The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is the patronal feast of the main church of Kazakhstan. The celebrations in the capital were led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan

August 28, 2024 is the twelve great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Virgin Mary.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the main church of Kazakhstan - the Dormition Cathedral of Astana, which is celebrating its patronal feast.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was assisted by: Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhty; Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Archbishop Serapion of Kokshetau and Akmola; Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Dean of the Astana Church District Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), Rector of the Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Cosmas and Damian Church in Almaty Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, Acting Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Key Bearer of the Assumption Cathedral Archpriest Dimitry Baidek, Key Bearer of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral Archpriest Sergiy Kaliyev, Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov), Head of the Personal Secretariat of the Metropolitan Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Key Bearer of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty Priest Georgy Rublinsky, clergy of the Astana Deanery; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Ilya Davydov, Deacon John Churkin, Deacon Mikhail Chumakov, Deacon John Yanchuk, Deacon John Zhuchkov.

By the beginning of the service, the following were delivered to the main temple of Kazakhstan for prayerful worship and spiritual strengthening of the believers: an exact copy, "measure for measure", of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Healer", reliquaries with the great shrines of Orthodoxy - part of the robe of the Queen of Heaven and a stone from the tomb of the Most Holy Theotokos.

During the reading of the hours, the Head of the Metropolitan District tonsured Yaroslav Vokhmentsev, a 2nd-year student of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, as a reader.

The following prayed at the Liturgy: the abbess of the monastery in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Seeking the Lost" Abbess Sevastiana (Plotnikova) with the sisters of the monastery; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Kazakhstan N.A. Laliashvili; activists of the Astana Orthodox youth movement, teachers and students of the central Sunday school.

The chants were performed by the choir of the cathedral under the direction of Olga Varentsova.

After the Eucharistic canon, Metropolitan Alexander performed the deacon's ordination of reader Yaroslav Vokhmentsev.

The sermon on the verse after communion was delivered by Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov.

The Liturgy ended with the glorification of the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, in front of a shroud decorated with flowers and grapevines, after which a procession with the cross took place around the church.

Many years were proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'; the Head and Most Reverend Archpastors of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; the President of the country K.-Zh.K. Tokayev; the authorities, the army and all the people of Kazakhstan.

The Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District blessed the worshipers with the icon of the feast and sprinkled them with holy water, after which he cordially congratulated the archpastors, clergy, monastics and laity on the "Theotokos Easter" and the patronal day and addressed the congregation with a sermon.

"Today is a great church celebration - the twelve-day feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. "In prayers, the unceasing Theotokos and in intercessions, the unwavering hope of the tomb and death did not hold back," - the joyful words of an ancient hymn now sound. This sacred event has been especially revered by believers since apostolic times, since it was on the day of the Dormition that the greatness of the Mother of God was fully revealed, and her hitherto hidden, ineffable holiness, the beauty of her virtues and the purity of her soul, in which she surpasses the highest angelic powers - the cherubim and seraphim - shone in a visibly before all people. "The Most Pure Virgin exalted herself above everyone and everything," says Saint Gregory Palamas in his sermon on this feast, - She alone, having stood between God and the human race, created God the Son of man, and made people the sons of God; She made the earth Heaven and deified the human race." Tradition has carefully preserved for us the details of the Dormition of the Mother of God. On the icon of the feast we see its central moment - the Lord Jesus Christ descends in heavenly glory, surrounded by angelic hosts, to the burial bed of His Mother to receive Her immortal soul. "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24), - we hear the words of the Savior. This gospel promise was fully fulfilled in the Most Holy Mother of God - She passed through the immutable law of nature for humanity and rested in the tomb, but Her life did not cease, death lost any power over the Most Pure Virgin, becoming for Her the gates to blissful eternity. That is why this holiday is called the Dormition, and in Orthodox people it is called "Theotokos' Easter". "Your death, Pure One, became the transition to eternal and better life, transferring You, Immaculate One, from temporary life to the truly divine and unchangeable," we read the lines of the festive canon. Having left the earth, the Mother of the Lord ascended to Heaven to reign forever with Her Son and God. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes: "She reigns in heaven, She, as the Mother of the Heavenly King, is declared the Queen of Heaven, the Queen of both holy angels and holy men." We remember from the Gospel the words of the Savior, spoken by Him before His Ascension into Heaven: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Only in a visibly visible way did the Lord separate from His disciples, and at all times He remains constantly with His Church, with all who believe in Him, with each of us. In the same way, the Most Holy Theotokos, having moved to the heavenly abodes, having reigned over Heaven and earth, did not separate and did not distance herself from the Christian race. Moreover, the Mother of God became closer through Her Dormition to those who believe in Her maternal protection and with hope call upon Her in prayer. "While you lived with people," Saint Andrew of Crete addresses the Queen of Heaven, "a small part of the earth had you; but since you left the earth, the whole world has you as a common propitiation." The Mother of God herself testified to this truth, appearing in the radiance of heavenly glory on the third day after her Dormition to the apostles gathered together at the evening meal. She said to the disciples of Christ: "Rejoice! I am always with you!" In response, the apostles exclaimed: "Most Holy Mother of God, help us!" Faith in the prayerful intercession of the Mother of God, in her constant participation in the life of the Church has at all times become a source of inspiration and consolation for Christians. There is not a single service during which the Queen of Heaven is not called upon in prayer, there is not a single Orthodox home that is not sanctified by the presence in it of the honorable icons of the Sovereign Lady. The most sublime hymns and touching prayers are composed in Her honor. What epithets are not attached to the name of the Mother of God: She is the zealous Intercessor, the Joy of the grieving, the Unbreakable Wall, the Comfort and Consolation, the Heavenly Gatekeeper, the Softener of evil hearts, the Soother of sorrows. Indeed, both in the existence of the Church, and in the historical destinies of the Fatherland, and in the lives of the holy saints of God, and in the life of every believer, one can see the saving power of the Most Holy Theotokos. Chosen from all people, She became the Mother of the Savior and forever became the source of divine gifts for the entire universe. Saint Gregory the Theologian says: "Each of the chosen ones is given grace in part, the Virgin - the fullness of grace." Celebrating and glorifying the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, singing prayers and lighting candles, we must remember that our best praise of the Mother of God is living according to the Gospel commandments. “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5), said the Mother of the Savior at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, addressing the participants of the wedding celebration. She addresses these words to each of us, calling on us to listen to the Lord Jesus Christ and fulfill His commands. St. John of Damascus reminds us that the Mother of God “is saddened and grieved by every evil, and rejoices in every virtue as her gift.” Being not only the Mother of Christ, but also His faithful disciple, She also expects us to hear the word of God and keep it (see Luke 11:28).

The Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is the patronal day of the Dormition Cathedral of Nur-Sultan, the main temple of our country, blessed Kazakhstan, sanctified by the exploits of the new martyrs and confessors. Holy Martyr Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata, addressed the faithful on this day with the following appeal: "Learn to glorify the Queen of Heaven, and She, the Merciful One, will not abandon you with Her intercession in this life and at the hour of death." Let us follow the testament of the apostles and saints, the venerable and righteous, the ancient martyrs and new sufferers for Christ, and let us at all times and at all hours call upon the name of the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God and our Mother. Let us pray before the holy shroud with the image of the unceasing Mother of God in prayer, so that the Queen of Heaven will sanctify our lives with divine grace, grant the mercy of Her Son and our God, so that the Mother of God will grant us the opportunity to see Her bright face in the blessed Kingdom of the Heavenly Father." From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.