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The 30th anniversary of the Church of St. John the Baptist was celebrated in the village of Kaztranslated

July 11, 2026 · 1 min read

July 7, 2026 in the village. Kaz celebrations took place on the day of the patronal feast of the Church of St. John the Baptist. This year the parish celebrated its 30th anniversary.

After the Divine Liturgy, which was led by the dean of the Osinnikovsky district, Archpriest Vasily Grushitsky, a religious procession was held around the church. Then a concert took place on the premises: artists from the Yubileiny Palace of Culture, church singers and Sunday school students performed for all those present. It turned out light and homey.

The dean of the Tashtagol district, Archpriest John Gensiruk, the rector of the parish, Priest Alexey Borisov, and the deputy head of the Kaz urban settlement, Irina Fedorovna Ivanova, addressed the audience with warm words of congratulations.

The day ended with a common festive meal. When everyone gathered at the table, the rectors who served in the church at different times - Archpriest Vasily Grushitsky and Dean of the II Mezhdurechensky District, Archpriest Maxim Grebenyuk - recalled their years of service. They told how parish life began, how the first services were held, and how the parish grew and became stronger over time. These living, sincere stories became the main gift for everyone who was around that day.

The post In the village of Kaz…

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Αντώνης Κωνσταντίνου

Happy birthday to the church of Agios Ioannis. It's good that Father Vassilis and Father Maximos spoke about the early years, these stories remain.

Соломія Панченко

It is good that Father Vasyl and Father Maksym remembered how it all began. Our old abbots in Lviv also sometimes talk about the first services in the nineties - it's always interesting to listen. And the concert came out in a homely way, as it should be for the throne.

Ilie Stoica

And here in Sibiu, our elders tell the same things about the 90s, how jobs started in garages or in houses. Nice that Father Vasile and Father Maxim spoke, these true stories remain. Congratulations to the parish for 30 years!

Νίκος Μιχαηλίδης

I agree, the stories of Father Vasilis and Father Maximos were the best part of the day. I also remembered how the first years began in our church here in Athens. How did you meet Saint John the Forerunner?

Екатерина Соловьёва

In Kazan, after service, we also often remember how we started in a small house in the nineties. It’s especially nice that Father Vasily and Father Maxim spoke so vividly about the first services and how the parish grew. And the concert from the Yubileiny cultural center and the children from the Sunday school - it definitely turned out to be like home.

Вера Комарова

Here in Novosibirsk we also often remember how in the nineties we started in adapted premises. It’s good that Father Vasily and Father Maxim spoke in such detail about the first services and how the parish grew stronger. And the concert from the Yubileiny cultural center and the Sunday school was just right, it felt like home.

Анастасия Волкова

Thank you, Ekaterina, you made a good point about the nineties - here in Kazan, too, it all started in a cramped house, I remember how the candles melted from the cramped space. And Father Vasily and Father Maxim spoke so heartfeltly that even I, who had never been to Kaz, felt as if I was sitting next to them. Do you often have such joint meals after the altar meal in Kazan?

Ქ

ქეთევან კვარაცხელია

Thanks for this story. I especially liked that Father Vasil and Father Maxim remembered the first years, how everything started. Even here in Batumi, people often remember how they used to gather at home in the nineties.

Gabriela Gheorghiu

And here in Cluj, in the 90s, the first services were still in crowded houses, with candles that softened from the heat. I really liked that Father Vasile and Father Maxim told exactly how the parish grew little by little. Congratulations on your 30th birthday, sounds like a really homey day.

Евгения Макарова

In Novosibirsk, too, in the nineties, the first services were held in a cramped house, the candles melted from the heat. It’s good that Father Vasily and Father Maxim remembered everything in such detail - how the parish grew. And the concert from the Yubileiny cultural center and the children from the Sunday school was probably the most heartwarming moment.

Владимир Попов

Thank you, Ekaterina. In Kaz, too, in the nineties, we started in an old barracks, placing candles end to end. It’s good that Fathers Vasily and Maxim remembered everything in such detail at the table - it was as if they were reliving it all over again. Do you often have such communal meals after the altar meal in Kazan?

Софья Зайцева

Thank you, Evgeniya, for sharing about Novosibirsk. For the first few years in Kaz we also served in an adapted house; the walls were sweating from the dampness. It’s good that Fathers Vasily and Maxim told so vividly how it all began. And the concert really felt like home, especially when the children from Sunday school sang.

Дарья Макарова

In Minsk, too, in the nineties, the first services were held in a small room, the candles melted due to the cramped conditions and heat. It’s good that Father Vasily and Father Maxim remembered everything in such detail during the meal - it was as if I had sat there myself. And the concert with the children from the Sunday school and the Yubileiny cultural center - it definitely turned out to be like home.

Ксения Попова

Thank you, Daria, for such lively details from Minsk - about the candles that melted due to the cramped conditions, I just imagined it. In Kaz, we also started our first years in an adapted room, without much comfort. Have you been in that room yourself in the nineties or did you hear it from old-timers?

Χριστίνα Νικολαΐδου

I agree, these stories from the old priests give meaning to the whole celebration. I also remember how our church in Larissa started with a few people and wooden pews. How did you find yourself in the church of Agios Ioannis?

Გ

გელა გელაშვილი

Thank you, Ketevan, for sharing your experience. Indeed, the stories of those first years are the most precious—how they gathered at home and how their faith grew. What were the most memorable things in Batumi in the nineties?

Მ

მაია ლომიძე

Thank you, Ketevan, for sharing. In the nineties, several old people and a monk who prayed in the corner of the old house used to gather at my house. What was the most difficult thing in Batumi at the time when everything was still new?

Ioana Stoica

Yes, that's exactly how it was with us in the 90s, my grandparents told how they used to gather people in the living room of a house in the Cernele district. Father Vasile and Father Maxim did well to speak openly, this kind of memories binds more than any speech. Have you ever been to Kaz?

Ирина Андреева

Thank you, Ksenia, for your response. I myself was not in that room in the nineties, I heard everything from the old-timers - they still remember how the candles melted and how in winter they went to services in felt boots. In Kaz, in what room exactly were the first services held, in the club or somewhere else?

Ксения Тарасова

Thank you, Anastasia, I’m glad that the stories of Father Vasily and Father Maxim reached even you so vividly. After the altar meal, we almost always have a common meal - and in the nineties, in that cramped house, we also sat at the same table, whoever brought what. And in Kazan, how often does everyone stay together after the liturgy or do they mostly go home?

Ვ

ვახტანგ აბაშიძე

Thanks, Gela, for remembering those first years. In Batumi in the nineties, the most memorable moments were when we prayed at home together with Father Andreas, and sometimes fourteen people could fit in a small room. What story do you remember from your side?

ქეთევან ჯავახიშვილი

Thank you, Vakhtang, for sharing the history of Batumi with you. In the first years in Kaz, during Father Vasili's time, we often prayed in a private house before the church was built. What was the most memorable thing about your father Andreas in that small room?

ქეთევან მამულაშვილი

Thank you, Ketevan, for remembering the time of Father Vasili. The most memorable for me was how the small room would shrink as we all stood together for liturgy with our feet freezing on the floor. How do you remember those years?

Ნ

ნანა კვარაცხელია

Thanks, Ketevan, for reminding me of this small room. I also remember how we were standing with each other, and even the air was not enough, but the heart was full. Everything seemed easier and closer during Father Vasili's time, didn't it? What other moment do you remember most often?

ვახტანგ ნოზაძე

Thank you, Ketevan, for remembering Father Vasili's time in Kaz. For me, the most memorable thing about Father Andrea was how he stood on a small table as an altar and his voice reached everyone's hearts even from a distance of one meter. What do you remember from the liturgies of that house?

Ს

სალომე მამულაშვილი

Thanks, Nana, for reminding me of that little room. And I most often remember Father Vasili's first liturgies, when a wooden table served as an altar and we all received Antidora together. Do you remember what it was like when you first started Sunday school there?

მიხეილ აბაშიძე

Yes, Salome, I remember well that wooden table and how we all stood together on the Antidor. At that time Father Vasili's liturgies were very simple, but remained deeper in the heart. When Sunday school started, my son went there the first year, do you remember?

Ა

ანა კაპანაძე

Yes, Mikhail, I also remember the wooden table and Antidor, especially when we all stood together in winter and there was ice in the corners. When your son was in Sunday school in his first year, my daughter was also there, and they both drew things together. Father Vasili's liturgies were really simple, but still remain in the heart.

Თ

თეა ლომიძე

Yes, Mikhail, I also remember the Antidor standing on the wooden table, especially when Father Vasili served for the first time and everything was still simply arranged. When your son was in Sunday school in his first year, my daughter was there, but I remember how hard it was for her in the winter because of the frozen floor. How is your son now, is he still going to church?

მარიამ მამულაშვილი

Yes, Anna, I also remember very well the handing out of antidora on the wooden table, especially when the ice was in the corners and everyone was holding hands. When your daughter and my son were drawing together, father Maxim had just arrived and was sitting with the first children. It's good that these stories are being told, otherwise time flies.

ალექსანდრე ხუციშვილი

Thank you, Nana, for remembering Father Vasili's time. I also remember how he would come straight from fishing and people would still mingle in that small room. Do you remember the first time they had a pottery circle there, the kids were molding the clay?

ვახტანგ დოლიძე

Yes, Thea, I also remember the Antidor standing on the wooden table very well, especially in the early years of Father Vasili. My son is now in 10th grade and goes on Sundays, but he doesn't mention the freezing of the floor in the winter. What does your daughter do now?

ნიკოლოზ წიკლაური

Thank you, Nana, for remembering Father Vasili's time. And I most often remember how he told us after the liturgy that "one cup of tea is enough and the heart is calm." Do you remember what it was like when you first brought that old icon into the little room?

Ლ

ლელა ჯავახიშვილი

Thank you, Nicholas, for remembering these words of Father Vasili. And I think most often of how he said "tea and a calm heart" and it was really enough for everything. I remember the story of the icon very well, then the small room of our house was the first church for us. Do you remember what old scent that icon had?

ნანა ბერიძე

Yes, Nicholas, I remember very well the day when Father Vasil first brought this little old icon into our apartment. Then the room was so small that we all pressed against the wall, but the heart was really calm. Do you remember how he made the first antimins with his own hands?

Thanks, Vakhtang, for remembering that wooden table and antidor. During Father Vasil's time, mine also often stood there and everything looked so homely. My son now comes with his son, but like your son, he no longer complains about the ice in the winter. What is your boy going to do after school?

ნიკოლოზ გელაშვილი

Yes, Maria, I remember that wooden table and Antidor too, especially when there was ice in the corners and everyone was holding hands. Father Maxim's first years were very interesting when he sat with the children and drew. It's good that they remember like this, otherwise everything goes by really fast.

Yes, Maria, I remember the days when Father Maxim came for the first time and the children were drawing - my boy was among them then, and he talked about it for weeks afterwards at home. It's good that they remember like this, otherwise we will soon replace these stories with new ones.

Thanks, Nana, for reminding me of that wooden table. My boy is going to go to technical school after school, he will learn electrical engineering. What profession do you recommend for your child?

Yes, Nicholas, I also remember that wooden table and how it froze in winter. Father Maxim used to paint with children, there were also children of my time, there is still one such painting in the house. It's good that they remember like this, otherwise everything goes by really fast.

Yes, Salome, when everything froze on the wooden table, I also remember. Father Maxim's paintings also appeared in my house for a while, children were happy to draw with him. It's good that they remember like this, otherwise everything disappears really fast.

It's true, Vakhtang, I also remember those painting evenings with Father Maxim. My daughter was in the second grade at the time and she brought home such an icon for us to hang on the wall. It's good that they remember like this, but really, time passes quickly and we already have new stories.

ვახტანგ ბერიძე

It's true, Vakhtang, I also remember that icon very well - my boy then brought home a similar painting, which we have to this day. It's good that Father Maxim remembers so vividly, but really, 30 years have passed and now the stories of our children are the main thing. What do you think, next year the new generation should also speak?

მარიამ მაისურაძე

Thanks, Vakhtang, for sharing that story on the wooden table. My older son is studying mechanics at a technical school, so he will understand the electrician very well. What school will your boy go to, local or further afield?

ნიკოლოზ დოლიძე

Yes, Salome, I also remember the frost on the wooden table in winter, especially when we were drinking tea. One of Father Maxim's paintings also appeared in my house, the children still remember it. It's good that they remember like this, otherwise everything goes by really fast.

Thanks, Vakhtang, for telling us about the boy's plans. Electrical engineering is a good choice, my uncle used to do the same and he always said that hands are never idle. What do you think, is the local technical school enough or is it better to go to another city?

მარიამ გელაშვილი

Thank you, Nikoloz, for sharing your uncle's story with us. My son also respects crafts because he does something with his hands every day. But I still think that it is better to start in a local technical school, close to home, and then you can transfer if you want. What would you advise the boy?

ვახტანგ კაპანაძე

Yes, Nicholas, I also remember ice and tea on the wooden table, we often sat like that in winter. Father Maxim's painting is also in my house, a small landscape, children still ask who painted it. It's good that they remember so vividly, otherwise time really flies.

Ი

ირაკლი აბაშიძე

Thank you, Nikoloz, for sharing your uncle's story with us. It is true that hands are not idle in electrical engineering - I myself have been doing this work for 15 years in Telavi, and every day there is a new challenge. I think that a boy should start at a local technical school to be with his family and start practicing early, and then if he likes it, he can go to a bigger city. What did your uncle tell you about how he got his first job?

მაია ჩხეიძე

Mary, thank you for remembering that wooden table, it is still there in the churchyard. My son also tried to be a mechanic when he was young, so I understand. What course is your boy in at the technical school now?

ალექსანდრე წიკლაური

It's true, Vakhtang, my son also brought home such an icon that we still have hanging in the bedroom. It's good that Father Maxim and Father Vasili remember the early days so vividly. Do you think we should bring the flowers grown in our garden to the church next time?

Yes, Nicholas, I had the same wooden table in my house, in the winter the palm would stick to the frost. I don't have Father Maxim's painting at all, but I remember his stories well, how they were building the church in the first years. I have a question, when your children remember him, what is the most common story they tell about him?

ლევან ჯავახიშვილი

Yes, Ketevan, my children are most often told the story of how Father Maxim celebrated the liturgy on a wooden table in the winter of the first year and everyone's hands got stuck. It really reminds us of a home table. What story do you remember best from him?

თეა ხუციშვილი

Yes, Levan, I also remember that story very well — my mother remembered how her hands were stuck to the ice table and yet everyone stood and prayed. Maxim's father liked another story, when they rang the first bell with a wooden stick and the whole village heard it. When you tell your children, what do they say, do they listen with laughter or amazement?

Thank you, Nikolas, for talking about your uncle's experience - my boy says exactly the same thing, so that his hands are not idle. I think he should start at the local technical school, because he is at home and can help in practice while working on the route. How many years was your uncle in this business?

ანა დოლიძე

Yes, Levan, Maxim's father likes that story to my son too, especially when he says that his hands were sticking to the table and still no one ran away. And I remember the most how in the first house, after the liturgy, everyone would roast potatoes together and talk. Are your children amazed or just smiling at these stories?

Maria, you are right in saying that a technical school close to home is more convenient to start. My eldest son also started in the same way - first in a local school, then he moved. I would advise the boy to first spend a few months in the circle of handicrafts and see if he really wants it or not.

Დ

დავით ბერიძე

Maya, you are right, that wooden table is still there and we often use it for the common table. My eldest daughter is now in her third year of technical school, majoring in electrical installation, so I understand your son's story very well. What profession did he learn in the end?

Yes, Thea, I also remember the story of Maxim's father on the bell with a wooden stick - my husband remembered how his hand froze and they still did not stop. And my children listen in amazement, especially when I tell them that they didn't even have a phone. What else did your mother remember from those times?

Yes, Levan, Maxim often told his father that winter story to my neighbor - he said that there was ice on the wooden table so that he could not even eat, but everyone stayed. And I remember how in the first house he made incense with his own hands and the smell spread all over the street. What do your children say, will they ask why they didn't run away?

სალომე ნოზაძე

Yes, Alexander, mine is exactly the same - we still have the icons brought by the children at home. The stories of Father Maxim and Father Vasili were truly the best gift. Of course we should bring the flowers from the garden, will we all be together next Sunday after the liturgy?

Maria, Maxim often brought that story to my wife about calling the bell with a wooden stick, especially when he was explaining to the children how everything was done by hand and by faith. And my mother remembered the most how they collected food in the whole village for the first liturgy and how everyone's feet froze in the snow. And what do your children ask most often about these stories?

Yes, Salome, the stories of Father Maxim and Father Vasili that evening were the most precious to me too — especially when they talked about the first liturgy. We still have icons brought by children. What flowers will you bring from the garden next week?

Maria, I also remember the story of Maxim's father's wooden stick, he told very well how everything was built by hand. Even when my son was little, he often asked me how they made the first bell and where they got the wood. Your mother's story about collecting food is quite special - my wife remembered the first year exactly like that.

Maria, my son most often asks how they made the first altar from a wooden table and where they got the paint. Salome, your mother's story about her feet frozen in the snow reminds me so much of how we used to harvest potatoes in our garden for the community. Does your wife still remember the story of that wooden stick?

Yes, Nana, my wife indeed often remembers the wooden stick that was used as the foot of the original altar. And then they laughed about how they painted the table with old paint left over from the roof repair. Your potato story reminds me a lot of my mother - we used to collect everything together.