Kazakhstan’s Orthodox celebrate Christmas

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan – Orthodox Christians around the world were joined by their fellow believers in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries in celebrating Christmas January 7.

Kazakhstan has the largest percentage of Orthodox Christians — 35 percent — of any Central Asian country. And with such a large religious minority, the government recognizes the importance of the Orthodox Church in society.

“The Orthodox Church makes a large contribution to strengthening peace and understanding in Kazakh society, to the development of a dialog of goodwill between the state and religious associations. … It strengthens spirituality and tolerance”, said Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in his Christmas greeting to Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev also greeted his country’s Orthodox believers January 6.

Most of Kazakhstan’s Orthodox Christians are ethnic Russians, Ukrainians and Belorussians, who number about 5 million, while more than 9 million citizens are Muslims, according to the Kazakhstan Statistical Agency.

“From my heart and soul, I congratulate all with the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ, and wish that the peace of God will be in our hearts and souls, and with the people of our beloved motherland”, Metropolitan Mefodiy, head of the Kazakh Orthodox Church, said at a press conference January 5.

The main celebration of Christmas in Kazakhstan was conducted by Mefodiy in Almaty’s Voznesensky Cathedral.

Father Fillip Moiseyev, pastor of the Voznesensky Cathedral, told Central Asia Online that officially celebrating Christmas does not contradict the constitution of secular Kazakhstan.

“In the past, the state always was always founded on religious views and political structures which were inseparable from one another. Often constitutional decisions were made in accordance with the laws of faith. So I see no contradiction here. Today there is a return to past experience of state and church union”, he said.

Moiseyev could not say exactly how many practicing Orthodox are in Kazakhstan, but said that Christmas services at the Cathedral draw some 2,000 worshippers each year.

“I go to church every year for Christmas”, said Vladlena Ivanovna, a 67-year-old retiree. In fact many said that a majority of those who regularly attend church tend to be older.

Several younger people said they would not attend Christmas mass.

“We will observe it, of course, as a holiday and as a day off, but I’m not going to go to church because I’ll be working”, said 34-year-old Almaty store clerk Lidia Yakupova,

“No, for me Halloween is more interesting”, said Alexander, an 18-year-old student. “I’ll of course wish my relatives a Merry Christmas, my mother, grandmother, but I don’t go to church, even though I’ve been baptized”.

Still, more and more Kazakh citizens of Slavic ancestry are getting married in church, having children baptized and even getting their cars blessed. Attendance at places of worship, both Christian and Islamic, has increased since the collapse of communism.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, will visit Kazakhstan January 16-18 at the invitation of Nazarbayev. During his visit, he will consecrate the recently constructed Uspensky Cathedral in Astana and will celebrate the first divine liturgy there.