Metropolitan Alexander performed a funeral litany in the “Fox Balka” - the place of execution of sufferers for the faith of Christ, political prisoners and repressed people

May 22, 2024. Chimkent. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan performed a funeral litany in Lisya Balka, the place of execution of those who suffered for the faith of Christ, political prisoners and those repressed in the 20th century.

The funeral service was attended by: Bishop of Chimkent and Turkestan Chrysanth, vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop of Talgar Benjamin, rector of the Alma-Ata Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, rector of the Cosmo-Damian Church of Alma-Ata Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, the head of the Metropolitan's personal secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), the sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral of Alma-Ata, Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, the head of the Metropolitan's protocol service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Alexander Piven and Deacon Bogdan Boyko.

Those gathered offered a prayer for all “archpastors, pastors, monastics and laity in the land of Kazakhstan in the time of fierce persecution for the truth of God, our Church, those who suffered, and in this place those who were unjustly tortured and killed.” Greatness was sung to the new martyrs and confessors who shone on the land of Kazakhstan.

The archpastors and clergy laid flowers at the memorial cross.

The world-famous Lisya Balka, near Chimkent, became the place of execution and final resting place for thousands of Orthodox Christians. Among them is Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) of Kazan, one of the prominent figures of Russian Orthodoxy at the beginning of the twentieth century. His spiritual greatness is evidenced by the fact that in 1908, Saint John of Kronstadt, before his death, asked that Bishop Kirill, then vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese, perform his funeral service. Here Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovykh), Archbishop Alexy (Orlov), Bishop Evgeny (Kobranov), countless clergy, monks, nuns and ordinary believers were shot.