050010, Almaty, Gogol Street 40V, Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen.

Phone: (+727) 273-05-39 (duty), (+7 727) 271-48-59 (altar).

Historical Background

The history of the construction of the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty dates back to the 1870s. The Verny fortress in Semirechye, at the foot of the Zailiyskiy Mountains, was founded by decree of Emperor Nicholas I in 1855, and by 1867, the town became the regional center of the Turkestan region.

Verny quickly gained increasing political and cultural significance in the Turkestan region. The growing city soon felt the need for a suitable city church.

In 1871, the Turkestan Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established. The new diocese united the lands of modern southern and western Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Its center became the city of Verny. In May 1872, the first archpastor of the newly established diocese, Bishop Sofony (Sokolsky), arrived.

This event prompted the question of building a city church to evolve into the construction of a cathedral. By this time, the number of parishioners had reached 1,800. Therefore, in 1872, it was decided to build a new cathedral with a capacity of 1,500 people.

However, another 10 years passed before the first project proposals were made in 1882. A small architectural competition between P. Gourde and G. Serebrennikov, organized by the Construction Committee together with the diocesan administration, was resolved in favor of G. Serebrennikov's proposal. His project was recognized as "more suitable in terms of size, elegance, and style for a cathedral." However, delayed funding, the death of the architect, and a devastating earthquake in 1887 altered these plans.

The earthquake destroyed most of the buildings in Verny. It served as a serious warning to the builders of the young city. A comprehensive study and analysis of the surviving buildings, comparing them with the structures that had been destroyed, was carried out by a special commission of the best Russian engineers. The results showed that stone buildings suffered much more than wooden ones: 1,800 were destroyed, while 800 wooden ones remained intact. These data were taken into account by the Regional Construction Committee when developing the "Rules for the Construction of Government and Public Buildings in the Semirechye Region, Prone to Earthquakes," approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire in 1889. According to these rules, the construction of large brick and stone buildings in seismic areas was prohibited, and it was recommended to use wood, with buildings constructed of logs, on stone foundations with basements, and reinforcing the walls at the corners with vertical beams, fastened with bolts.

After 1887, Verny began to rebuild. A temporary building for the Turkestan Diocese Cathedral was erected on the territory of the Governor's Garden, today's Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, as the church in Bolshaya Almatinskaya Stanitsa, where it had been located before the earthquake, was completely destroyed. The church had one chapel dedicated to the Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov, and their mother Sofia, and was thus called the Sofia Church.

The size of the temporary cathedral soon ceased to meet its needs, resulting in the galleries being converted into internal rooms, and later a bell tower was added. In 1894, new bells brought from Gatchina, the largest of which weighed 249 poods and 17 pounds, were placed here. In 1907, these same bells were installed on the bell tower of the Ascension Cathedral.

Despite the constant petitions of the successive bishops of the Turkestan Diocese to the highest authorities, a new project for the cathedral was only developed by the end of the 1890s. This phase in its construction history is associated with the appointment of Bishop Gregory (Poletaev) to the Turkestan Diocese in 1892. He proposed using funds received by the city from a nationwide church collection in favor of the victims of the earthquake in Verny and the settlements of the Semirechye region. This idea was considered and approved by the Governor-General of the Turkestan region, Baron Vrevsky A.B., and the Turkestan Diocese. In 1894, land was allocated for the church, and the site was consecrated. However, due to construction across Semirechye following the earthquake, the cathedral project took so long that by 1898, the new Turkestan Bishop Arkady (Karpinsky) had to renew the petition to expedite the process, as without a project approved by the Holy Governing Synod in St. Petersburg, there could be no question of financing the cathedral's construction. By this time, the temporary cathedral had become inadequate in capacity and had fallen into a state of disrepair.

In 1899, architect Konstantin Arkadyevich Borisoglebsky submitted the project of the cathedral building for approval by the Construction Committee and the diocese. This document allows us to trace Borisoglebsky's initial design and how it changed during the construction: "In view of the local earthquakes, the structure is designed as a wooden log building on a stone foundation and plinth, with an iron roof, wooden floors, plastered lime inside and outside walls and ceilings, with stove heating. The church has three chapels, designed for about 2,000 parishioners and adequately provided with services... The plan is generally quite convenient. The facade is quite elegant, but the masses are unsatisfactory because the main dome does not dominate the side ones..."

From this point, the drawings, along with explanatory notes and estimates, went on a long journey through various instances in Verny, Tashkent, and St. Petersburg. After extensive discussions, the Holy Synod in 1903 approved the corrected and supplemented project by engineer A.P. Zenkov and a new estimate. The Construction Committee for the new cathedral was formed in early 1904, and construction finally began. Responsible for overseeing all construction work was Andrei Pavlovich Zenkov, who served as the regional engineer at that time. Undoubtedly, he played a significant and prominent role in the cathedral's construction history, as he made numerous changes to Borisoglebsky's project, who had left Verny in 1902.

The building is unique because many things were done here for the first time in Semirechye's construction practice. For example, the use of reinforced concrete structures, antiseptics for wood treatment, forced-air ventilation systems, and special channels... But the most important aspect is that Semirechye builders constructed a high-rise building for the first time (up to 41.4 m to the cross ball of the bell tower), addressing its seismic stability with a series of measures. Thanks to Zenkov's initiative, the brick plinth was replaced with a reinforced concrete one during the foundation construction, providing a reliable base for the structure. He insisted that the log walls be cut not "in the paw," as was common, but "in the round" with a residue reaching up to 45 cm. The log corners and spaces between them were reinforced with wooden beams fastened with bolts. Similar reinforcements were used for the powerful log columns inside. The bell tower trunk and dome drums were literally stitched through with metal ties. The central drum's log frame was fastened with steel overlays; the flat ceiling, made of intersecting beams, provided a reliable connection of the octagonal walls at the top. All rafters were reinforced with metal ties and brackets, and the roof battens were made as a solid board flooring. Despite such extensive use of metal in the structures, there is a popular legend that the cathedral was built "without a single nail."

Zenkov's bold engineering solution, accepted during the construction process, involved significant changes to the bell tower volume. Having reached the third tier, it underwent major reconstruction: the height was increased by 9.24 m, and the octagonal trunk was changed to a more robust quadrangular one. During the reconstruction, the bell levels, weighing over 7 tons, were minimized. Attention to lowering the center of gravity of the entire building was given even at the design stage when choosing architectural proportions: the plan and section forms are symmetrical and balanced, with all structures in the upper part being maximally lightened. Even the gypsum ceiling moldings were simulated with papier-mâché for greater safety during potential earthquakes.

We owe the elegance of the Ascension Cathedral to Zenkov, who boldly revisited the approved tent roof of the central drum and changed it to a dome, returning to Borisoglebsky's idea but in a new version. All these corrections and decisions required extensive knowledge, construction experience, a sense of architectural harmony, and freedom of thought and audacity.

In 1907, the construction of the Holy Ascension Cathedral, which became the main Orthodox church of the Turkestan Orthodox Church and a rare architectural landmark of Verny, was completed.

On July 30, 1907, after the consecration of the new cathedral, Bishop Dimitry (Abashidze) of Turkestan and Tashkent, in his sermon, expressed gratitude to all who participated in the cathedral's construction.

Bishop Dimitry especially thanked A.P. Zenkov for his efforts.

Bishop Dimitry (Abashidze), who managed the Turkestan Diocese from January 20, 1906, to June 25, 1912, earned universal love and recognition. On June 14, 2011, the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church blessed the local veneration and commemoration of the schemabishop Anthony (Abashidze) as a confessor; the memory of the holy reverend schemabishop Anthony the New, confessor of Pechersk, was established to be celebrated on October 19/November 1, the day of his death.

The first rector of the cathedral was appointed Archpriest Alexy Shavrov.

The Ascension Cathedral has three chapels: the central one dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord, the southern one dedicated to the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the northern one in honor of the Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov, and their mother Sofia, who are revered as patrons of Semirechye.

The cathedral is a vivid example of early 20th-century Russian church architecture. Grandeur and elegance of forms and proportions are combined, with the vibrant facade decor smoothly transitioning into light-filled and brightly colored interiors.

The beautiful architectural forms, stylistic features, remarkable constructions for their time, and rich history make the Ascension Cathedral a unique architectural monument of the 19th and early 20th centuries far beyond the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The wide range of geographical locations from which materials and finished products were brought for the construction and decoration of the cathedral is impressive: cement from Tashkent; antiseptic for wood treatment and special cement floor covering solution from Warsaw; Mettlach tiles from the Kos and Dürr factory and artistic papier-mâché from Z. Kovalevsky's factory in St. Petersburg; nickel-plated hardware from the famous V. Zemtsov factory in Tula; paint from Moscow; icons for the iconostasis from the Kyiv Art Studio of A. Murashko... The documents mention many names, including Russians, Kazakhs, Kalmyks, Tatars, and Ukrainians, who all participated in the construction of the Ascension Cathedral.

The devastating earthquake in January 1911 was a serious test for the cathedral. The cathedral withstood the onslaught: only the southeast corner of the bell tower settled slightly, the cross bent, and windows were shattered. The cathedral, "with its grand height, presented a very flexible structure, its bell tower swayed and bent like the top of a tall tree and worked like a flexible beam anchored at one end," wrote A. Zenkov in 1911 in the Semirechensk Regional Gazette.

Much changed in Verny after 1917. What had evoked reverence in the hearts of citizens yesterday became a symbol of "darkness and ignorance."

In 1929, the press organized a campaign to close the cathedral at the "request of the workers." Newspapers wrote: "The meeting of members of the Rabpros union, considering the acute housing crisis in Almaty and the insignificant number of believers using the cathedral building, demands its transfer for the establishment of a cinema or some other cultural and educational institution"; "The workers vote for the closure. In a city with tens of thousands of residents, there is no cultural center. The issue hinges on the lack of premises. Considering this, as well as the uselessness, even harmfulness, of the continued existence of the cathedral, the workers and employees of the distillery decided to request the closure of the cathedral and the mosque at the upper bazaar, and the transfer of the building for cultural needs."

On October 29, 1929, the Almaty District Executive Committee decided to confiscate the cathedral. "The request of the workers and professional organizations for the immediate confiscation of the mosque and cathedral is granted. The administrative department is tasked with overseeing the confiscated property, and any deficiencies should be charged to the church council. The administrative department is to establish guards at the mosque and cathedral."

In the same 1929, the bells were thrown off the cathedral's bell tower, the beautiful three-tiered gilded iconostasis was destroyed, and all church utensils, icons, and the library were plundered. In the 1930s, the city authorities placed a radio station in the cathedral, then the Republican Museum of Local Lore, which required a major reconstruction of the building. By divine providence, A.P. Zenkov was involved in these works in 1934. His initial proposal was to build small annexes for the museum's collections on either side of the bell tower. However, his other proposal was accepted for implementation. During the adaptation of the cathedral into a museum of local lore, the interior space was transformed so much that even a knowledgeable viewer could hardly determine its original layout. However, the master, who loved his creation, constructed the new ceilings in such a way that they had independent structures, preserving the colorful mosaic floors and painted ceilings, masking them with floorings and coverings...

The change in the building's function led to changes in the surrounding space: alleys were planted, through which the building had once been visible from distant points in the city, and through which the bell chimes carried far. The bright multicolored domes were hidden under green paint, more satisfying to the tastes of the time, masking the building's functional purpose; the calm ocher tones of the facades and interiors were replaced with revolutionary pink.

The river of history inevitably flows forward, even if it changes its course. Periods of total negation of yesterday often give way to nostalgia and a sense of the impossibility of existing without one's past. Such a turn came in the Soviet history of Kazakhstan in the 1970s. This time was marked by a surge of public interest in historical and cultural monuments. Gradually reaching the state level, this interest created the necessary potentials for their protection and revival. It was a time of intensive study of historical sites, architectural monuments, a booming period for museums, and the development of domestic cultural tourism. The activities of the Ministry of Culture of the Kazakh SSR intensified: state registration and protection of monuments, as well as their restoration, were established. During this period, the Ascension Cathedral building was taken under state protection as a monument of republican significance, and for the first time, state funds were allocated for repair and restoration work. Since at that time the restoration of the cathedral's original functions was out of the question, the group of architects-restorers (led by A.O. Itenov) from the Scientific Restoration and Repair Workshop of the Ministry of Culture faced the difficult task of ensuring the building's pristine preservation while it was used as a Museum of Local Lore. Despite the stringent limitations, the restorers found a splendid solution, partially restoring the cathedral's original interior space and decor. Finally, after many years, visitors to the museum could at least imagine the former grandeur of the cathedral's spaces. And indeed, in the memories of our contemporaries, there are still childhood impressions of visiting the Museum of Local Lore in the 1960s: small, dark rooms, low ceilings. Strung together in narrow passages, they created a full illusion of a multi-tiered underground labyrinth filled with stuffed animals and skeletons, where daylight entered only occasionally and from incomprehensible sources. Therefore, when the second-floor museum ceiling was partially dismantled in the 1970s, opening a two-light space with galleries, and the bright blue-painted ceilings were uncovered, with light fixtures restored, the museum-cathedral's interior regained its scale, light, color, and sound. And when the restoration scaffolding was finally removed from the facades, few city residents could restrain their admiration: how unexpected were these colorful shingle domes, hidden for many years under green camouflage. And the gilded crosses, reflecting the blue sky in their mirrors, were simply stunning, evoking reverence for the boldness of the project's authors.

From that moment on, the building passed from hand to hand, one owner replaced another: it became one of the city's most notable landmarks, located in the center of many pedestrian routes. Many organizations were housed here: the Central Museum of Kazakhstan, the Museum of the History of Almaty Architecture, the Directorate of Art Exhibitions and the Society for the Protection of Monuments, and the concert and exhibition hall. But none of them became the true owner of the building.

Current Status

In the 1990s, Archbishop Alexy (Kutepov) of Almaty and Semipalatinsk (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov) made efforts to return the Ascension Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church. At the government level of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the issue of restoring the cathedral building to its original appearance and function was raised. In 1994, it was decided that the building would function as an active cathedral-museum, and state budget funds were allocated for the initial phase of work to prepare the central hall and altar for services.

On Easter Day, May 1, 1994, during his visit to St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev announced words that brought great joy to the hearts of Orthodox residents of Almaty:

"I have decided to make a gift for all my Orthodox citizens of my country: the cathedral in the center of our capital, taken from the Orthodox Church by Soviet power 70 years ago, will be returned to the eternal use of the Orthodox Church of our state."

On May 2, 1994, Bright Monday, permission was granted to conduct services in the cathedral for the first time in 65 years. Thousands of people filled the cathedral and the square around it that evening. Archbishop Alexy of Almaty and Semipalatinsk then said:

"On this holy evening, all of us within this ancient Orthodox sanctuary will deeply bow before the throne of grace, asking God for forgiveness of our sins and the transgressions of our parents who once turned away from God, asking Him for help and blessings for our lives on the ancient and glorious land of Kazakhstan... The memory of Orthodox residents of Almaty holds many Easters. If Easter 1933 remains in our memory as the Easter of tears, for all Orthodox churches in Almaty were then closed, the clergy arrested, and only one old priest in exile conducted the service in St. Nicholas Church, opened for the occasion, then this Easter will go down in history in golden letters as the Easter of joy and bright celebration."

That evening, a rainbow stood over the cathedral dome in the clear sky for several minutes, shining brightly with all colors. Observing this sign of the "covenant between God and the earth and every living soul" (cf. Gen. 9:16), witnesses said: "The Lord rejoices with us, this is a sign of God's favor to our people and our city!"

The following year, the transfer of the cathedral to the Orthodox Church was legally formalized. On April 18, 1995, Resolution No. 119 of the State Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan for State Property handed over the building of the Ascension Cathedral to the Almaty and Semipalatinsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church for perpetual and free use.

The restoration of the original layout of the Ascension Cathedral began simultaneously with the services. By the time of the visit to Kazakhstan by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia in the summer of 1995, the altar, sacristy, and vestibule had been partially restored, water drainage measures implemented, fire safety ensured, proper ventilation restored, and evacuation routes organized.

The dismantling of the second-tier gallery ceilings in the church, as expected, did not present significant problems. New bells, cast in Moscow with funds raised by Almaty residents, were raised to the belfry.

On June 18, 1995, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, during his Primatial visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty. His Holiness was concelebrated by Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Archbishop Alexy of Almaty and Semipalatinsk (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov), Bishops Anthony of Uralsk and Guryev, Arsenius of Istra, and Eleutherius of Chimkent and Akmolinsk.

After the Liturgy, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II said:

"I thank you all, dear brothers and sisters, for the communal church prayer, with which we prayed today with one mouth and one heart in this beautiful temple, which for decades was closed for prayer, and today has been returned to the Church. I will keep you all in my heart and assure you all that, despite the distance that separates you from our first-throne city of Moscow, I remember and love you all in my prayers. On this day, when we are all together, I embrace each of you with love and ask the Lord to strengthen you all in the faith, which has strengthened our people over a thousand-year history of Orthodoxy on our land."

From 1995 to 2002, in the returned cathedral, Archbishop Alexy of Almaty and Semipalatinsk (from 1999 – of Astana and Almaty) regularly conducted services and preached the word of Divine truth. Under Bishop Alexy, the painting of the cathedral began.

Metropolitan Methodius (Nemtsov) (now of Perm and Kungur), who managed the Diocese of Astana and Almaty from 2003 to 2010, made great efforts to continue the restoration and painting of the Ascension Cathedral. By the blessing of Metropolitan Methodius, in 2005, a group of enthusiastic icon-painters recreated the iconostasis of the cathedral in the Russo-Byzantine style.

On January 18, 2010, on the Eve of Theophany (Epiphany Eve), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing of Water in the Ascension Cathedral.

"The jurisdiction of the Russian Church, which provides pastoral care to many nations, extends over the territories of many states, each with its own characteristics," the Primate noted in his address. "And the Patriarch must see, know, understand, and feel this to avoid mistakes and to assist our Orthodox people in living according to God's will and law in the conditions in which they find themselves."

In March 2010, Metropolitan Alexander was appointed to the Kazakhstan See. The cathedral welcomed its archpastor on Palm Sunday, March 28. The city was covered with snow the day before, but the joy of liturgical communion with their archpastor warmed the hearts of the many parishioners of the cathedral church.

With the beginning of regular services in the Ascension Cathedral, a choir was formed under the leadership of church singing expert Lyubov Pavlovna Milovanova. For more than 20 years of creative work for the glory of Holy Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan in various churches of Almaty, L.P. Milovanova was repeatedly noted with marks of attention from the ecclesiastical authorities. The head of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, when awarding L.P. Milovanova with a church order, especially noted:

"By God's providence, you became the leader of choral collectives of the cathedral churches in Almaty: first of St. Nicholas, and then of the Ascension Cathedral. After the chains of godless power fell and people had the opportunity to visit churches and participate in services without fear, you faced new challenging tasks that required immediate solutions. As an Orthodox choir director, you understood that every person coming to God's house for the first time needs to feel the incorruptible beauty of the heavenly world, the greatness of spirit, and the joy of prayer through liturgical singing. But the cathedral choirs were not prepared for this: there was a shortage of qualified singers, no musical scores of the necessary works, and traditions were forgotten. With God's help, revealing all your talents, making efforts, and enduring trials, you coped with the task, and a wonderful choral collective appeared in Almaty – the hierarchical choir of the Ascension Cathedral. Through your enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication to serving the high ideals of spiritual culture, you have earned the recognition of many grateful listeners – clergy, parishioners, and worshipers of the Ascension Cathedral."

On August 1, 2010, by the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the Choir of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan was formed. The choir was headed by the honored artist of Russia, Oleg Nikolaevich Ovchinnikov, whose church and educational activities had repeatedly received high praise from His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, the Ministry of Culture of Russia, and world art figures. The Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Choir included singers from the right choir of the Ascension Cathedral. The choral collective was significantly expanded, the repertoire updated, while preserving the best that had been developed over the previous two decades.

Church singing is more than art. The primary task before each church choir, regardless of whether it is a parish choir or a hierarchical choir, singing in a large city cathedral or a small rural church, is the service itself – the glorification of the Creator. Additionally, church musical culture is one of the effective ways to preach the faith, bringing people to the spiritual riches of Orthodoxy. Effective introduction of a person to high spiritual culture occurs through beautiful liturgical singing.

The main direction of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Choir is performing hymns during services.

The choir performs works by various church composers, but preference is given to authors whose works have entered the treasury of world spiritual and classical music: A. Arkhangelsky, Protopriest P. Turchaninov, S. Rachmaninoff, P. Chesnokov, D. Bortnyansky, A. Vedel, D. Khristov, G. Lvovsky, A. Gretchaninov. During services, chants from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Optina and Zosima Hermitages are performed.

The Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Choir under the direction of O.N. Ovchinnikov has become a notable phenomenon in the cultural life of Kazakhstan.

The cathedral has three chapels: the central one dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord, the southern one dedicated to the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the northern one to Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov, and their mother Sofia, who are considered the patrons of Semirechye.

Relics of the Church:

Icon of the Mother of God "Kazanskaya"

Icon of the Mother of God "Vladimirskaya"

Icon of the Mother of God "Alma-Atinskaya-Feodorovskaya" with relics of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. This icon is an exact copy of the great relic of the Orthodox world, the miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

Icon of St. Nicholas the Confessor, Metropolitan of Almaty

Icon with a particle of the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Icon with a particle of the relics of St. Seraphim

Icon with a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Confessor, Metropolitan of Almaty

Icon with a particle of the relics of Martyr Ludmila of Bohemia

Icon with a particle of the relics of Martyr Basil of Jarken

Icon with a particle of the relics of St. John of Shanghai

Icon with a particle of the relics of St. John of Oleni

Reliquary with the relics of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves

Reliquary with the relics of the Almaty Martyrs Seraphim and Feognost, and the Venerable Confessor Sebastian, Elder-Confessor Schemarchimandrite of Karaganda.

Architectural Features

The Ascension Cathedral is one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world. The highest point of the bell tower is 54 meters. The cathedral has a capacity of 2,000 people.