhaps most importantly, the Holy Synod has elected the Most Reverend Alexander as Metropolitan for high service in Kazakhstan...
We see that significant and positive changes have occurred over these three years. During my last visit, I expressed gratitude for everything that had been done recently on Kazakh soil in terms of church life development. Today I can reiterate those words and express my gratitude to you, Bishop Alexander, and the episcopate of the Metropolitan District in Kazakhstan for what has been achieved in these last almost three years...
In Kazakhstan, the Orthodox Church lives side by side and interacts with a large Muslim community. The wise policy of the state authorities, led by President N.A. Nazarbayev, is aimed at ensuring that the two traditional religions of Kazakhstan, whose history goes back a long way, not only perform their service with dignity but also interact for the benefit of the people of Kazakhstan. And may God grant that these good fraternal relations never cease, that no evil people or forces provoke interethnic and interreligious conflicts because people can improve life and make it better only when they work together in solidarity and peace...
Over the past three years, an important event has occurred – a remarkable complex has been laid and practically built, which will house the Synod of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan, a museum, and a Sunday school, and I rejoice that today I can consecrate this building...
May God grant that the work with youth, the work of our Sunday schools, today be aimed at creating a stable worldview capable of resisting all these diabolical temptations and seductions, forming high moral ideals, and creating a system of values that ensures the true well-being of a person. Therefore, our liturgical life, the opening of new parishes, the construction of new churches must be accompanied by active work, including educational work, to at least somewhat counterbalance the negative influence of the external environment, which, as many thinking people recognize today, carries great danger for the preservation of morality, national identity, and the well-being of peoples."
In conclusion, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia presented high church awards.
In recognition of his diligent archpastoral labors and in connection with his 55th birthday, Metropolitan Alexander was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, II degree.
In recognition of their assistance to the Astana Diocese and in connection with the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkestan Diocese, the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.A. Mami and the Akim of Astana I.N. Tasmagambetov were awarded the Order of Glory and Honor, II degree. The General Director of the joint venture KazRosGas JSC K.S. Bozhanov was awarded the Order of Glory and Honor, III degree. For their assistance in the construction of the spiritual and cultural center, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom OJSC V.A. Golubev was awarded the Order of St. Daniel of Moscow, III degree.
Icons of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Patriarchal blessing were distributed to the faithful as gifts.
After this, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the newly built administrative and spiritual-cultural center.
The Primate of the Russian Church performed the rite of consecration of the Synod building of the Metropolitan District and the spiritual-cultural center. His Holiness presented a painting depicting the Trinity-Sergius Lavra to the Center.
From the balcony of the building, the Primate addressed a brief word to the many faithful gathered on the cathedral square and imparted his Primatial blessing to all.
"This remarkable building, constructed in record time – in six months, would have been impossible without the help of the country's President N.A. Nazarbayev and the Akim of Astana I.N. Tasmagambetov," emphasized His Holiness.
In 2013, the construction of a 75-meter bell tower began, and the manufacture of a set of bells with a total weight of 20 tons started.
On November 26, 2016, by the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, an electronic bell-ringer system was installed on the newly built bell tower of the Dormition Cathedral.
The installation of the structure took two months. It allows remote control of the bells using a computer capable of reproducing dozens of compositions.
The set of bells was cast in the city of Yaroslavl (Russia) at the Italmas Bell Factory owned by Nikolai Shuvalov.
For the bell tower of the main Orthodox church in the country, a set of eight bells was cast with a total weight exceeding 11 tons. The largest bell, "Dormition," weighs 5.2 tons; the second largest bell, "Hieromartyr Methodius," weighs 3.2 tons, and the third in size, "Venerable Sebastian," weighs 1.6 tons.
The bells were made from donations by Orthodox believers in Kazakhstan. Those wishing to contribute to the creation of the bell set could do so by purchasing a special certificate in the churches of the Metropolitan District. The names of all donors are entered into the synodic of the Dormition Cathedral for eternal commemoration.
The consecration of the bells for the Dormition Cathedral took place on December 16, 2015, performed by the Head of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.
To date, the Dormition Cathedral and the spiritual-administrative center attached to it have become a hallmark of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Here, festive services are held with the participation of all archpastors of the Metropolitan District. The cathedral is visited by heads of state, leaders of traditional religious confessions, high-ranking state and public figures from Russia, Kazakhstan, and countries near and far abroad, including ministers, parliamentarians, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
On Sundays and feast days, the cathedral, which can accommodate more than 3,000 people, is filled with parishioners and pilgrims. The youth movement of the Astana deanery and the Sunday school for children and adults are actively working; a vast library is being assembled, along with exhibits for the church-archaeological museum dedicated to the memory of the new martyrs and confessors. The church assembly hall, which seats 500, regularly hosts public-church and educational events.
The total area of the cathedral exceeds 2,000 square meters, with a capacity of up to 4,000 people, and a height of 68 meters. The external vaults of the roofs are covered with blue roofing iron.
On the territory adjacent to the cathedral, the spiritual-cultural-administrative center of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan in honor of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius is being constructed. The first phase of work has been completed – a pile field has been prepared.
The cathedral houses a Sunday school and a department for Orthodox youth.
The relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, donated to the Orthodox believers of Kazakhstan by Pope Benedict XVI on November 30, 2010.
The icon of the Astana-Pochaev Mother of God, presented by Metropolitan Alexander. The icon is a copy of a revered shrine of the Orthodox world, the miraculous Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God.
A "measure-to-measure" copy of the miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
A reliquary with relics of the Kiev-Pechersk saints, donated to the cathedral by the late Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Vladimir (+2014).
The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Supreme Abbess of the Diveyevo Monastery" with a particle of soil from the holy groove of the Mother of God at the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery, presented by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
August 28
The Annual Educational Initiative “Total Dictation” Held in the Petropavlovsk Diocese
More details
Metropolitan Alexander Performs the First Reading of the Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the Great Lent of This Year
More details
Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk Participates in Events Dedicated to the 30th Anniversary of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the Day of Gratitude
More details
Main
Login or register, to write a comment!
Your comment has been successfully added and is currently being reviewed by the site administration