The XIV creative children's and youth festival "Christmas Angel" was held in Almaty

On December 24, 2023, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the XIV creative children’s and youth festival “Christmas Angel” was held in the Church Meeting Hall at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty.

The event was organized by the Central Sunday School of St. Nicholas Cathedral of the southern capital with the assistance of the cultural department of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

The curators of the festival are the manager of the affairs of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen and the Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, head of the cultural department of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District L.E. Goricheva; project manager - director of the Central Sunday School G.V. Cherepanova.

The hosts of the festive program were teacher of the Central Sunday School Ioann Isakov and school student Kira Vasilenko.

More than two hundred students from 15 parochial schools in the city and region took part in the event dedicated to the Nativity of Christ.

During the competition, children demonstrated their talents in three categories: a song round, consisting of three nominations - solo performance, ensemble and choir; an exhibition of drawings and crafts, as well as a choreography competition.

The winners of the XIV creative children's and youth festival "Christmas Angel" were determined by the jury members based on the results of a secret vote.

The award ceremony was led by Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen.

Before the start of the ceremony, on behalf of the festival organizers, G.V. greeted those gathered. Cherepanova. Galina Vasilyevna thanked everyone for their efforts and congratulated them on the upcoming New Year and Merry Christmas.

Those present were shown a small concert prepared by participants in creative competitions.

Festival winners:

Children's drawing competition

1st place – Sunday school of the Iversko-Seraphim convent in Almaty;

2nd place – Sunday school of the Holy Cross Church of the Southern Capital;

3rd place – Sunday school “Spikelet” of the Church of the Archangel Michael in the city of Kaskelen.

Children's crafts competition

1st place – Sunday school of the Holy Cross Church of the Southern Capital;

2nd place – Central Sunday School of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty;

3rd place – Sunday school of the church in the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in the village of Baganashil.

Winners of the choreographic competition

Grand Prix of the creative competition – Central Sunday School of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty;

2nd place – Sunday school of the Iversko-Seraphim Convent;

3rd place – Sunday school of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa.

Song Contest Winners:

nomination "Solo performance"

Grand Prix of the competition – Serafima Mamonova, a student of the Central Sunday School;

1st place – Central Sunday School duet;

2nd place – duet of the Sunday school of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross;

3rd place – Chan Maria, a student of the Sunday school of the Iversko-Seraphim Convent.

nomination "Ensemble"

1st place – ensemble of guitarists from the Sunday school of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in honor of the Nativity of Christ.

nomination "Choir"

1st place – the Sunday school choir of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Sunday school choir of the Church of Saints Adrian and Natalia;

2nd place – the Sunday school choir of the Iversko-Seraphim Convent and the Sunday school choir of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva Friday;

3rd place – Sunday school choir of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty.

As part of the festival, the results of the regional stage of the International Children and Youth Literary Competition named after Ivan Shmelev “The Summer of the Lord” were summed up. Awards received: Borscheva D., Vasilenko K., Vysotskaya V., Layurova D., Pozdnukhova V., Selina A., Sobolev A.

The winners of all competitions and nominations received certificates, prizes and memorable gifts from the hands of Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen. Addressing those gathered, the archpastor thanked the organizers for the excellent work done and congratulated the young winners, wishing them health, prosperity and new creative success.