Metropolitan Alexander held a joint meeting of the diocesan council and the church court of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese

December 12, 2023. Alma-Ata. In the administrative and spiritual-cultural center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan held a joint meeting of the diocesan council and the ecclesiastical court of the Astana-Alma-Ata diocese.

The meeting was attended by:

– members of the diocesan council: vicars of the Astana diocese - the manager of the affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen and Bishop Benjamin of Talgar; dean of the parishes of Almaty, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; dean of the Astana church district, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev); Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Rector of the Intercession Church of the Southern Capital, Archpriest Evgeny Bobylev; and about. Rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, head of the information and publishing department of the Metropolitan District, Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; head of the Metropolitan District public relations department, secretary of the diocesan council, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; cleric of the Ascension Cathedral of the southern capital, Archpriest Alexander Ievlev; clergyman of the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, Archpriest Dimitry Baidek; sacristan of the Constantine-Elenin Cathedral, Archpriest Sergius Kaliev;

– members of the diocesan court: vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian; rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov; confessor of the Alma-Ata diocese, Archimandrite John (Sazonov); Dean of the Ili Church District, Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov; rector of the Cosmo-Damian Church of Almaty, Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov.

The meeting was also attended by the Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov.

Metropolitan Alexander summed up the work of the diocesan council over the past year and outlined the main memorable dates that will be celebrated in 2024: the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese, the 145th anniversary of the birth of the Hieromartyr Pimen, Bishop of Vernensky and Semirechensky, and 225 -anniversary of the birth of the first hierarch of the land of Kazakhstan - Archbishop Zephaniah (Sokolsky).
The archpastor announced a list of planned events of a spiritual, educational, scientific, educational and cultural nature that will take place in the diocese.

As part of the celebration of memorable dates, scientific and practical conferences, concerts of choirs and creative groups, photo exhibitions will be held in Astana and Almaty. The heads of departments and commissions of the diocese were given instructions to prepare for the celebration.

Council members discussed preparations for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany in the parishes of the diocese.

At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Alexander thanked those gathered and gave everyone the archpastoral blessing