Metropolitan Alexander was born on [[May 18 May ]], 1957 as Alexander Gennadiyevich Mogilev in Kirov, USSR, and was [[baptism|baptized ]] with St. Alexander of the Neva as his patron. From 1977 to 1979 he studied at the Leningrad Theological Seminary, after which he returned to Kirov to serve as the secretary of Bishop [[Chrysanthus (Chepil) of Kirov and Sloboda]]. In 1983 he was [[ordination|ordained ]] a [[deacon ]] and a [[priest ]] and , in 1989 , he was tonsured [[tonsure]]d to the lesser schemeschema, gaining St. Alexander of Svir as his new patron.

In 1990 , the future [[metropolitan ]] completed his studies at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Academy]] and began his duties as Bishop of Kostroma and Galich (having been [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated ]] the prior year in 1989). In 1994 , Bishop Alexander was elevated to the rank of [[archbishop]], whilst in March 2010 the [[Holy Synod ]] elected him Archbishop of Astana and Almaty. When the Metropolia of Kazakhstan was organized in July 2010 Archbishop Alexander was elevated to the rank of metropolitan and head of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan.

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