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Recently, the Russian Orthodox church, which has been experiencing a great revival in post-Soviet Russia, has set its sites on the ex-Soviet republics.  On January 16th, the Patriarch of the church, Kiril Frolov,aimed to visit Astana, Kazakhstan.  However, due to fog blocking the airplane, he was rerouted to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s commercial center.

Whether it was the deliberate intention of Patriarch Kirill, the visit assumed a clearly political connotation and culminated in extensive talks with President Nursultan Nazarbayev who received from the hands of the guest the Glory and Honor Order, the highest mark of distinction in the ROC, previously granted to the former Russian President Vladimir Putin, the former Patriarch Alexey II, and the pro-Moscow Head of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Caucasus Allahshukur Pashazade.

The visit, meant to mark the opening of Uspensk Cathedral, the largest in Central Asia, took on political undertones of a church concerned with the rise of religious Muslim observance not only in Russia but surrounding states.

Addressing an audience in Astana, Patriarch Kirill stressed the existence of “inter-ethnic, religious tolerance, and mutual respect” in Kazakhstan, condemning at the same time “the spread of extremism and terrorism,” while praising the Kazakh leader for his “approach to these problems,” which helped to avoid conflict.

An additional reason for the visit had economic undertones,

Patriarch Kirill’s trip to Astana was also synchronized with the creation of the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which was welcomed by Kirill as an important step towards integration.