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Kazakh Zhuz and Rus: From History to the Modern Day

The zhuz are tribal unions that have played an important role in the history and culture of the Kazakh people. There are three main zhuzes in Kazakhstan: the Senior Zhuz, the Middle Zhuz, and the Younger Zhuz. Each includes several tribes which have their own unique traditions and customs. In general, zhuz began to form in the XVI-XVII centuries, when Kazakhs united to protect their lands from external threats. The Senior Zhuz occupied the southern and southeastern regions, the Middle Zhuz occupied the central and northern regions, and the Younger Zhuz occupied the western and northwestern territories of Kazakhstan. Each zhuz had its own system of governance and societal norms. In addition, each zhuz had its own ru, which in Kazakh means patriarchal clan, descended from one ancestor of the seventh tribe or more. Some of the most common ru include: Dulat: One of the largest clans of the Senior Zhuz, known for its historical significance and large numbers. Naiman: An important clan of the Middle Zhuz, which has played a significant role in the history of the Kazakh people. Argyn: Another major clan of the Middle Zhuz, known for its warriors and cultural traditions. Adai: A clan of the Younger Zhuz which is famous for its traditions and history. Today, zhuz continue to play an important role in the life of Kazakhstan. People remain proud to belong to a particular zhuz and ru, passing on its culture to their children. For example, Kamila, a 20-year-old student from Almaty says she is honored to belong to the Argyny ru, and she and her family try to preserve its traditions. “Our tamga, which in Kazakh means ancestral family sign, is a sign of infinity, and everyone in our family has a sign of the clan hanging. We are very proud of it, and I feel a connection to this symbol.” Yerzhan, a 27-year-old, programmer and student of photography from Taraz, is proud of his Naiman background. “They often say about us that we’re brave, courageous and strong-willed, because our ancestors fought with the armies of Genghis Khan,” he told TCA. Asel from Shymkent, a 21-year-old student at the Taraz State University, an aspiring musician who plays the dombra, feels a connection with her ancestors from the Younger Zhuz, namely the Adai ru, and tries to follow their example. “My grandfather told me that many batyrs, Sufis, biys and akyns came from Adai. Beket-ata is especially famous. Perhaps that's why I began to study music. There is a story that it was Adai ru who developed a special technique of playing the dombra which is known as the Mangistau school.” Kazakh zhuz and rus remain an important part of the history and culture of Kazakhstan, and continues to live in the hearts and minds of people, preserving their traditions for future generations.

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Tigers Return to Kazakhstan: A New Home for Bogdana and Kuma

A pair of Amur tigers from the Netherlands has been brought to Kazakhstan; tigers are not the only animals that Kazakhstan is getting back. A few days ago, a long-awaited pair of tigers, bred in a special reserve in the Netherlands, arrived in Kazakhstan. Online, some worried that the tigers would not survive in the harsh climate, or would attack livestock and people. According to WWF Netherlands wildlife expert, Geert Poleta, these fears are unfounded. For several years now, the international NGO, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), together with the Government of Kazakhstan, has been implementing a program to return tigers to Pribalkhashye. The Amur tiger is a relative of the extinct Turanian breed. Historically, the habitat of the Turanian tiger in the country was reed thickets and floodplain forests along the banks of the Ili and Syr Darya rivers. The extermination of the animal began during the time of the Russian Empire, and the last Kazakh tiger was killed in 1948. Decades later, wild cats are returning to Kazakhstan. As experts point out, this event is an essential step in restoring the ecosystem and lost biodiversity. Bogdana and Kuma, the names of the Amur tigers, flew for more than a day from the Dutch Holy Lion specialized center for predators at the Landgoed Hoenderdaell Zoo to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve. Permanent caretakers accompanied them. At the Dutch zoo, “the animals were kept in separate spacious enclosures with minimal contact with visitors," Gert Polet, a wildlife expert at WWF Netherlands explained. "Thanks to the spacious territory of the center, the tigers had their own area to live in the most natural conditions possible. In the summer of 2024, a Memorandum was signed between the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Dutch center, which provides for the free transfer of two tigers to Kazakhstan for further breeding and the release of their offspring.” There is no need to fear that the big cats will harm residents in their new and unfamiliar conditions, as they will be kept under strict supervision. “Zoo tigers cannot be returned to the wild. The arriving tigers will never leave the territory of their enclosure. They were brought in for breeding and raising offspring. If the tiger's birth project is successful, the adults will be moved to another enclosure, located at a center of the reserve which will be open to visitors,” Polet stated. He believes that Bogdana and Kuma have a 60% chance of having cubs. Tiger cubs born in the enclosure of the Ile-Balkhash reserve will be reared following international standards and protocols. At one and a half to two years old, they will be prepared for release into the wild. In addition, the new residents of the reserve will be monitored constantly by video and cared for by a dedicated member of staff. “Over the past year, a veterinarian from the Zholbarys Association has been trained in various clinics and zoos in Russia. She also visited the...

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British Museum Opens Silk Roads Show – With Help from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan

The British Museum opened Silk Roads to the public on Thursday, delivering a highly anticipated exhibition about the vast, interlocking routes that connected cultures across Asia, Africa and Europe for centuries and includes ancient chess pieces and other items on loan from Uzbekistan as well as Tajikistan. The show, which runs until Feb. 23, 2025, aims to get beyond traditional notions of spices, camels and sand dunes, as well as the misconception that there was one “Silk Road” - a single pathway that ran across Central Asia, linking traders in the West with those in the East. While the Silk Roads network lasted for millennia, the British Museum is focusing on the period between AD 500 and 1,000, when contacts accelerated and religions and technology flourished across far-flung regions. “Rather than a single trade route from East to West, the Silk Roads were made up of overlapping networks linking communities across Asia, Africa and Europe, from East Asia to Britain, and from Scandinavia to Madagascar,” the museum says in its introduction to the London show. The British Museum worked with 29 national and international partners on the exhibition, which includes objects from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan that have never been on display in Britain and highlight the importance of Central Asia to the continent-sweeping saga of the Silk Roads. Uzbekistan, home to Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand and other sites associated with the ancient network, is a big player in the exhibition. It is lending “the oldest group of chess pieces ever found” and a six-meter-long wall painting from the ‘Hall of the Ambassadors’ in Afrasiab, an ancient spot in Samarkand, according to the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. “The painting evokes the cosmopolitanism of the Sogdians from Central Asia who were great traders during this period,” the state foundation said. Saida Mirziyoyeva, a daughter of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and a senior presidential aide, attended the exhibition roll-out this week. “A must-see for anyone passionate about Silk Road history!” she said on X. The National Museum in Tajikistan, which started working with the British Museum on plans for Silk Roads in 2022, has said it is lending items “related to the Buddhist culture of the 7th and 8th centuries, found in the monuments of Ajinateppa, Kafarnihon, and Vakhsh.” Objects on display include a Buddha figurine found in Sweden; an Islamic-style map drawn for the Christian king of Sicily; a Chinese ceramic dish found in a shipwreck in Indonesia; a gilded silver cup whose components indicate links between Scotland and West Asia; a gold shoulder clasp with Indian garnets that was found at the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk; and a gold bowl found in Romania that was linked to the Avars, an originally nomadic group from the northeast Asian steppe. The exhibition is not just about physical objects. There are also stories about an African king, a Chinese princess and other characters whose lives were connected to the Silk Roads, and insights into religious encounters and the spread of...

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Turkmen Designers Present Their Works at an Evening of Art in Brussels

An evening dedicated to Turkmen art and traditions, organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan within the framework of cultural exchange, was held in Brussels. The event brought together cultural sector representatives from Central Asia and Europe, including fashion and art figures. The Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium, Sapar Palvanov, opened the meeting, noting that Turkmen culture is a heritage that needs to be protected and passed on to new generations. The diplomat emphasized the role of cultural diplomacy as a means of strengthening ties between peoples. “Culture has always been a neutral sphere that unites people," Palvanov stated. An essential part of the program was a speech dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the great poet, Makhtumkuli. The Ambassador spoke about how his ideas continue to inspire not only Turkmen, but people of other nations, influencing Turkmenistan's cultural ties with Europe. The evening's guests were presented with the works of talented Turkmen designers, Sheker Akiniyazova, Shemshat Tachmammedova, and Ogulbeg Berdimiradov. Their collections combined traditional elements with modern fashion. The designers also participated in the Brussels cultural program and presented at European institutions. Elena Kharitonova, founder of Caravan Cultura CreArt Agency in the Netherlands who co-organized the event emphasized the preservation of cultural values through modern projects and her support for young Turkmen designers.

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Turkish Influencers to Help Open Kyrgyzstan to the World

A group of popular Turkish bloggers arrived in Kyrgyzstan on September 24 to promote the country’s tourism potential. Meeting the bloggers upon arrival at Bishkek’s Manas International Airport, the airport's chairman Manasbek Samidinov commented: “Today, famous bloggers from the Turkish Republic, followed by millions of subscribers, arrived in Kyrgyzstan. From September 24 to 27, they will get acquainted with our country, explore its natural and cultural attractions, and personally experience the warm hospitality of the Kyrgyz people. The bloggers will show Turkey the best of Kyrgyzstan: our unique nature, culture, and hospitality, contributing to tourism development and opening our country to the world.” On September 13, an agreement was signed to establish twinning relations between the Kyrgyz resort town of Cholpon-Ata by Lake Issyk-Kul and Turkey’s Antalya. The twinning relations between the two resort cities will open up new prospects for interaction in various areas, including investment in tourism and infrastructure projects. Kyrgyzstan is expected to receive more than 10.5 million foreign tourists in 2024, compared to 8.5 million tourists who visited the country in 2023. Around 6.1 million foreign tourists visited Kyrgyzstan in the first eight months of 2024. Most came tfrom Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, followed by visitors from Turkey, China, India, Germany, Pakistan, the United States, and South Korea. The tourism industry accounts for 2.7% of the country's GDP.

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Woman in Uzbekistan Tries to Exchange Daughter for a House

A 41-year-old woman who tried to exchange her 13-year-old daughter for a house in Samarkand has been sentenced to 5 years and two months in prison. The woman, who had come to Samarkand to work, said that the family had no housing when she received an offer to exchange one of her three children for a house worth $25,000. She agreed and gave the person her middle daughter. After receiving some money, the woman went to a restaurant to celebrate the deal, where she was apprehended by law enforcement. This is the woman's second conviction. As a result, her children, including the 13-year-old girl, were put into under state guardianship. This case has had repercussions around the country, with citizens raising questions about the need to strengthen child protection and anti-trafficking measures in Uzbekistan. Child trafficking in Uzbekistan remains a severe problem, despite government efforts to reduce it. According to the Trafficking in Persons Report, in 2019-2020, about 43% of reported trafficking offenses involved children. These cases often include the sale of infants and the involvement of medical personnel in illegal schemes. There has also been an increase in child trafficking in recent years due to economic hardship, especially in rural areas.