Eastern Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan

Last updated

Church of Kazakhstan
Primate Alexander of Astana
Bishops11
Parishes295
Language Slavonic & Kazakh
Headquarters Astana, Kazakhstan
Territory Kazakhstan
Official website www.mitropolia.kz

The Eastern Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan is a metropolitan district or metropolia of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although not autonomous or fully self-governing like the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate, the Church in Kazakhstan has been given some self-government, with jurisdiction over all Orthodox Christians in Kazakhstan. Most of its members are ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, Koreans, and Belarusians resident in Kazakhstan.

Demographics

The 2021 census noted that Kazakhstan is 17.19% Christian. [1] Other figures suggest that 24% of the population is Orthodox. [2] The Christian population is mostly Russian origin and is concentrated in the north and north-east of the country.

The share of Russians by districts and cities in Kazakhstan, 2021 Russians in Kazakhstan Rus.png
The share of Russians by districts and cities in Kazakhstan, 2021

In 2022, the government considered the Russian Orthodox Church as one of the country's traditional religions. [3] Kazakhstan celebrates Orthodox Christmas as a national holiday. [4]

History

As in the rest of Central Asia, in ancient times there were communities of the Church of the East in what today is Kazakhstan. [5] These communities were long extinct by the time the modern history of Orthodoxy started in Kazakhstan with the expansion of the Russian Empire into the region.

In the 1871 the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod founded the Eparchy of Turkestan [6] to care for all Orthodox Christians in Russian Central Asia, but this was later divided into smaller dioceses.

In June 1945 the Russian Orthodox Church created the Eparchy of Almaty and Kazakhstan to care for Orthodox Christians in Kazakhstan. The decades following this saw the Soviet Union and political control of all religious groups.

Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan was reorganized into three eparchies - of Almaty and Semey, Shymkent and Akmola, and Oral and Guryevskiy. In 2003 these three eparchies were united as an ecclesiastical province, with the seat of the Almaty Eparchy being transferred to Astana (formerly Akmola) following its designation as the capital of Kazakhstan. In October 2010 three more eparchies - of Karaganda, Kostanay, and Pavlodar - were created in Kazakhstan and the Archbishop of Astana and Almaty was elevated to the rank of metropolitan archbishop with the title 'Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan.'

In 2011 three more eparchies - of Kokshetau, Petropavl, and Oskemen - were founded. Although not autonomous or self-governing, the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan has its own statute approved by the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod and is responsible for coordinating the educational programs, publishing work, social outreach, and missionary efforts of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan.

Structure

Eparchies of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan: Astana and Almaty (bright green); Karaganda and Shakhtinsk (yellow); Kokshetau and Akmola (bright purple); Kostanay and Rudny (orange); Oral and Aktobe (red); Pavlodar and Ekibastuz (blue); Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo (green); Shymkent and Taraz (purple); Oskemen and Semey (brown) Kazakhstanskii mitropolichii okrug (2011).png
Eparchies of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan: Astana and Almaty (bright green); Karaganda and Shakhtinsk (yellow); Kokshetau and Akmola (bright purple); Kostanay and Rudny (orange); Oral and Aktobe (red); Pavlodar and Ekibastuz (blue); Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo (green); Shymkent and Taraz (purple); Oskemen and Semey (brown)

The Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan is currently cared for by 9 eparchies or dioceses. They are:

With the exception of the Eparchy of Astana and Almaty the eparchies are all contiguous territorially. The Eparchy of Astana and Almaty, however, covers two separate areas centered on the former and current capital cities of Kazakhstan.

Hierarchy

The Local Synod of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan consists of the nine diocesan bishops serving in the country as well as their vicar or auxiliary bishops. The Local Synod has competency over matters concerning Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan, but must have many of its decisions - such as the establishment of new dioceses - approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. As of January 2016 the members of the Local Synod are:

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "2021 жылғы Қазақстан Республикасы халқының ұлттық санағының қорытындылары" [Results of the 2021 Population Census of the Republic of Kazakhstan] (in Kazakh). Agency of Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan National Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  2. ↑ World Religion Database at the ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  3. ↑ US State Dept 2022 report
  4. ↑ Astana Times website, article dated 22/8/22
  5. ↑ Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary website
  6. ↑ Astana Times website, article dated 22/8/22
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