Sacred Friendship Bashny.Net

Zhitikara district town with a population of about 64,000 people is known for that in 35 kilometers away is the famous and the country's only colony sentenced to life imprisonment. From Kostanay in a car on a clear day you can get here in three hours. The old historical name Zhitikary - Konildi - means "cheerful", "cheery". And indeed, the inhabitants of this town are different to some amazing kindness and tolerance.

And in this city live Priest Maxim and Imam Sabyrzhan - religious colleagues and best friends. Together they go to the meetings with parishioners, lectures and in his spare time visit each other's homes.

Will be 43 photos!





1. Hegumen Maxim - a native resident of this region in the third generation. The family was not very religious father Electrical technician, mother - Head of production and estimate department, all the relatives worked in the prison system in the area. Baptism is received in 13 years, according to an internal clock, which was approved by democratic parents, in spite of their atheism.

 - After the baptism began to attend worship and eventually became sacristan. His first service to remember for a lifetime - did not have the luxury decoration in Constantine and Jelenecká temple, but, nevertheless, the beauty of Orthodox worship and a great slim church singing impressed me. With me singing had a complicated relationship: if in kindergarten the other children were asked to sing louder, I was asked not to sing at all - bass slowly tells Father Maxim.

Recently, my father became a monk, because he wants to devote himself to the service of faith and people.



2. According to Father Maxim, in the parish Zhitikarinsky it recently, but he was lucky - here was transferred his friend as Sabyrzhan Esmurzina who now works the bass imam in a mosque, named in honor of Maecenas Yerzhan Tatishev.

In this friendship Father sees nothing unusual:

 - First of all, God is tolerant, because each one of us, he gives freedom of religion, which in itself is a great gift. Orthodox Christians, and our brothers - Muslims respect the right of each person to self-determination. In Islam it is said: there is no compulsion in religion.



3. Sabyrzhan from afar sees the father Maxim and joyfully welcomes him.



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5. - I know the Father Maxim and Sabyrzhan very long time. No event concerning religion, Zhitikarinsky area without passes. Strong friendship between the Imam and Orthodox monk anyone here is not surprising. On the contrary, meet them separately already unusually. I think so, and to have faith, it must attract people, teach kindness, love, and not just in words but in deeds - says Yulia Denisenko accompany us, President ALE "Association of centers for victims of destructive religious movements" of Astana .



6. dryly, discreet Sabyrzhan and broad-shouldered, colorful Father Maxim in a black cassock make a striking contrast.

 - Maxim, we've known for almost 5 years. I first saw at the event dedicated to the Day of Spiritual Harmony. Later they began to meet regularly in joint lectures about the dangers of pseudo-and pseudo-currents in prisons and rehabilitation centers for the disabled, schools, universities - says Sabyrzhan. - We immediately formed a human contact, we instantly hit it off and began to talk in the future.



7. Father Maxim continues:

 - Our communication is not only a formal activity, social work, but we share our experiences with each other, support each other emotionally, it is extremely important - to receive support from his brother. Especially Sabyrzhan, despite his young age, surprisingly wise man, he can tell the truth precisely when it is needed. And another important quality that I appreciate it - it can share with me not only grief, but also joy. Because I consider him a friend, because only your friends can be proud of you.



8. - I was born in the village Auliekol District Mial, in an ordinary family. Grandparents adhere to the norms of Islam, from childhood read Namaz and fulfill all general requirements. In our house, always sounded azan, is probably why I'm so close to Islam - says Imam.



9. In 16 years Sabyrzhan first started keeping Orazov, after graduation decided to devote himself to religion, parents were secular people, so they at first objected, but supported the grandson grandfather, he was a respected aksakal village, with its views of the considered family.



10. First Sabyrzhan studied Islam through books, searched, hardly get them: in the late 90s with the religious literature was difficult.

 - To save money for school, herding sheep, I had my horse, and later changed it to a tractor, and so for two years he worked on himself. At the same time I took a course at a mosque in Auliekol District, and in the village, I was appointed imam. And later, when I was advised to study in the Egyptian University of Islamic Culture "Nur-Mubarak", I was happy. My dream was fulfilled.

After graduation Sabyrzhan was directed to the Kostanay mosque "Maral Ishan," where he served four years of the muezzin. Eighteen months ago, I was transferred bass imam in a mosque it. Yerzhan Tatishev.



11. After a short tour Sabyrzhan leads us to his home and immediately warned that his wife recently gave birth to her second child, so the house hosted by his mother.



12. 32-year-old imam Sabyrzhan only three years younger than his father Maxim, so the table has a relaxed atmosphere, heard the jokes. For example, it offers Sabyrzhan monk let us find you a wife? Father Maxim negative waves his hands and blushes. At the table, friendly laughter. According to the priest, in the mosque the best and delicious beshbarmak, here it is cooked with a prayer to the soul.



13. Imam Sabyrzhan shows photos from common events and at the same time tells us about his social work.



14. Photo from the archive of the mosque.

 - After Namaz, I often stroll in the evening and once remarked how rebyatnya loiter and their parents do not care what they do children. Then I decided to open a summer camp for ten days. In principle, the initiative came from muftiat and Imams in different mosques find their approach. Here, for example, uzynkolskaya mosque made a tour of Kazakhstan, another mosque carried out the camp, the same, but shorter - till dinner. I decided to take the children for the whole day, he developed a program - in the morning for the Arabic language, then - the educational and moral lecture, which talked about respect for elders, explaining, for example, that you can not scream at my mother and father, as explained Islamic norms of behavior, attitudes younger to older, boys to girls.



15. These ten days I was constantly with them: slept, ate, taught, read, was busy all day. After these lessons, we fed children dinner, then they had a quiet time, they slept there in the mosque, and after the snack we agreed with the local Youth to where we were given a room and an experienced coach. It was only after supper they went to his home. I would like to camp was the clock, but this requires a bed, it is necessary to hire educators. If in the first year we have covered 13 children from poor families, and among them were children of different nationalities, the second year they became already 60 people. Then the parents of some children expressed their gratitude through newspapers, noting that the children's behavior has changed for the better. And now, as soon as the kids see me on the street, just run up and greet with respect: Assalam alaikum, Agay! And immediately the soul becomes so warm.



16. Photo from the archive of the mosque.

And yet we spend an action "Road to school". Sponsors gave us money, and we gave the school a full set of ten children. On holidays Ait every time we lay tables and hand out about a ton of meat, lists need to take local control of social protection, social facilities - and everything turns out about 140 families, and, whether they attend a mosque or not.



17. Photo from the archive of the mosque.



18. Photo from the archive of the mosque.



19. Sabyrzhan and Father Maxim are constantly religious lectures in a regional rehabilitation center for disabled Zhitikara, also once a week who want to pray in the mosque or the church can come to them, for this employee drove the center and accompanies them. For many such visits - a calm soul.



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22. Ten years ago, in the current church was located a former cinema "Youth". It showed from the Soviet era movie theater until one day by the decision of an employee of the city administration Ruslan Buludova was transferred free of charge under the Orthodox church as a private home, where the church was located before, could not accommodate all the parishioners.



23. Leonid and Ruslan Buludovy - known entrepreneurs-patrons in Zhitikarinsky area. Despite the fact that they are Orthodox Christians, they are equally help and mosques, and churches. Every day during summer camp at a mosque they brought their products to children, and also every day for seven years, provide daily food in the church.



24. Brothers Buludovy - among the first entrepreneurs to start a business in the early 90 -x.

- We then toys sold in the market, stood all day and offer cheap crafts. It was a time of "buy-sell". Then business got up, and I started to bring toys from Turkey for bulk quantities, hired vendors container - the business went. Then, in the 95th, we began to engage in brick plant, but then no one built, on the contrary, everything was destroyed, so nothing happened, and we decided to try to force the food industry. First opened a small shop, only baked bread. I myself were transported the finished bread shop, supervised the whole process, then I traveled extensively, learned to adopt the technology, to provide quality, - emotionally gesticulates elder Leonid, showing how much had to be done to him "Buludovsky bread" was able to win local and even Kostanai market.

 - At the bakery did not stop, then opened a bakery and pastry shop, then milk, then to breed livestock on the farm, and now there is still a lot of plans. God help us - through the difficulties we went through before putting the matter, only he knows. We are helping the government, so I have one right across the whole region, "Nazarbayev University" to study in Germany, you know how much I have learned all there!



25. - I love children and I try to do everything for them, and it makes no difference whether my children or others, the children of Christians or Muslims. When we help people, we do it from the heart. And this is not to "points" to earn - makes negative gesture Ruslan, - and to express my gratitude to the people, homeland, God!



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