On August 11, 2026, celebrations were held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the finding of the relics of the saints on the memorial day of the heavenly patrons of Alma-Ata and all of Kazakhstan, the Venerable Martyrs of Aksai Seraphim and Theognost.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan led the Divine Liturgy in the Seraphim-Feognostovo men's desert in the Aksai Gorge, the site of the monastic exploits and martyrdom of the martyrs of Christ.
Before the start of the divine service, the head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District visited the monastery church in honor of the Holy Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost, where he consecrated a newly armed shrine for the relics of saints of God. The new tomb is made of natural oak and decorated with precious metals in the diocesan carpentry workshop named after the Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates, led by L.K. Ryabov, according to sketches by the head of the administrative secretariat of the head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov.
At the end of the rite of consecration, the relics of the Aksai sufferers were placed in a newly armed shrine, after which a solemn divine service began.
At the funeral litany, special prayers were offered for the deceased Kazakh hierarchs and clergymen, and for all those "who died innocently during the years of godless persecution, from hunger, cold, wounds, diseases and hard work," Orthodox Christians who were innocently killed in the Aksai Gorge in 2012 were commemorated.
According to the communion verse, Priest Georgy Sidorov read out a message from Metropolitan Alexander on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the finding of the relics of the Holy Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost of Alma Ata and the 30th anniversary of the revival of the Aksai Desert.
At the end, there was a glorification of the Aksai martyrs of Christ — the clergy, the choir and the faithful sang a troparion, kontakion and magnification to the saints.
The head of the Metropolitan District warmly congratulated the archpastors, the vicar of the desert, the concelebrating clergy, monastics, parishioners and pilgrims on the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the finding of the relics of the Holy Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost of Alma Ata and the 30th anniversary of the revival of the Aksai desert.
At the end of the service, Vladyka Alexander delivered a sermon on the meaning of Christian martyrdom and urged not to abandon the tradition of pilgrimage to the Aksai desert, but to involve more and more Orthodox people in this God-pleasing cause.
The bishop sprinkled the faithful with consecrated water.
Booklets with Metropolitan Alexander's words about the Holy Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost were distributed to all those gathered.
The celebrations ended with a communal meal prepared by the brotherhood and volunteers for the assembled pilgrims, clergy and guests of the monastery.