A meeting took place between the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia

June 19, 2024. Moscow. The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, met with Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and Southeast Asia, Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia.

The head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District congratulated Metropolitan Sergius on his anniversary - the 50th anniversary of his birth. In consideration of the work to develop relations between the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia and in connection with the anniversary, Bishop Sergius was awarded a high award - the Order of Algys (Gratitude).

Metropolitan Alexander said words of congratulations and good wishes to the exarch’s grandmother, nun Anna (Chashina), who celebrated her centenary on June 15. Nun Anna (in the world Valentina Yakovlevna Chashina) is a front-line soldier, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, awarded many military awards, including the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, medals “For Military Merit”, “For the Capture of Koenigsberg”, etc. In the active army she served until the very end of the war, took part in the liberation of Minsk, Kaliningrad and territories in Latvia. She was demobilized with the rank of senior sergeant. After the war, she worked for many years at enterprises in Saransk and the Chamzinsky district, including a cement plant. After the death of her husband, Valentina Yakovlevna became a monk. She has three children and eight grandchildren who have continued their grandmother's example of Christian service. Her two grandsons are archpastors of the Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and Southeast Asia and Archbishop Nikolai of Salekhard and Novo-Urengoy.

In recognition of the work to revive monastic traditions and in connection with the 100th anniversary of her birth, Metropolitan Alexander awarded nun Anna (Chashina) with the Order of the Metropolitan District “Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia.”

During the communication, the hierarchs told each other about the life of the church districts entrusted to their management - the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia.

Metropolitan Alexander informed Bishop Sergius that the current year is marked by a historically significant date for Kazakhstan - the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the capital diocese - Astana and Alma-Ata. The Head of the Metropolitan District noted that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev sent their greetings to the celebration. The archpastor emphasized that the head of state, in his congratulatory address, highly appreciated the activities of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, which, according to him, invariably helps promote high humanistic ideals, spread goodness, mercy and love for one’s neighbor, makes a valuable contribution to the development of interfaith dialogue, strengthening unity and solidarity people.

The archpastors exchanged views on a wide range of issues relating to the development of cooperation between the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia in the field of spiritual education and enlightenment.

At the end of the conversation, Metropolitan Alexander and Metropolitan Sergius wished each other health and God's help in church work.