On the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Anastasia the Deliverer from Bonds, the Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the Liturgy in the Annunciation Church of the Southern capital

January 4, 2025 is the forefeast of the Nativity of Christ and the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Anastasia the Deliverer from Bonds.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the microdistrict of the city of Almaty - Alatau, where the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan is located.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was assisted by: Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian, Bishop of Chimkent and Turkestan Chrysanthus; Dean of the churches of Almaty, Rector of the St. Nicholas Cathedral Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Almaty Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Archpriest Yevgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of St. John the Baptist in the village of Guldala Archpriest Georgy Kharlov, Dean of the Ili Church District Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin), Priest Nikolai Matlashov, Cleric of the Alekseevsky Church in the village of Baiterek Hieromonk Alexy (Samosenkov), Rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church in the village of Saimasai (Aleksandrovka) Priest Roman Klyuyev, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov, Sacristan of the Adriano-Natalievsky Church Priest Ioann Konoplev; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon John Churkin.

The chants were performed by a mixed choir under the direction of Deacon Alexander Pivnya.

The following prayed at the service: Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Church-Public Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; Orthodox residents of the Alatau microdistrict and believers from surrounding settlements.

His Eminence read a prayer for the increase of love and the eradication of all hatred and malice.

The sermon on the communion verse was delivered by Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin).

January 4, 2025 marked fourteen years since the passing of Metropolitan Chrysanthus of Vyatka and Slobodskoy, the spiritual father and mentor of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan. At the end of the Liturgy, the Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the funeral litany for the ever-memorable Bishop Chrysanthus, the first Metropolitan of the Vyatka land.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated the archpastors, clergy, monks and parishioners on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and delivered a sermon.

After the service, the Metropolitan performed the rite of consecration of the newly built residence of the administrator of the Taldykorgan Vicariate.

The life and works of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Chrysanthus (Chepil) are covered in the article by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, “A Man of Faith and a Man of the Church.”