May 31 in the Republic of Kazakhstan is the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repressions. In 1997, by the Decree of the head of state, the last day of May was declared the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repressions. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, funeral services were held in the churches of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District for all those who were innocently killed, died of hunger, cold, wounds, diseases and hard labor.
All those who died of hunger, cold, wounds, diseases and hard labor.
The Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated a requiem liturgy in the Synodal Church in honor of the Astana-Pochayev Icon of the Mother of God in the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in Astana.
The Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated a requiem liturgy in the Synodal Church in honor of the Astana-Pochayev Icon of the Mother of God in the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in Astana.
The Archpastor offered prayers for the Orthodox Christians who suffered for the truth of God and the Church of Christ, who were killed by the godless in the year of severe persecution, who died of hunger, cold, wounds, diseases and hard labor, and for all those who innocently suffered during the era of political persecution.
The Archpastor offered prayers for the Orthodox Christians who suffered for the truth of God and the Church of Christ, for those who were killed by the godless in the year of severe persecution, for those who died of hunger, cold, wounds, diseases and hard labor, and for all those who innocently suffered during the era of political persecution.
From the words of Metropolitan Alexander:
«The tragedy of the last century, which we now recall, touched millions of people. In the steppe camps, under the scorching heat and in the bitter cold, they endured cruel suffering. innocently condemned representatives of different nationalities and religions. The untruth of the ideology, to which countless lives of our compatriots were sacrificed, has become obvious to everyone today. No most beautiful dreams of a bright future can justify the crime against God's commandment «do not kill». Human life is a priceless treasure given to each of us by the All-Blessed Creator. And concern for preserving this priceless gift encourages people of different religious and political views to treat each other with respect and trust. In mutual understanding and brotherly love — the key to the development and prosperity of Kazakhstan.
Memories of people whose fates were broken during the period of brutal state terror are carefully preserved in the memory of generations. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said these words: «We are called to never forget about these terrible events, because the victims of fratricidal war, famine, religious and class persecution are not a faceless mass, but absolutely concrete people, these are our ancestors who live in our memory, whose names we continue to carry and whose names we remember or should remember in our prayers». The images of the murdered sufferers encourage us to draw lessons from the past and to vigilantly stand guard over civil peace and harmony in society.
Today in all Orthodox churches of Kazakhstan are commemorative services, at which we prayerfully remember all the deceased innocent sufferers. Eternal memory to them! Among those whom we remember today is a host of Kazakhstani sufferers for the faith of Christ. The names of many are known — more than 250 repressed are glorified in the countenance of saints. But there are many more whose deeds are known only to the Lord. In Kazakhstan during the years of repressions about 1000 representatives of clergy, monks and churchmen were sentenced to different punishments. More than 2000 archpastors, shepherds and active laymen served exile on the territory of the country. According to preliminary data of researchers of the project of the Kazakhstan and Central Asian Metropolitan Districts — «Turkestan Golgotha» which received the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, — the total number of those who suffered for Christ, whose fates are connected with Kazakhstan, may exceed 7000 people. We firmly believe that the blood of the Orthodox new martyrs and confessors of the land of Kazakhstan was not spilled in vain. On the day of remembrance of the victims of political repressions, we offer special prayers to them — our heavenly patrons and ask blessings to all our land, our people». Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan/Patriarchy.ru
