Celebrations took place in the southern capital to mark the arrival of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Healer”

May 18, 2024 is the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Irina and St. Jacob of Zheleznoborovsky; celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese. Anniversary of the birth of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Healer” was brought to the country from the Alekseevsky Stavropegic Convent in Moscow. Before the start of the service, accompanied by the singing of Easter stichera and the troparion “Like the Blessed Star,” the clergy, in a procession of the cross, transferred the miraculous image from the spiritual and cultural center of the Metropolitan District under the arches of the St. Sophia Cathedral and installed an icon case, decorated with flowers, in the center of the temple.

The festive Liturgy on the occasion of the bringing of the relic in the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iversko-Seraphim Monastery was led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Metropolitan Sergius of Barnaul and Altai; Archbishop Anthony (Moskalenko); Archbishop of Karaganda and Shakhty Sevastian; Archbishop of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk Amfilohiy; Archbishop of Kokshetau and Akmola Serapion; Archbishop of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevsk Vladimir; Bishop Veniamin of Rybinsk and Romanovo-Borisoglebsk; Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, manager of the affairs of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan; Bishop of Rubtsovsky and Aleisky Roman; Bishop of Syzran and Shigon Leonty; Bishop of Aktobe and Kyzylorda Ignatius; vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan; Bishop Chrysanthus of Chimkent and Turkestan; Vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop of Talgar Benjamin; Bishop of Ural and Atyrau Vianor; dean of Almaty churches, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; dean of the Astana church district, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev); Secretary of the Bishops' Council of the Smolensk Metropolis, Archpriest Vasily Movchanyuk; rector of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the city of Seaside, California (USA), Archpriest Georgy Kurtov (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia); rector of the Almaty church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov; Dean of the Ural Church District, Archimandrite Dionysius (Kozulev); confessor of the Alekseevsky stauropegial convent in Moscow, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov; heads of departments and commissions of the Metropolitan District in holy orders; rectors and clergy of Almaty churches; clergy who arrived with the archpastors.

The following people prayed during the service: the abbess of the Alekseevskaya women's stauropegial monastery of Moscow, the head of the Legal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, Abbess Ksenia (Chernega); Abbess of the Holy Cross Jerusalem Stavropegic Monastery, Abbess Ekaterina (Chainikova), Abbess of the Iversko-Seraphim Monastery of Alma-Ata, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), Abbess of the Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Monastery in the city of Tashkent, Abbess Ekaterina (Malgina), Abbess of the Intercession Convent, Abbess Varvara (Morozova), abbess Mother of God Nativity Monastery in the city of Karaganda, abbess Olympiada (Salopeko), abbess of the monastery in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost” in the city of Astana, nun Sevastiana (Plotnikova), abbess of the Peter and Paul Convent of the city of Pavlodar, nun Seraphim (Bolibok) with sisters of Kazakhstan monasteries; President of the public foundation "EMO Foundation" G.G. Sosnovsky, students of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary, numerous parishioners and pilgrims of the monastery.

Guests of the holiday were: Consul General of the Russian Federation in Almaty D.A. Turaev, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation N.V. Parshikova; Head of the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Republic of Kazakhstan M.S. Simakova, head of the educational projects department of Rossotrudnichestvo T.V. Zubkova, Head of the Department of Religious Affairs of Almaty N.M. Kikimov.

The chants were performed by the Metropolitan District Choir under the direction of O.N., Honored Artist of Russia. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the St. Sophia Cathedral monastery under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

During the service, petitions were heard for the health and prosperity of the now honored Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.

Using the sacramental verse, Priest Daniil Bobylev read out the address of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on the occasion of the arrival in Alma-Ata of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Healer”.

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, glorification of the Queen of Heaven took place in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer”, after which the Metropolitan pronounced the exclamation “Christ is Risen!” in different languages, ancient and modern.

Many years were proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill; To the head and episcopate of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, guests archpastors; To the President, authorities, military and all the people of Kazakhstan.

The manager of the affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, announced the congratulations of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on his birthday. His Eminence Gennady also expressed words of well-wishes to the Head of the Metropolitan District on behalf of the archpastors, clergy, monastics and laity.

In his response, Metropolitan Alexander cordially thanked the guests, pilgrims and pilgrims who arrived at the celebrations for their warm words of well-wishes, and asked all participants in the service for deep prayers for the sending of God’s help in their future service to the Church of Christ on Kazakhstani soil.

The head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District congratulated the hierarchs, clergy and believers on the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese and the joy of bringing the miraculous image of the Queen of Heaven to the Southern capital.

The video recording of the metropolitan service was carried out by the television studio of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District "Semirechye" (cameraman - A. Schmidt, director - Honored Worker of Culture - V.L. Posadneva); photographic recording - employees of the information department A. Sheglov.

The arrival of the shrine in Alma-Ata was consecrated by the First Eurasia Channel (general director - S.V. Kiselev). Information support for the celebration was provided by the Interfax-Kazakhstan agency.

Representatives of the Semirechye Cossack Union, led by Ataman V.S., took an active part in ensuring order and security. Shikhotov.

The archpastor received congratulatory addresses from permanent members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, archpastors of the Moscow Patriarchate and hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches; state leadership of Kazakhstan and Russia, deputies of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, akims of regions and cities of Kazakhstan, members of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, leaders of traditional religious faiths of Kazakhstan and Russia, public organizations.

After the Liturgy, prayers began in St. Sophia Cathedral before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Healer.”

“With what deep inner content the words of the apostolic greeting continue to sound - the hymn of life, the hymn of the Lord’s victory over death - Christ is Risen! This sacred cry is heard in Heaven and on earth, sounds in different languages all over the world. On the days of Holy Easter we glorify the Risen Christ, Christ the Conqueror of death and the Author of life. Today our joy is multiplied by the presence in the southern capital of Kazakhstan of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Healer”, which makes its journey with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. Thank you for the congratulations that were delivered by Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Administrator of the Kazakh Metropolitan District, on the occasion of my birthday. My personal holiday falls on the celebration in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice” and the memory of the Kostroma saint St. Jacob of Zheleznoborovsk and the Great Martyr Irina. I always ask the Queen of Heaven and these saints to intercede in Heaven, so that the mercy of God does not abandon me in the service entrusted by the Church to my unworthiness. I thank the Lord and my God for all the mercies and bounties that have been shown throughout all 67 years of my life. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for coming to church on this day and together we prayed to the Lord. Every visit to the Church of God is a lesson in piety for the human soul, revealing to us the beauty of the Heavenly world, giving us strength to be true Christians. Temple - Heaven on earth, where a person feels the presence of his Creator, where the closeness of the world of the Intercessor, the Sovereign Lady is felt, where the forces of Heaven together with us ask God to bless the existence of people with bounties, where holy saints offer prayers to the Creator that He would grant mercy to His people, His children. Happy Easter again, I congratulate you again! With joyful, bright triumph, confirming us in faith, without which it is impossible to please God, giving us hope, which inspires every person on the earthly path, and giving us the love that we must show to the Creator through mercy towards our neighbors! The years that I spent here on Kazakhstani soil are a time of many generosities of the Lord to all of us, and for this, glory to Him, praise from the bottom of my heart. Words of sincere gratitude to everyone with whom we walk through life together, with whom we march from earth to Heaven, from the temporary to the eternal. May the Lord strengthen us on the path of salvation. God bless you all, Christ is Risen!” said, in particular, Metropolitan Alexander.