The Ascension Cathedral of the city of Petropavlovsk celebrated the 25th anniversary of its foundation

On June 13, 2024, on the day of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Petropavlovsk celebrated its patronal feast day and the 25th anniversary of its foundation.

With the blessing of Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevsk, the Liturgy in the main church of Petropavlovsk was led by the secretary of the diocesan administration, the keymaster of the cathedral, Archpriest Sergius Pervushin.

The secretary of the diocesan administration was assisted by: Hieromonk Seraphim (Maksimov), Priest Maxim Abdulkhasanov, Priest Alexander Lutsenko, Deacon Vladimir Bartol, Deacon Alexy Alexandrovich.

The hymns of the Liturgy were performed by the bishop's choir under the direction of Anna Zatai.

Praying during the service were: Orthodox residents of the city of Petropavlovsk and nearby settlements.

The liturgy ended with glorification before the icon of the Ascension of the Lord, after which a procession of the cross took place around the temple.

Archpriest Sergius congratulated the clergy and laity on the patronal holiday and delivered a sermon.

At the end of the service, a festive meal was organized for the parishioners and a small concert program was presented.

Historical reference

The Ascension Church in the city of Petropavlovsk was founded in the summer of 1865.

The money for the construction of the cathedral was donated by an honorary citizen of Petropavlovsk, the widow of a merchant of the second guild, Maria Glazkova.

The newly built church was consecrated in 1870.

The establishment of Soviet power in Petropavlovsk at the end of 1917 initially had no effect on the fate of the Ascension Church. In 1922, a decree was issued on the confiscation of church valuables. Three nuns were arrested and convicted for attempting to hide some of the church's liturgical paraphernalia.

With the beginning of the renovationist schism, the Ascension Church entered the jurisdiction of the Peter and Paul renovationist diocese, headed by Archbishop Alexy (Kononov).

In the spring of 1929, an unprecedented anti-religious campaign began in Petropavlovsk, as a result of which almost all churches and houses of worship in the city were closed. The Ascension Cathedral was closed by a decision of the City Council on February 2, 1930.

In 1931, the regional museum of local lore moved into the church building. However, the museum's stay under the cathedral dome was short-lived. The temple continued to collapse, the heating system was not restored, the walls became damp and crumbled. In 1934, a decision was made to demolish the building.

Now on the site of the church there is a regional Russian drama theater named after Nikolai Pogodin.

The modern Ascension Cathedral was founded on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord on May 20, 1999, in memory of the temple of the same name destroyed in the 30s by Soviet power.

The builder and first rector of the cathedral was Archpriest Sergius Snopkov.

On November 26, 2005, the consecration of the temple took place by Archbishop of Chimkent and Akmola Eleutherius. During the opening, the cathedral was visited by the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev.

In 2010, after the separation of the North Kazakhstan region from the Chimkent and Akmola diocese and the formation of the independent Peter and Paul and Bulaev diocese, the Ascension Cathedral became a cathedral.

The rector of the temple since 2014 is Archbishop Vladimir of Peter and Paul and Bulaevsky.