On June 13, 2024, on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, mMr. Alexander, Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan, led the Divine Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.
The Ascension of the Lord — the Throne Feast of the main cathedral of the Southern capital, which is the spiritual, historical and cultural pearl of Kazakhstan. One of the cathedral's shrines — the ancient image of the Ascension of the Savior with a part of the stone from the Mount of Olives, on which the footprint of the Lord Jesus Christ was imprinted.
The Ascension of the Lord — the Throne Feast of the main cathedral of the Southern capital, which is the spiritual, historical and cultural pearl of Kazakhstan.
His Eminence was served by: the Administrator of Affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, the rector of the Alma-Ata church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «Joy of All Who Sorrow» Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyev, the spiritual leader of Alma-Ata Diocese Archimandrite John (Sazonov), Archpriest Vyacheslav Churbanov, head of the Metropolitan District Department for Public Relations, Clergyman of the Ascension Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, acting rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, head of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, and Archpriest Vyacheslav Churbanov. Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, member of the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sports, Hegumen Philip (Moiseyev), Secretary of the Pinsk Eparchy, Archpriest Konstantin Balakai (Belarusian Exarchate), Clergyman of the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, Archpriest Dimitri Dimitri Baidek, head of the Metropolitan's personal secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), head of the administrative secretariat of the Metropolitan's head. Archpriest Dimitri Baidek, head of the Metropolitan's personal secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), head of the administrative secretariat of the head of the Metropolitan District, Priest George Sidorov, head of the correspondence department of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, Priest Daniil Bobylev, Priest John Konoplev, clergyman of Adrian-Natalievsky church, Priest Sergiy Abdulaev, Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich, Protodeacon Roman Golovin, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon John Churkin, Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin, Deacon Alexander Piven.
At the beginning of the service in the main temple for prayerful adoration and spiritual strengthening of the faithful was delivered to the ark with a part of the stone from the Mount of Olives, which imprinted the footprint of the Savior. The relic is a gift of His Beatitude Patriarch Diodorus of Jerusalem.
For The liturgy was prayed by: the abbess of the Iversko-Seraphimovsky nunnery of Almaty, Hegumeness Lyubov (Yakushkina); president of the public fund «Apostol» G.G. Sosnovsky; member of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the Association of Russian Slavic and Cossack organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan V.A. Lukashev; employees of the Alma-Ata diocesan office, benefactors of the diocese, numerous parishioners.
The chants were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (regent — Honored Art Worker of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov, choirmaster — V. Dudareva) and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral (regent — N. Zubrevich).
The chants were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (regent — N. Zubrevich).
The Liturgy was especially remembered: Bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent Paisiy (Vinogradov), who consecrated the laying of the church in 1903, the architect of the cathedral engineer Andrei Pavlovich Zenkov and architect K.A. Borisoglebsky, deceased builders, donors and beautifiers, clergy and parishioners.
The Liturgy was especially remembered.
The sermon after the Holy Communion was delivered by Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov.
The liturgy ended with a glorification before the icon of the Ascension of the Lord, followed by a procession, at the end of which the head of the Metropolitan District sprinkled the faithful with consecrated water.
The liturgy ended with a glorification before the icon of the Ascension of the Lord.
Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the hierarchs and clergy, monastics and laymen with the feast, and delivered a sermon on the significance of the Gospel event of the Savior's Ascension to Heaven for the salvation of the human race.
After the divine service, Vladyka Alexander donated to the main church of the Southern capital a unique relic — a skillfully made ark with the relics of the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan.
Representatives of the Union of Cossacks of Semirechye headed by Ataman V.S. Shikhotov took an active part in ensuring order and security.
Video recording of the Metropolitan Divine Liturgy was carried out by the TV studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District «Semirechye».
Video recording of the Metropolitan Divine Liturgy was carried out by the TV studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District «Semirechye».
Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan/Patriarchy.ru
