At a meeting in the maslikhat, Turdybekov confirmed that the project had already been planned in the city’s master plan, approved back in 2018-2019. However, the deputies express doubts about the feasibility of constructing such a large religious building.
Deputy Bauyrzhan Smaилov raised the issue of funding: “Who is paying for the construction? Do we need such a large temple? Has this been discussed? We already have churches of various sizes. Building a huge cathedral at the entrance to the city is not a reason for pride,” he noted.
In response, Turdybekov explained that the funding is being provided through donations, not from the city budget. “You know that budget funds are not allocated for the construction of mosques and churches. We are not the ones building it,” he said.
However, Smaилov was not satisfied with the answer and attempted to continue the discussion, but he was not given the opportunity. The akim promised to provide additional clarifications later, after which the moderator changed the subject of the conversation. Notably, in September 2025, the construction site was visited by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus, which also drew attention to the project.
