Celebration of Orthodox Book Day in the dioceses of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the celebration of Orthodox Book Day took place in the dioceses of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

The holiday was established on the initiative of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in December 2009 and is dedicated to the date of publication in 1564 of the first printed book in Rus' - “The Apostle” by Deacon Ioann Fedorov.

Petropavlovsk Diocese

An exhibition of fiction was organized in the library of the Orthodox gymnasium named after St. Sergius of Radonezh.

On March 14, a literary evening “But talent lives, genius is immortal” was organized at the Orthodox school, dedicated to the 225th anniversary of the birth of the great poet A.S. Pushkin. Guests of the event were: Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevsk, school administration, teachers and parents of students.

The hosts of the evening, A. Shuvakin and B. Chebotarev, introduced the guests to the life of the writer. On the same day, the premiere of the play took place, which was prepared by the creative club “Aurora” (artistic director B. Fakhrutdinov). The guys showed fragments from the writer’s biography, introducing them to people who played an important role in the life of the great poet.

Throughout the evening, school students recited famous poems by A.S. Pushkin.

On March 15, the results of the drawing competition “My Favorite Fairy Tales” were summed up. The winners were awarded certificates and prizes.

Kostanay diocese

On March 10, after the Divine Liturgy, an educational event dedicated to Orthodox Book Day was held in the building of the Sunday school of the Cathedral of Constantine and Helena.

The rector of the Archangel Michael Church in the city of Kostanay, Archpriest Vitaly Kleba, addressed the participants of the holiday with a welcoming speech. Librarian E.A. Boronina told those present about the diocesan library collections, and also presented an exhibition of new Orthodox literature.

For the guests of the event, church hymns were performed by the choir of the Constantine and Helena Cathedral under the direction of regent T. Zhebrak. Also, Sunday school students, together with their teachers, prepared a review of Orthodox literature.

At the end of the event, all guests, in memory of the past event, were presented with books about the famous Kazakh saint - Rev. Confessor Schema-Archimandrite Sebastian of Karaganda.

Ural diocese

On March 15, the celebration of Orthodox Book Day took place at the West Kazakhstan Regional Library for Children and Youth named after Kh. Yesenzhanov.

The organizers of the event are the Ural Diocese with the support of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation and the public organization “Center of Russian Culture”.

The participants of the holiday were: Vice-Consul of the Consulate General of Russia in Uralsk Kh. Atmurzaev, Head of the Youth Affairs Department of the Ural Diocese Deacon Viktor Mostovshchikov, Chairman of the public organization “Center of Russian Culture” S. Bykov, historian and local historian V.V. Kutishchev, representatives of youth clubs, Sunday school students and parishioners of churches in the city of Uralsk.

Before the start of the event, Vice-Consul of the Consulate General of Russia in Uralsk Kh. Atmurzaev addressed those present with a welcoming speech.

S. Bykov spoke about the spiritual motives of Russian literature. Historian Vladimir Kutishchev showed the audience pre-revolutionary books published in Uralsk.

Those gathered were offered a vibrant concert program consisting of song and dance numbers and a theatrical skit.

At the end of the event, there was a tea party, during which the participants enjoyed pancakes with honey and other treats.

Shymkent diocese

On March 17, an open lesson dedicated to Orthodox Book Day took place in the building of the Sunday school of the St. Nicholas Cathedral.

During the lesson, the school students discussed facts from the life of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, as well as the pioneer printer John Fedorov. Children learned the history of the creation of the first printed book and became acquainted with Christian motifs in Russian folk tales.

The youngest students staged a re-enactment of the fairy tale “Zaykina’s Hut” - about how important it is to be conscientious about work and have true friends.

At the end of the event, the children's choir sang the following chants: “Hymn to Cyril and Methodius,” “The word ‘mother’ is dear,” “Do good deeds,” and “Faith is eternal.”