Our Lady of Kazan church in Almaty, Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Our Lady of Kazan church is a red-brick Russian Orthodox cathedral at Khalyullina Street 45A, north of central Almaty. It was built between 1889 and 1898 to the design of Pavel Zenkov, with a main drum and dome, side domes and a bell tower; the interior keeps a 17th-century Kazan icon donated by Metropolitan Joseph Chernov in 1967.

The first church on this site was a wooden church dedicated to Saints Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia, built in 1858. In 1871 it was moved to Malaya Stanitsa and renamed after the Kazan Mother of God icon, commemorating General Kolpakovsky's 1860 victory at Uzun-Agach. The present brick cathedral was built between 1889 and 1898 to a design by Pavel Zenkov, and consecrated in 1901. Closed on 22 March 1934 and used as a cinema and vegetable store, it was returned to the Orthodox Church on 16 December 1944.

The church is an active gathering place for the Russian Orthodox community in Almaty, and services are held in Church Slavonic. Visitors can light candles, venerate icons, and hear choral singing during feast days.

The church is open to visitors, but it is best to wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees before entering. Visiting outside of main service times gives you more space to look around the interior calmly.

Inside the cathedral is a 17th-century copy of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, donated in 1967 by Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), who had served here as archbishop. An inscription on the back records the gift. The original Kazan icon was stolen or destroyed in the early 20th century, so this old copy is among the most venerated surviving versions.