In Astana, in the area of the National Space Center, construction continues on a large-scale Orthodox church complex and a church that is set to become the largest Orthodox church in Central Asia.

The project has sparked controversy among deputies of the maslikhat, the representative body of the capital, who expressed doubts about the expediency of the construction and raised questions about the sources of funding, Qaz365.kz reports.

“They are planning to build the largest church in Central Asia in Astana. Is that really a reason for pride? With what money are you going to build it?” said deputy Bauyrzhan Smailov.

The remarks were answered by the district akim, the head of the executive authority, Nura Rishat Turdybekov, who stressed that no state funds are being used and that all construction is financed exclusively through donations.

Nevertheless, deputies said they had not received convincing explanations of the need for such a large religious facility. According to them, the city already has enough churches, and the construction of a complex of this scale should be accompanied by public discussion.

Construction of the cathedral continues, and its size is expected to set a regional record.
The complex includes the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Cathedral “in the name of All Saints who shone forth in the land of Kazakhstan”, and the spiritual, cultural, and educational center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

It was previously reported that the construction of a school and a kindergarten, an administrative building, a children’s oncology center, a museum and a library, health complexes with a swimming pool, and housing for clergy is also planned nearby.

The opening of theater and visual arts clubs, carpentry and gold embroidery workshops, and a school of church singing is also envisaged.

It is known that in September 2025 the construction in Astana was consecrated by Moscow Patriarch Kirill Gundyayev during a visit to Kazakhstan and his participation in the Eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The visit of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was accompanied by public protests. In particular, the head of Demos LLC, Turarbek Kusainov, appealed to the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a call to prevent Kirill’s participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana. According to the public figure, Gundyayev comes not as a peacemaker but as an ideologue of war. “His presence at such a forum is an insult to the memory of the dead, it is a spit in the face of millions of people suffering from this unjust and brutal war,” he said.