What is the faith and religion in Kazakhstan? The main religions of Kazakhstan religious denominations in Kazakhstan

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, special days off are established associated with the main faiths of the country: 10 dhul-hij (10 dhul-hij according to the Hijri calendar shifts annually by 10-11 days ago, in 2010 it fell on November 16, in 2011 it will fall on November 7 ) - Eid al-Adha and January 7 - Orthodox Christmas.

According to International Religious Freedom Report 2010 There are the following religious organizations in Kazakhstan:

• Islam: 2369 officially registered mosques, the vast majority of which are united in the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan, according to the source, only approx. 70 mosques are outside the jurisdiction of the SAMK
• Orthodoxy: 299 officially registered Russian Orthodox churches.
• Catholicism: 83 officially registered Roman Catholic parishes and related organizations, 5 officially registered Greek Catholic parishes.
• Protestantism: 1267 organizations are officially registered, which have 543 places of worship. There are 2 Baptist groups in Kazakhstan: the Union of Evangelical Christians and Baptists (Union of Baptists) with approximately 10,000 followers and 227 registered religious groups, and the Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians and Baptists (Council of Churches) with approximately 1,000 followers. The Council of Churches rejects the official registration procedure on principled grounds. Other officially registered Protestant religious groups with significant followings are Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Pentecostals, as well as Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists; there are also small communities of Methodists, Mennonites, and Mormons.
• Judaism: there are 5 synagogues in Alma-Ata, Astana, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kostanay and Pavlodar.
• There are 43 religious groups of other faiths, including 4 Buddhist, 12 branches of the Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Church of Scientology, Baha'is, Christian scholars and the Unification Church.

Islam

Islam is the main religious institution of Kazakhstan, Muslims make up St. 70% of the country's population. Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi madhhab.

The spread of Islam in the territory of modern Kazakhstan was a process that dragged on for several centuries. Initially, Islam penetrated the south of the modern territory of Kazakhstan in the VIII century. And by the end of the tenth century. Islam established itself among the settled population in the Semirechye and the Syrdarya. Islam became the religion of the Turkic empire of the Karakhanids, which arose in Semirechye in the 10th century. The monument of that era is the work of the medieval Uyghur writer Yusuf Balasagunsky (1015-1016) “Kudatgu Bilig”, which reflected the Islamic ideology. It is characterized by tolerance for dissent, recognition of freedom of opinion in religion, the absence of fanatical rigor in observance of ritual and legal norms of Sharia. In addition, the rooting of Islam in Kazakhstan took place in close connection with pre-Islamic beliefs, in particular with Zoroastrianism and Tengrianism.

Islam in Kazakhstan is practiced mainly by Turkic and Caucasian peoples, as well as Tajiks.

Christianity

History of Christianity in Kazakhstan

In the 6th century, a new nomadic empire arose in Central Asia. The new conquerors - the Turks, who came out of Altai, in a short time subjugated all the peoples from the Great Ocean to the Black Sea. The formation of the Turkic Khaganate led to the restoration of trade routes connecting Iran with Central and Central Asia and the Far East. With the revival of trade, there is an increase in the missionary activity of the Nestorian church.

After the death of the Turkic Khan Tobo (581), the Turkic empire split into two states - eastern and western. The center of the latter, as well as most of the subsequent nomadic states in the western part of Central Asia, was the former land of the Usuns, that is, Semirechye. The most common religion among the Turks was probably Manichaean Christianity. But since by that time Christianity had already spread quite widely within these limits thanks to the Sogdians, in subsequent years it was also adopted by the Turkic tribes of Central Asia. According to the testimony of the writer Theophanes, the Eastern Turkic prisoners captured by the Byzantines in 561 and sent by Narzes to Emperor Mauritius had black dots arranged in a cross on their faces. The captives explained that during the illnesses from the plague, fellow Christians taught them to depict a cross on their foreheads in order to avoid illness. We find similar evidence in the writer Theophylact Simokatta, who notes that in 591, when the military leader Bahram Chubin, who had seceded from Khosrov II, was defeated, the Turks who fought on his side, the army of his ally, the Turkic ruler of Bukhara, were taken prisoner. Many of them also had the sign of the cross on their foreheads.

Another branch of Christianity, Nestorianism, gained recognition among the Naiman, who migrated at the end of the 12th-beginning of the 19th century. 13th century from Central Asia to East Kazakhstan and Semirechye.

Currently, Christians are the second largest religious group in Kazakhstan (over 26% of the population).

Orthodoxy

Kazakhstan is the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It was initially divided into three dioceses: Astanay and Almaty, Chimkent and Akmola, Ural and Guryev, later three more were added: Karaganda and Shakhtinsk, Kostanay and Petropavlovsk, Pavlodar and Ust-Kamenogorsk. The Kazakhstan metropolitan district was formed on May 7, 2003 by the decision of the Holy Synod.

On the territory of Kazakhstan, there are 9 monasteries (of which 8 are in the Astana and Almaty diocese and 1 in the Ural and Guryev diocese), 230 parishes (of which 112 are in the Astana and Almaty diocese, 40 in the Ural and Guryev, 78 in Chimkent and Akmola, everything is the same separation until 2011), more than 300 clergy.

Catholicism

In Soviet times, Kazakhstan was a place of detention and exile for many repressed people (ethnic Germans, Western Ukrainians, Poles, etc.), among whom there was a significant proportion of Catholics. After liberation, many of them remained in the republic. Hieromartyr Blessed served in underground or semi-underground conditions in Kazakhstan. about. Alexey Zaritsky, Bishop Alexander Hira, Fr. Vladislav Bukovinsky, Fr. Aloysius Kashuba OFMCap and others. Blessed people died in Kazakh camps. Bishop Nikita Budka and many others.

Important for the Catholicism of Kazakhstan was the official visit to Kazakhstan on September 22-25, 2001 by Pope John Paul II. The Pope met with the President of the country, N. A. Nazarbayev, and other officials, as well as with the people, during Mass at the Motherland Square in Astana; with youth at the Eurasian University and with representatives of science and culture in the Congress Hall. The President made the following statement:

“Today the Catholic Church is actively restoring its traditional mission: churches are being built, new parishes are opening. Her concerns are great in matters of peacemaking, enlightenment and charity. Catholics, like representatives of other religions, strive to strengthen the unity and harmony of the entire people of Kazakhstan.”

During the meeting, the Pope had a conversation with the clergy of Kazakhstan, bishops, priests, monastics and believers. The Pope visited Kazakhstan at a critical moment in world events (the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001), and during the visit he called on Muslim and Christian believers to build together a civilization of love, not violence.

Dad said that he sees in Kazakhstan a great family of different peoples. The Pope spoke of being touched by the hospitality at all levels.

“For a long time I have wanted this meeting, and my joy is great - to be able to hug all the inhabitants of Kazakhstan with admiration and love”

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) a census was conducted during which respondents were asked about their attitudes towards religion. The results of the census showed that the vast majority of the inhabitants of Kazakhstan identified themselves with one religion or another (about 97% of the population), only 3% of the respondents declared that they were non-believers, or refused to answer the question asked.

During the years of independence, there has been a real renaissance of religion in Kazakhstan. For 18 years, the number of religious associations has increased 6 times, from 671 in 1991 to over 4200 in 2009. Currently, there are almost 3,200 mosques, churches, prayer houses.

According to International Religious Freedom Report 2010 There are the following religious organizations in Kazakhstan:

• Islam: 2369 officially registered mosques, the vast majority of which are united in the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan, according to the source, only approx. 70 mosques are outside the jurisdiction of the SAMK
• Orthodoxy: 299 officially registered Russian Orthodox churches.
• Catholicism: 83 officially registered Roman Catholic parishes and related organizations, 5 officially registered Greek Catholic parishes.
• Protestantism: 1267 organizations are officially registered, which have 543 places of worship. There are 2 Baptist groups in Kazakhstan: the Union of Evangelical Baptist Christians (Union of Baptist Christians) with approximately 10,000 followers and 227 registered religious groups, and the Council of Churches of Evangelical Baptist Christians (ECB Church Council) with approximately 1,000 followers. The Council of Churches rejects the official registration procedure on principled grounds. Other officially registered Protestant religious groups with significant followings are Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Pentecostals, as well as Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists; there are also small communities of Methodists, Mennonites and Mormons.
• Judaism: there are 5 synagogues in Alma-Ata, Astana, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kostanay and Pavlodar.
• There are 43 religious groups of other denominations, including 4 Buddhist, 12 branches of the Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Church of Scientology, Baha'i, Christian Science and the Unification Church (Moonies).

Freedom of Religion

According to Daniyar Nauryz, in terms of information, a ban on the topic of atheism has actually been imposed. Also, Alexander Kharlamov was arrested for inciting inter-religious hatred. He is accused of promoting atheism in his publications about Christianity and various religious movements, which offended the feelings of believers.

Islam

Islam is the main religious institution of Kazakhstan, Muslims make up St. 70% of the country's population. Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi madhhab.

The spread of Islam in the territory of modern Kazakhstan was a process that dragged on for several centuries. Initially, Islam penetrated the south of the modern territory of Kazakhstan in the VIII century. And by the end of the tenth century. Islam established itself among the settled population in Semirechie and the Syrdarya.
According to some reports, the first impetus to the spread of Islam was the Battle of Talas. Under which the Turks of the Turgesh Khaganate, having united with the troops of the Abbasid Caliphate, defeated the troops of Tan China. The victory in the battle stopped the expansion of the Tang Empire to the west, and allowed Islam to establish itself among the settled population of Semirechie and the Syr Darya by the end of the 10th century.
Islam became the religion of the Turkic empire of the Karakhanids, which arose in Semirechye in the 10th century. The monument of that era is the work of the medieval Turkic writer Yusuf Balasagunsky (1015-1016) “Kudatgu Bilig”, which reflects the Islamic ideology. It is characterized by tolerance for dissent, recognition of freedom of opinion in religion, the absence of fanatical rigor in observance of ritual and legal norms of Sharia. In addition, the rooting of Islam in Kazakhstan took place in close connection with pre-Islamic beliefs, in particular with Zoroastrianism and Tengrianism.

Islam in Kazakhstan is practiced mainly by Turkic and Caucasian peoples, as well as Tajiks.

Christianity

History of Christianity in Kazakhstan

In the 6th century, a new nomadic empire arose in Central Asia. The new conquerors - the Turks, who came out of Altai, in a short time subjugated all the peoples from the Great Ocean to the Black Sea. The formation of the Turkic Khaganate led to the restoration of trade routes connecting Iran with Central and Central Asia and the Far East. With the revival of trade, there is an increase in the missionary activity of the Nestorian church.

After the death of the Turkic Khan Tobo (581), the Turkic empire split into two states - eastern and western. The center of the latter, as well as most of the subsequent nomadic states in the western part of Central Asia, was the former land of the Usuns, that is, Semirechye. The most common religion among the Turks was probably Manichaean Christianity. But since by that time Christianity had already spread quite widely within these limits thanks to the Sogdians, in subsequent years it was also adopted by the Turkic tribes of Central Asia. According to the testimony of the writer Theophanes, the Eastern Turkic prisoners captured by the Byzantines in 561 and sent by Narzes to Emperor Mauritius had black dots arranged in a cross on their faces. The captives explained that during the illnesses from the plague, fellow Christians taught them to depict a cross on their foreheads in order to avoid illness. We find similar evidence in the writer Theophylact Simokatta, who notes that in 591, when the military leader Bahram Chubin, who had seceded from Khosrov II, was defeated, the Turks who fought on his side, the army of his ally, the Turkic ruler of Bukhara, were taken prisoner. Many of them also had the sign of the cross on their foreheads.

Another branch of Christianity, Nestorianism, gained recognition among the Naiman, who migrated at the end of the 12th-beginning of the 19th century. 13th century from Central Asia to East Kazakhstan and Semirechye.

Currently, Christians are the second largest religious group in Kazakhstan (over 26% of the population).

Orthodoxy

Kazakhstan is the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It was initially divided into three dioceses: Astana and Almaty, Chimkent and Akmola, Ural and Guryev, later three more were added: Karaganda and Shakhtinsk, Kostanay and Petropavlovsk, Pavlodar and Ust-Kamenogorsk. The Kazakhstan metropolitan district was formed on May 7, 2003 by the decision of the Holy Synod.

On the territory of Kazakhstan, there are 9 monasteries (of which 8 are in the Astana and Almaty diocese and 1 in the Ural and Guryev diocese), 230 parishes (of which 112 are in the Astana and Almaty diocese, 40 in the Ural and Guryev, 78 in Chimkent and Akmola, everything is the same separation until 2011), more than 300 clergy.

Catholicism

In Soviet times, Kazakhstan was a place of detention and exile for many repressed people (ethnic Germans, Western Ukrainians, Poles, etc.), among whom there was a significant proportion of Catholics. After liberation, many of them remained in the republic. Hieromartyr Blessed served in underground or semi-underground conditions in Kazakhstan. about. Alexey Zaritsky, Bishop Alexander Hira, Fr. Vladislav Bukovinsky, Fr. Aloysius Kashuba OFMCap and others. Blessed people died in Kazakh camps. Bishop Nikita Budka and many others.

Important for the Catholicism of Kazakhstan was the official visit to Kazakhstan on September 22-25, 2001 by Pope John Paul II. The Pope met with the President of the country, N. A. Nazarbayev, and other officials, as well as with the people, during Mass at the Motherland Square in Astana; with youth at the Eurasian University and with representatives of science and culture in the Congress Hall. The President made the following statement:

“Today the Catholic Church is actively restoring its traditional mission: churches are being built, new parishes are opening. Her concerns are great in matters of peacemaking, enlightenment and charity. Catholics, like representatives of other religions, strive to strengthen the unity and harmony of the entire people of Kazakhstan.”

During the meeting, the Pope had a conversation with the clergy of Kazakhstan, bishops, priests, monastics and believers. The Pope visited Kazakhstan at a critical moment in world events (the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001), and during the visit he called on Muslim and Christian believers to build together a civilization of love, not violence.

Dad said that he sees in Kazakhstan a great family of different peoples. The Pope spoke of being touched by the hospitality at all levels.

“For a long time I have wanted this meeting, and my joy is great - to be able to hug all the inhabitants of Kazakhstan with admiration and love”

Buddhism

Since Buddhism is one of the three world religions, it is allowed by the official authorities of Kazakhstan. According to the US Embassy in Kazakhstan, Buddhism in the country is represented by four official organizations, three of which represent Korean Son Buddhism (the largest diaspora of Koreans in the CIS lives in Kazakhstan) and one lineage of Tibetan Buddhism (this became possible thanks to Kazakhstan's expanding cooperation with India and Mongolia).

Currently, Buddhism in Kazakhstan is represented by such Buddhist schools and directions:

So far, Buddhism in Kazakhstan is represented rather poorly (the total number of believers is about 15 thousand people). It is mainly practiced by a small part of the Korean diaspora and Kalmyks. In the official educational literature of Kazakhstan, the ancient Turkic religion - Tengrianism is described in a separate column, the similarity between this ancient religion with Islam and Buddhism is noted.

Judaism

Synagogues opened in Alma-Ata, Astana, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar and Kostanai. Each of these cities now has a rabbi, a community center, a network of synagogues, educational institutions for children, a supply of kosher products. In Kazakhstan, only one branch of Judaism is currently represented - Orthodox.

Attitude towards religion of the parliamentary parties of Kazakhstan

see also

• Jehovah's Witnesses in the countries of the post-Soviet space

Notes

1. Results of the national census 2009 year  (publication 12.11.2010)
2. Results of the  national census 2009 . Ethnic composition, religion and language skills in the Republic of Kazakhstan

With a presidential form of government. Political parties are required to be registered, religious parties are prohibited. Therefore, legally, the state religion of Kazakhstan does not exist. Complete freedom of religion, according to the Constitution. And civil servants of any rank cannot publicly call for any religion, but remain exclusively secular. But culturally and historically, the main religion in Kazakhstan is Islam, professed by 70% of the population.

Islam in Kazakhstan

Islam was brought to the territory of modern Kazakhstan by Arab missionaries following the Silk Road towards the end of the 7th century. They were the first to influence what religion is in Kazakhstan now. Missionaries worked in the spiritual field well into the 8th century, persuading and setting a personal example with their godly lives.

The starting point for the formation of Islam in Central Asia is the victory in 751 over the Chinese Arab army in the Battle of Talas.

But it is traditionally believed that the development of the Muslim religion in Kazakhstan proceeded peacefully, through the introduction of spiritual values ​​into legislation. And also through enlightenment. Muslim spiritual ideas are consonant with many historical traditions of the life of the nomadic tribes of Central Asia.

Therefore, when they talk about the state religion of Kazakhstan, they mean Islam. In a narrower sense - Sunnism. Supreme Mufti, head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (DUMK) Yerzhan Mayamerov in the photo is the head of the Islamic community throughout the country, which includes more than two thousand religious associations. The activities of the SAMK are based on the Hanafi madhhab.

sunnism

Sunnis are the majority of Muslims in the world. The formation of this direction of Islam is associated with a split in the second half of the 7th century. Sunnism then did not recognize (as it remains to this day) special spiritual power over other believers of any person, at the time of the split - the descendants of Muhammad. Only the Great Prophet himself and his commandments remain an example in life for the Sunnis. Spiritual authority is held by the elected rulers-caliphs, who are primarily interpreters of religious texts, and not legislators or judges.

What is the Hanafi madhhab?

Sunni Islam includes four schools - madhhabs. One of them, the largest, is Hanafi. It was founded by the prominent Muslim theologian Abu Hanifa. One of his contemporaries-imams spoke of him as the most competent caliph-interpreter. Abu Hanifa called for a perfect knowledge of the Arabic language as a tool for better understanding of religious texts. He proposed the methodology of theology, which became the basis of the Hanafi school, its features are:

Deep practical significance in daily life.

It is very consonant with Sunnism as a whole, it expresses its main value - there is no special and only, sovereign religious leader. Abu Hanifa called and demonstrated by his own example how to comprehend religious commandments through advice, discussion, exchange of revelations of several husbands, and then form a collective opinion. All this was supposed to encourage reflection, research, striving for more knowledge.

To what extent does the population profess Islam in public

As always in the matter of religion, and Kazakhstan is no exception, there is a difference between the faith that is customary to manifest in public, the official religion of the state, and the personal beliefs of an individual. And society influences how every believer behaves.

Sometimes opportunities for worship are organized at the state level. For example, in the UAE, the call to prayer is heard from the minarets of all mosques five times a day. This is one of the five pillars of Islam, a special daily fivefold prayer, obligatory for a true believer. The laws of the UAE are subject to religion.

There is no formal state religion in Kazakhstan, so the manifestation of faith is a matter of personal self-organization of each believer, his spiritual convictions.

The photo shows the qualifying round of the religious literacy competition. Although in a secular state spiritual education, as mandatory for everyone, is excluded. But in Kazakhstan it is considered important to educate young people and instill in them both religious tolerance and awareness of the significance of faith in a successful personal life and for society as a whole. And consider faith itself as an effective way to unite citizens.

Do women in Kazakhstan wear a veil?

In Islam, women from adolescence (at what age it is obligatory for a girl - the head of the family determines, formally - the time of puberty) wear special clothes. They put on a veil - a women's long robe, cover their heads with a hijab - a scarf that leaves only the face open, some use a niqab - a fabric that hides the face, except for the eyes.

Recently, in secular states, the issue of wearing such clothes has become acutely political.

At a recent press conference, the Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan called for resolving the issue of wearing special religious clothing in the field, personally negotiating with parents, for example, with the school. But to show respect, first of all, to the orders and rules of the organization, since religion in Kazakhstan is a multi-confessional phenomenon.

Khazret Sultan Mosque in Astana

In the young, modern capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, there is one of the largest mosques in all of Asia - Khazret Sultan, opened in 2012. A new center for the further development of the Muslim religion in Kazakhstan. A beautiful, dazzlingly white building with four minarets at the corners, eight small and one main dome, arched windows resembles the Scheherazade Palace miraculously found itself in the middle of a modern metropolis (interior in the photo).

The mosque is located in the very center of Astana. Speaking at its opening, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that the place of construction is the central square, on which the Palace of Peace and Accord stands, this is a significant symbol. It demonstrates the unity of all Kazakhstanis to build a society in which the main values ​​are peace and kindness. As well as the continuity of historical and cultural heritage.

The origin of the Kazakhs is of interest to many historians and sociologists. After all, this is one of the most numerous Turkic peoples, which today constitutes the main population of Kazakhstan. Also, a large number of Kazakhs live in the regions of China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia neighboring Kazakhstan. In our country, there are especially many Kazakhs in the Orenburg, Omsk, Samara, Astrakhan regions, Altai Territory. The Kazakh nationality finally took shape in the 15th century.

Origin of the people

Speaking about the origin of the Kazakhs, most scientists are inclined to believe that as a people they were formed in the XIII-XV centuries, in the era of the Golden Horde that reigned at that time.

If we talk about earlier history, the peoples who lived on the territory of modern Kazakhstan, then it should be noted that it was inhabited by various tribes, many of which left their mark on modern Kazakhs.

So, in the northern regions, a nomadic pastoral economy has developed. Written sources that have come down to us claim that the peoples living on the territory of present-day Kazakhstan fought with the Persians. In the second century BC, tribal unions began to play a key role. A little later, the state of Kangyu was formed.

By the first century BC, the Huns settled in these places, radically changing the situation in Central Asia. It was then that the first nomadic empire was created in this region of Asia. In 51 BC, the empire split. One half of it recognized the power of the Chinese, and the second was driven out to Central Asia.

Better known in European history as the tribe of the Huns, they reached the walls of the Roman Empire.

medieval history

In the Middle Ages, the place of the Huns was occupied by the Turks. This is a tribe that came out of the Eurasian steppes. By the middle of the 15th century, they create one of the largest states in the history of ancient mankind. In Asia, it covers territories from the Yellow to the Black Seas.

The Turks trace their ancestry from the Huns, while they are considered to come from the Altai. The origin of the Kazakhs from the Turks today is practically no longer disputed by anyone. The Turks are constantly at war with the Chinese, and active Arab expansion of Central Asia also begins during this period. Islam is actively spreading among the agricultural and sedentary population.

There are significant changes in the culture of the Turks. For example, Arabic writing comes to the place of the Turkic writing, the Islamic calendar is used, and in everyday life there are

Khanate

We can talk about the origin of the Kazakhs after the final defeat of the Golden Horde, which took place in 1391. The Kazakh Khanate was formed by 1465. Scientific proof of the origin of the Kazakhs are written sources, which have come down to our time in large numbers.

The mass consolidation of the Turkic tribes into a united Kazakh nation begins. Khan Kasym was the first to unite under his command a large number of steppe tribes. Under him, the population reaches one million people.

In the 30s of the 16th century, an internecine war began in the Kazakh Khanate, which is also called civil. The winner of it is Haknazar Khan, who rules for more than 40 years. In 1580, Yesim Khan annexed Tashkent to the Kazakh Khanate, which eventually became its capital. Under this ruler, the political system is being reformed, all the lands are divided among three territorial-economic associations, which are called zhuzes.

On January 16, the visit of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to Kazakhstan began. During the visit, the Patriarch will perform divine services in St. Nicholas and Ascension Cathedrals in Alama-Ata, meet with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev and will perform the great consecration of the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, the Press Service of the Patriarch reports.

In 2007, after a trip to Kazakhstan, Archpriest Alexander Saltykov gave an interview to the magazine "God's World" about Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan, which we want to acquaint readers with.

- about. Alexander, what was the purpose of your trip?
- It was a pilgrimage trip for a group of employees and students of PSTGU. Our goal was to visit the holy places in Kazakhstan and, if possible, collect some historical information.

- For the first time I hear about holy places in Kazakhstan. After all, holy places are manifestations of the special glory and grace of God in places chosen by God, or where great saints labored, places with a rich Christian history. But, as far as I know, Kazakhstan does not belong to the ancient Christian regions.

It really is. Although there was an opportunity for active Christian preaching in Kazakhstan when it was part of Russia. However, it did not materialize, unfortunately. And in the 20th century, in the era of domination of atheism, Kazakhstan became a place of exile and confessional feat of many thousands of Orthodox Christians, most of whom ended their earthly lives there as martyrs. They were killed, shot, starved with heavy labor. Among them there are great saints who now eternally pray before God for Russia, and for the Kazakh land, and for the whole world. We wanted to visit the places of their exploits. After all, we must not forget about the saints, especially of almost our time. Such forgetfulness is a grave sin.

- What places have you visited? Were there other clergymen in the group besides you?
- We visited Karaganda, Astana, Chimkent, Taraz (Dzhambul), Almaty (Alma-Ata). As part of the group, I was one priest. Others were unable to travel for various reasons.

- Was this pilgrimage your first visit to Kazakhstan? I would like to hear your impressions.
- In general, I was in Kazakhstan for the first time about five years ago. I then went to Karaganda as a teacher. There is a distance learning center of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University.

- What shrines did you see in Karaganda?
- In Karaganda, and throughout Kazakhstan, Elder Sevastian, now glorified as a saint, enjoys great reverence. He was from Optina Hermitage, exiled to Karaganda, and lived in exile for several decades. In Karaganda, he created a small monastery that still exists today. His relics rest in the cathedral, built in 1997. It is said that during his lifetime he predicted the construction of the temple, and even collected money for the temple. Everyone was surprised - after all, there was Soviet power. But here, indeed, a huge cathedral was built with a whole complex of buildings. The architecture is very good, using Russian traditions of the 16th-17th centuries, but at the same time it is modern architecture. Local believers see the participation of St. Sebastian both in their personal life and in public life.

- Any examples?
- Yes. For example, a few years ago, the Pope of Rome flew to the capital of Kazakhstan - Astana, and it was announced about his decision to visit Karaganda. Suddenly this decision was reversed. Believers say: "the elder did not want to."

- And why did the Pope want to visit Karaganda?
- The city of Karaganda was built in Soviet times on the basis of a huge system of concentration camps, under the general name Karlag. People were sent there from all over. There was also a camp for prisoners of war and internees. There is an international cemetery, where in the endless steppe there are monuments to the dead of almost all European nationalities. Among the exiles were also Poles and Western Ukrainians, Catholics and Uniates by religion.

- Catholics do not forget about their affected co-religionists?
To their credit, they don't forget. But, unfortunately, they have a competitive spirit. When the aforementioned Orthodox cathedral was built, the Catholics announced their intention to build their cathedral right there, on the same square, directly opposite the Orthodox cathedral. This is how they deal with the Orthodox in different cities. For example, in Ukraine, in Ternopil, they put their temple almost close to the Orthodox cathedral. It is clear that this only intensifies the confrontation. Why our Catholic brothers need this is unknown. In Karaganda, the city administration turned out to be more prudent than the Ukrainian one in Ternopil and did not give consent to such construction.

- Are there many Catholics in Karaganda?
- No, of course, there are almost none there (there are very few of them even in the aforementioned Ternopil), but the Catholic Church is very active there. A Uniate church has already been built there - as always, Orthodox in form and Catholic in content, and two large cathedrals. In Karaganda there is a chair of the Catholic archbishop. In addition, there is a seminary with a rector in the rank of bishop. In general, there are already seven Catholic bishops in Kazakhstan, in the absence of Catholics, while there are only three Orthodox bishops, with a huge number of Orthodox.

- You started talking about education. What is the state of Orthodox education?
- In general, in my opinion, Orthodox education there is not very good so far. In Almaty there is a spiritual school with a correspondence department. In Karaganda - our aforementioned training center. But in Karaganda, and in other cities, there are some educated, cultured priests.

- You mentioned the Catholic seminary in Karaganda. How is education there?
- The future belongs to the educated nations, and the Catholics are well aware of this. The uneducated peoples will be just the material that the educated, developed nations will use. At the heart of everything is spiritual development and spiritual education. Obviously, a lot of money has been invested in the Catholic seminary in Karaganda: an eight-year cycle of study, students live at the seminary, wear uniforms, have their own small church, an excellent library with books in all major European languages, many, by the way, modern Russian publications of theological literature. Languages ​​are given great importance - Latin is studied all eight years, theological disciplines - four years. Lectures are read by experts from Europe. So everything is taken seriously. However, the set is very small - one or two people. There are only 15 students in total. At the same time, young people, after graduating from this seminary, still prefer to leave for Europe.

- Can the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan give anything comparable in the field of education?
- So far, I think not, with the exception of distance education, which I have already mentioned. The strength of Orthodoxy there is most of all in the fact that the Russian population is historically Orthodox, in the fact that a great many Orthodox saints suffered in these parts, and in the spiritual responsibility inherent in Orthodoxy. And this is incomparable with Catholicism, which is represented there. But without a well-delivered sermon, there can be no success, and for this you need to study.

- What, in your opinion, is the general religious situation in Kazakhstan?
- It is obviously not very simple. They repeat the words of President Nazarbayev that Kazakhstan has two wings: Orthodoxy and Islam. But in organizing state and public life, the government is guided by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Other words of Nazarbayev are also repeated: "We are Turks, therefore we are Muslims." It is strange, of course, why the Turks must necessarily be Muslims. But from this it is obvious that Islam enjoys support in the first place.

- From your point of view, can it be objectively said that Kazakhs are currently Muslims?
- It is impossible to say this objectively. Kazakhs are basically pagans. Islam appeared in Kazakhstan quite late. And here it must be pointed out that Russia has guilt before the Kazakh people. The Russians were obliged to give the Kazakhs Orthodoxy, but we did not. This is a striking and sinister fact: in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Orthodox Empire supported the development of Islam in Kazakhstan, and prevented Orthodox preaching among the local population. But the emerging Kazakh intelligentsia in the 19th century was still guided by Russian Orthodox culture. Many Kazakhs themselves converted to Orthodoxy. Thus, among the Kazakhs there are Orthodox, and pagans, and Muslims. Now there are also Catholics. There are, as elsewhere, sects.

- What is the mutual understanding of these different groups?
- It should be said first that the Kazakhs are a very good people. These people are kind and pure, fundamentally highly moral. On the whole, we have always had the most cordial relations with the Russians, with full mutual respect. However, gradually the situation seems to be deteriorating, especially intolerance is growing on the part of Muslims towards Kazakhs who have taken holy orders, that is, Orthodoxy is now presented as the religion of Russians, who are gradually being squeezed out of Kazakhstan. Several times I heard about threats and even beatings of priests of Kazakh origin.

- Such anti-Christian activity, in your opinion, is directed by someone?
- Most likely, extremist Islamic organizations, which, as you know, are many everywhere. President Nazarbayev himself is loyal to Orthodoxy and every year comes to St. Konstantin and Elena in Astana.

- Does he conduct a balanced religious policy?
- Maybe. About Nazarbayev, in connection with his loyalty to the Orthodox, they tell such a story. They say that as a child, he once rode with his father through the steppe on horseback in the winter. One of the horses broke off a horseshoe, and had to call in the village to the blacksmith. There was an image hanging in the forge. The father asked, "Who is this?" The blacksmith replied, “This is St. Nicholas, we pray to him.” Let's go further. Suddenly the wind rose, a snowstorm began, the road disappeared, and even wolves appeared - death approached. Then Nazarbayev senior in despair raised his hands to the sky and shouted: “Russian god Nikolai, help!” And as soon as he shouted this, everything changed - the blizzard subsided, the wolves disappeared somewhere, the road was found. So St. Nicholas saved the future President.

Now he goes to church on Easter. Is there any other way to show his loyalty?
- Apparently, yes. This year, just after Easter, he allocated funds for the construction of an Orthodox cathedral in Astana ( the cathedral has already been built and will be consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill - ed. “ “). At the same time, he finances a new city mosque in Moscow.

- In Moscow? And why? There already seem to be several mosques…
- Well, you just don't know the plans. Even 15 years ago, it was published that it was planned to build at least 40 (!) mosques in Moscow. And not so long ago it was announced that Moscow would be the largest Islamic center in Europe. This is done gradually.

- But Moscow is an Orthodox city. There is even a doctrine of Moscow as the Third Rome.
- Once it was so, I completely agree with you. But then Moscow became the center of world communism and godlessness. Where is this old Moscow? Almost all of it was demolished, and a featureless cosmopolitan metropolis was built in its place. And the population is indifferent to questions of faith and morality. On such grounds, you can do whatever you want, if you have money. Our government is tolerant of everyone who has big money. The Islamists have them. That's all.

- And what kind of city is Astana?
- Astana is a completely new city, built unusually quickly, in a few years, on the site of the Russian city of Akmolinsk. During the years of persecution there were many exiles in Akmolinsk. They prayed in the church of St. Constantine and Elena. Among the exiles, we especially know the wonderful old man Fr. Pavel (Trinity), who also visited this temple. With his prayers, he raised up many modern clergymen. We wanted to visit the places where he lived and prayed. Now there is a nunnery at the temple. But in Astana there is also a huge synagogue sparkling with marble, a magnificent mosque with four minarets in the center of the city, a huge structure called the Tree of Life, and the center of all world religions in the form of a pyramid. There will also be a large Orthodox church, though no longer in the center, but among residential areas, which is probably for the better. The historical part of the city, including the Akmola fortress built by Russian Cossacks in the 18th century, has been practically demolished, which is not surprising if we remember that our great, ancient Moscow has already been almost completely demolished and rebuilt. In Soviet times, Akmolinsk was called Tselinograd and they began to actively plow virgin lands in order to raise the agriculture of a huge country. Efforts and resources were expended colossal. I still remember the words of the once popular optimistic song:
“A long road winds, hello, virgin land ...”
It seemed that something very big was being done, but time passed, and all this went to dust, in the full sense of the word - today all this is forgotten. Why? Because what was done without God, and even at the same time with malicious atheistic propaganda. Now, on this site, a fantastic city has arisen with all religions, but in essence also without God ...

- I wanted to ask about the "Tree of Life", yet it seems to be about the eternal.
- Do you think this is a biblical image? No, this "Tree of Life" is borrowed from Kazakh mythology, and its real interpretation is very simple. This is a tall building in the form of a spreading sheaf, there is a pleasant viewing platform and a cafeteria where you can order tea, coffee or something else, and have a good time. That's the whole philosophy.

- You said that everything is forgotten because of godlessness. But Akmolinsk was built by believing Christians.
- Not only Akmolinsk, but almost all cities in Kazakhstan were built by Christians - Semipalatinsk, Pavlodar, Kurgan, Verny (Almaty), Aktyubinsk and others. But the grandchildren of these Christians forgot their faith, became atheists and suffered colossal losses. Now the Russians gave the Kazakhs all these cities and vast lands that they cultivated. But it is impossible not to be surprised with what ease and complacency and how humbly the Russians gave it all away. It is unlikely that this can be observed anywhere else in the world. Everywhere they fight for the land, for every scrap.

- Perhaps this is a consequence of the centuries-old Christian upbringing and the prayers of the holy martyrs. But why?
- I think exactly as you say. And they gave it away because "a father's wealth does not help a stupid son." We have not fulfilled our historical tasks, despite our Christian upbringing, we have succumbed to the madness of atheism. People will pay for such mistakes for a long time to come.

- And the saints? You are talking about a lot of them.
- Yes, both in Kazakhstan and everywhere. Near Chimkent, the great saint Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) of Kazan was shot along with many other martyrs. One of our goals was to visit the site of his last years and murder. He was exiled to the village of Yany-Kurgan (New Fortress). It was an unshakable pillar of faith. Not far from Shymkent, mass executions took place in a huge ravine called Lisya Balka. On the edge, almost by the road, a board was placed on which it was said about the victims of mass repressions in this place. But there is no cross - the authorities do not allow to put up a cross under the pretext that people of other faiths also died here. We went deep into the beam, and for the first time served a memorial service and a prayer service where, obviously, the executions took place.

- What other places of exploits of the saints have you visited?
- In Almaty, we got on the day of remembrance of St. Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost. They labored in the mountains not far from the city. One day three Red Army men came. The monks fed them. And after eating, these soldiers killed those who fed them. Now the monastery has been revived and many people come to the feast.

- How many temples are there in Almaty?
- There are now 12 Orthodox churches in Almaty, and two of them have recently been demolished. There are 26 mosques, 10 more are under construction.

- Why did they want to demolish Orthodox churches?
- They say they were going to build luxury housing in their place. But the President, after the protest of the Church, stopped this disgrace.

- What are the prospects for Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan, in your opinion?
- I can't give you a definite answer. A lot depends on whether people want to go to Christ, to follow Christ. For this, efforts are needed, it is necessary to understand the limitations of earthly life, the futility of earthly history, to believe in the Second Coming of Christ and eternal life. It takes a lot and really praying. Then God will give us time.

- Tell me, was there anything special, unusual in your journey?
- Well, I am cautious about stories about all sorts of miracles and visions. There is a lot of speculation based on this.

- And what did the locals tell you about their life, about their faith?
- I happened to hear two interesting stories, which I will try to briefly retell to you. In Karaganda, a man said that his sister, who hardly goes to church, had a dream: a light appears in the sky, and in the light is Jesus Christ. Something is happening, a lot of people are given white clothes, there are a lot of people, and there are not enough white clothes for everyone. Then an unusually majestic voice from heaven says that those who do not have enough white clothes should go to church. And in Shymkent, one woman said that she heard some kind of noise in a dream. She and all the people go out into the street, there is a mess, everyone is running somewhere, planes are patching up in the sky, some kind of blows are heard. Suddenly rays appear from behind the mountains, the whole sky is filled with light, and in the light is Jesus Christ. Everything subsides. Time passed, this woman again sees a dream: everyone runs out into the street, anxiety, planes, blows, fear. She looks at the sky, and there is the Mother of God. She and some other people raise their hands to Her, She descends to them, everyone enters the house, and everything calms down. This woman also rarely goes to church; there is no self-indulgence here.

Both of these stories are told in completely different places, from people who do not know each other, but are very close in meaning: any misfortunes will be pacified by the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we must turn, and He will save us all, both in Kazakhstan and in Russia.

The conversation was conducted by Pavlova K.N.

HISTORY OF ORTHODOXY IN KAZAKHSTAN. REFERENCE

Based on the materials of the article by V. and I. Zhumadildaev

According to Russian chronicles, the Polovtsian princes Amurat and Aidar were baptized in Ryazan in 1132 and in Kyiv in 1168. One of the Polovtsian khans, the son of the famous Konchak, even adopted the Orthodox name Yuri. Ibn Batuta reported: "In this steppe, which belongs to the people under the name of the Kypchak, they are of the Christian faith." At the end of the XII - beginning of the XIII centuries. The Kimak-Kipchak state was defeated by the Mongols. The first blow was dealt in 1218 to Semirechye. In 1236 the warriors of Batu plundered the lands of the Kama Bulgars and Mordovians, and then moved to the Russian lands.

Since the middle of the 16th century, diplomatic relations with Russia have been intensified. The voluntary accession of Kazakhstan to Russia begins the heyday of Orthodoxy in the Kazakh steppe. The adoption of the Orthodox faith by some Kazakhs at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. sometimes acquired not only a family, but also a mass character. Archival materials served as evidence of this: “The case of the transition of the Kazakhs of the Karasu volost from the Mohammedan religion to the Orthodox in 1824”; “The case of the adoption of Orthodoxy in 1825 by the wife of the Kazakh Atagol volost Bonai”; “The case of the transition of the Kazakhs of the Atagaevskaya volost of the Tyumen district Akusha, the Bugalykhs and the Kazakhs Barsalla from the Mohammedan religion to the Orthodox in 1884.” etc.
Encouragement and support of the Orthodox Kazakhs from the Russian tsarist authorities was their reckoning to the petty-bourgeois and Cossack class, if they so desired.

Thanks to the fruitful assistance of Russian missionaries of various secular classes and clergy, parochial schools were created and functioned: Alma-Ata two-class women's parochial school in 1894-1917; Lepsinsky men's two-class parish school of the West Siberian educational district in 1885-1901; parochial school in the village of Kaskelenskaya, opened in 1903; parochial school in Petro-Aleksandrovsk, Aulie-Ata and Kazalinsk in 1899; missionary school in Sarkand in 1915, etc.
Schools for children were organized with the support of the Russian state to increase the educational qualifications of the indigenous people. The first Russian schools were established in Omsk and Orenburg. In the 1970s, "garrison schools" were established in Omsk, Petropavlovsk, and the village of Yamyshevskaya. In Omsk, the “Asian School” was opened, which produced translators, clerks, surveyors and topographers. It is known about the activities of eight aul mobile schools in the Akmola region for teaching Kazakh children the Russian language in 1869-1917. and schools for Kazakh children in Fort Perovsky in 1853-1867; on the arrangement in Kapala by a priest of a Russian literacy school for Muslim children in 1854-1918; in the Akmola region, women's boarding schools were created for the education of Kazakh girls in them in 1877.

The tsarist government published in the XIX century. decrees forbidding the keeping of captives and slaves, which gradually led to the death of patriarchal slavery in Kazakhstan. The implementation of these decrees is reflected in the personal files of citizens, for example: “The case of the liberation from slavery of the baptized Kazakh woman Alexandra Sigelitova” (1827).

In the XIX and early XX centuries. the widespread construction of churches began in various border fortresses and cities: the Church of the Intercession in the city of Verny, the Peter and Paul Ascension Church, the Church of the Holy Tsars Constantine and Helena in the city of Akmolinsk, etc. There is historical information about the pilgrimage of baptized Kazakhs to Jerusalem in the 18th century.

The pre-revolutionary period is characterized by the founding of independent Orthodox dioceses: Omsk, Turkestan, Orenburg, Semipalatinsk and the publication of the first decree on the construction of premises for monks at the Bishop's House in the city of Verny in 1892-1893.
The years of great persecution and mass anti-religious repressions of the Red Terror did not bypass Kazakhstan either. During the 70-year "Babylonian captivity" the country experienced both the destruction of the temples of God, and the persecution and murder of the Orthodox - both clergy and laity. The land of Kazakhstan remembers many of them, now glorified as saints, and among them are three great bishops of God: Bishop Pimen of Vernensky and Semirechensky, who laid down his life for the Orthodox faith in Kazakhstan; Metropolitans Nicholas (Mogilevsky) and Joseph (Chernov).