The Day of Remembrance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patronal feast of St. Nicholas Cathedral in the southern capital

On December 19, 2023, on the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, patronal celebrations took place in one of the oldest churches in the city of Almaty - St. Nicholas Cathedral.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Administrator of the Affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District led the festive service.

His Eminence was served by: the dean of the parishes of Alma-Ata, the rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov the rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov the vice-rector for educational work, Priest John Livinsky the vice-rector for educational work, Priest Peter Bakhtiyarov, deputy Chairman of the Diocesan Commission for Social Ministry Priest Vyacheslav Isikov, Hierodeacon Afanasy (Kozel), Deacon John Churkin.

Before the start of the service, the reliquary with the relics of St. Nicholas, kept in the altar of the cathedral, was carried out for prayerful veneration by the believers. Part of the relics of the Myra Hierarch is a gift to the St. Nicholas Church from Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Praying at the Liturgy were: Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Church and Public Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the development of Russian church singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; employees of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration, teachers and students of the central Sunday school of the southern capital, headed by director G.V. Cherepanova, numerous parishioners.

Liturgical chants were performed by the choir of St. Nicholas Cathedral under the direction of O. Berekesheva.

At the funeral litany, prayers were offered for the repose of: the confessor of the faith, Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov, 1975), Archimandrite Isaac (Vinogradov) - the associate and spiritual son of Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky), the builders of the cathedral and the renewers of liturgical life, the deceased clergy and parishioners of the temple.

At the end of the Liturgy, glorification took place before the image and the ark with the relics of St. Nicholas, after which many years were proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill; To your Eminence archpastors, clergy, monastics and God-saved Orthodox flock; To the President, the authorities, the military and all the people of Kazakhstan, the birthday people of the day.
Bishop Gennady congratulated the clergy and believers on the patronal holiday and addressed those gathered with a sermon.

Pupils of the Central Sunday School (director - G.V. Cherepanova) performed a literary and poetic composition telling about the life and miracles of St. Nicholas. His Eminence thanked the speakers and presented sweet gifts.

The day before, an all-night vigil was held in St. Nicholas Cathedral with the reading of an akathist to the Miracle Worker of Myra.