Patriarch Kirill to meet with Nursultan Nazarbayev on May 29

Patriarch Kirill will meet with Nursultan Nazarbayev on May 29, Tengrinews.kz reports citing official website of the Metropolitan district in Kazakhstan. “The meeting of His Holiness Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will be held in Akorda (the President’s residence) at 4:30 p.m. on May 29,” the message states. According to the official website of the Metropolitan district, after the meeting Patriarch Kirill will visit Uspenskiy Cathedral in Astana, where he will lead a prayer service. The service will attach much attention to the relicts of holy New Martyrs of Kazakhstan Serafim and Feognost, the patrons of Semirechye and will bless a new iconostasis. The wooden carved iconostasis was specially made for Uspenskiy Cathedral in Astana in line with the best traditions of the devotional art of the first half of 18th century by the experts of great martyr Feodor Stratilat’s iconostasis workshop famous all over the post soviet space. 150 icons for the new iconostasis have been made by an outstanding contemporary icon-painter and honored artist of Russia S. Sokolov in line with the canons and style of the iconographers of the Moscow Kremlin’s Armory of the second half of 17th century. After the prayer, His Holiness Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia will bless the newly-built building of the Synod of Kazakhstan’s Orthodox Church and the spiritual center of the equal to the apostles Cyril and Methodius in Uspenskiy Cathedral in Astana. The decision to build the Synod of Kazakhstan’s Orthodox Church and the spiritual center in Uspenskiy Cathedral in Astana was made on June 4, 2011 at the meeting of the Synod of the Metropolitan district chaired by His Beatitude Alexander, the Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan. The project was blessed by His Holiness Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and approved by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill will then award certificates for installation of cochlear implants to deaf children. Cochlear implant is a medical device that helps partially or fully restore the hearing to the patients with hearing loss. His Holiness will meet with archpastors of the Metropolitan district and talk to the clergy. He will also deliver a Primatial Word to all the Orthodox Christians of Kazakhstan. On May 30 Patriarch Kirill will take part in the first meeting of the Council of the Religious Leaders and in the opening of the 4th Congress of World and Traditional Religions in the Palace of Peace and Accord. The ceremony of awarding Doctor Honoris Causa degree to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill will be held in Gumilyov Eurasian University. By Maksim Popov