The Head of the Metropolitan District met with guests who arrived to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Almaty Diocese

September 30, 2024. Almaty. In the fireplace hall of the administrative and spiritual-cultural center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan met with the archpastors who arrived to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana Diocese.

The meeting was attended by: Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan, Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Among the participants in the meeting were the Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; Acting Rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Head of the Metropolitan's Personal Secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Head of the Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan shared with the guests information about the main events in the life of the Astana and Alma-Ata Diocese, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its establishment, spoke about the implementation of church social, charitable, educational and youth projects and the activities of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary.

The Metropolitan answered questions from the archpastors regarding religious life in the country, specifically noting the topic of cooperation between the state and traditional faiths, primarily Islam of the Hanafi madhhab and Orthodoxy.

In recognition of the work on developing relations between the Tatarstan Metropolitanate and the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander presented Metropolitan Kirill with the order "Beibitshilik pen Kelisim" (Peace and Harmony).

In memory of his visit to Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander presented the guests with books telling the history of Christianity in Central Asia, as well as copies of the icons of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, consecrated at the relics of the saint of God, visiting the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. During the two days of being in the capital of the Republic, more than 10 thousand people venerated the relics of the saint, after which the shrine was delivered to the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iversko-Serafimovsky Convent in the city of Almaty, where from early morning until late evening pilgrims came in an endless stream with prayers to the blessed old woman, wishing to receive spiritual consolation and strengthening.

The visiting archpastors expressed words of gratitude to the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan for the warm welcome and noted the worthy level of all the events held as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana diocese.

A group photo was taken as a keepsake.