Metropolitan Alexander presented the Ascension Cathedral with a reliquary containing particles of the relics of the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan

June 13, 2024. Alma-Ata. On the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the main church of the southern capital, celebrating the patronal celebration.

At the end of the service, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan donated a unique shrine to the main church of the southern capital for the permanent stay and prayerful worship of believers - a skillfully made ark with particles of the relics of the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan.

The precious reliquary became a gift to the Ascension Cathedral and all Orthodox Kazakhstanis for the patronal feast of the main church of the southern capital and the anniversary date - the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese on the territory of the Republic.

The venerable relics of Hiero-Confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata, Hieromartyr Kirill, Metropolitan of Kazan were placed in the ark; Saint and physician Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea; venerable martyrs Seraphim and Theognost of Alma-Ata, venerable confessors schema-archimandrite Sebastian of Karaganda and Irakli of Issyk-Kul; Hieromartyrs Vladimir Lepsinsky and Vissarion Urdzharsky; parts of the vestments of the holy martyrs Alexander, Archbishop of Semipalatinsk and Methodius, Bishop of Peter and Paul; parts of the vestments of the Hieromartyrs Nicodemus, Archbishop of Kostroma and Uar, Bishop of Lipetsk.

The holy relics of the saints of God and particles of their liturgical vestments were collected at different times by Metropolitan Alexander from the remaining contemporaries and admirers of the new martyrs and confessors, who carefully preserved the memory of the sufferers for the faith of Christ.

The reliquary was made at the expense of the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District in the art workshop of the city of Almaty “Kazakhstan Style” (headed by A. Bakaev). The inside of the lid of the ark is decorated with an icon of Christ the Savior in the image of the Great Bishop with the upcoming Kazakhstan new martyrs and confessors. The image was made by Honored Artist of the Russian Federation S.N. Sokolov. He also painted images of saints placed above miniature reliquaries.

Along the perimeter of the ark there are iconographic images of new martyrs and confessors included in the cathedral of Kazakhstan saints. The reliquary is decorated with filigree and skillful engraving, and is also inlaid with inserts of semi-precious stones: jasper, onyx, turquoise and malachite.

The designer and developer of the ark is the head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov.