The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan visited the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in the city of Uralsk

October 9, 2024. The city of Uralsk, West Kazakhstan region. At the invitation of the General Consul of the Russian Federation in Uralsk Alexei Valentinovich Gruby, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan visited the Russian diplomatic mission.

The meeting was attended by: Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian, Bishop of Uralsk and Atyrau Vianor; employees of the General Consulate.

The diplomat congratulated the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata Diocese and 35 years of archpastoral service, noting the significant contribution of the hierarch to the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.

The General Consul told the Metropolitan Bishop about the activities of the diplomatic mission in Uralsk, furthermore he highly praised the preparation and holding of a spiritually significant event – the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to the capital of Western Kazakhstan.

During the conversation, the significance of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States, held the day before in Moscow, was noted, where priority areas of the Organization’s activities were discussed, as well as plans for the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Metropolitan Alexander, the archpastors and Alexei Valentinovich discussed issues of celebrating the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War next year. According to the general opinion, the upcoming celebrations should serve to unite countries and peoples under the auspices of preserving historical memory and serve as a warning to humanity against repeating the tragic mistakes of the past.

During the meeting, an exchange of views took place on a wide range of issues concerning the role of traditional religions in the life of modern society. Metropolitan Alexander quoted the words of the President of Kazakhstan K.-Zh.K. Tokayev, with which the head of state defined the priorities in the public life of the Republic: "Strengthening interethnic harmony is one of the cornerstones of the sustainable development of our country."

In memory of the meeting, Metropolitan Alexander presented General Consul A.V. Gruboy with his scientific work - the book "History of Christianity in Central Asia" and the calendar of the Metropolitan District for 2025.

The participants of the meeting exchanged mutual wishes for health, peace and success in their work.