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Agriculture Almaty Cultural Heritage Apple Aport apple National Symbol

Kazakhstan Launches Ambitious Project to Revive Legendary Aport Apple

Kazakhstan has launched a major initiative to restore one of Almaty's most iconic symbols, the Aport apple variety. The Return of a National Symbol According to the National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center (NANOC), new Aport orchards will be planted in the Almaty region starting in 2025, covering an area of 110 hectares. The project, set to run through 2028, plans to introduce approximately 25,000 seedlings. Funding has already been secured, and experts from KazNII Horticulture LLP have begun implementing the roadmap. “We are confident that the revival of this variety will be an important step in the development of domestic horticulture and will provide Kazakhstanis with high-quality and tasty fruits,” NANOC stated. The first harvest is expected in eight years. According to scientific forecasts, yields could reach up to 57.7 kilograms per tree in the early stages and up to 100 kilograms as the orchards mature. Aport apples are known not only for their distinctive aroma and taste but also for their durability: with proper storage, they remain fresh until March, and with modern preservation methods, even until June. A Fruit Steeped in History The Aport apple is more than just a fruit, it’s a cultural brand of Almaty. With its large size, vibrant color, and rich aroma, the Aport became a hallmark of the city. Historical records show that in 1865, a peasant named Yegor Redko brought Aport seedlings from Russia’s Voronezh Province to the town of Verny (modern-day Almaty). Within a decade, the variety flourished in the unique climate of the Zailiyskiy Alatau, revealing its full potential. By the early 20th century, Aport apples had gained international acclaim. At an exhibition in Germany in 1908, the variety won a prize. Since then, it has been recognized as a Kazakhstani brand. In 2023, the Aport was officially patented as a national product. Justice Minister Azamat Eskarayev has announced efforts to register the Aport as an international brand, including in European countries. Decline and Recovery Challenges The decline of the Aport apple began in the late 20th century, driven by rapid urbanization and the commercial development of former orchard lands. According to Saule Kazybayeva, Deputy Chair of the Board at the Kazakh Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing, the Aport was replaced by hardier and more commercially viable varieties like Golden Delicious. Moreover, the Aport requires specific care and environmental conditions, making it less appealing for mass production. Another setback has been the degradation of its genetic qualities. The traditional method of grafting Aport onto wild Sivers apple stock is often not properly followed, especially by private farms, resulting in a loss of the variety’s signature flavor. The Current Outlook According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Aport orchards now cover 2,500 hectares across Almaty and Zhetysu oblasts, with around 416,000 trees in total. Almaty itself has about 230 hectares of Aport orchards. However, local authorities acknowledge that both the orchard area and fruit quality are in decline, largely due to disease susceptibility. Despite these challenges, a revitalization program...

Cemetery Orthodox Church Orthodoxy Cultural Heritage Osh

Kyrgyz Orthodox Bishop Urges Osh Authorities to Preserve Historic Cemetery

The head of the Orthodox Church in Kyrgyzstan has appealed to the mayor of Osh, the country's second city, to halt the planned demolition of an old cemetery as part of a large-scale urban reconstruction project. According to the bishop, the site is not only a burial ground but also an important historical monument tied to the lives of many generations of citizens. The Osh City Hall is currently undertaking an extensive redevelopment of roads, squares, and public spaces, as outlined in a municipal report. However, among the affected areas is an ancient cemetery dating back to 1870, which local clergy and historians consider an architectural and spiritual heritage site. For years, residents have voiced concerns to local media about the deteriorating condition of the cemetery. They claim that the site, located in the city center, has been neglected, misused for cattle grazing, and subjected to unauthorized construction. “Many graves here are not only examples of architectural art but also serve as a historical record of the diverse peoples of Kyrgyzstan,” local residents stated. The cemetery has been closed to new burials since the 1980s, but it contains mass graves of World War II veterans and other individuals who played a significant role in the development of Kyrgyzstan and Osh. Orthodox Bishop Savvatiy of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan formally requested that the Osh City Hall preserve the cemetery, emphasizing its cultural and historical significance. He stressed that economic considerations should not take precedence over heritage preservation. “In many countries, old cemeteries are transformed into memorial complexes and historical landmarks,” Savvatiy noted. “For example, Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Highgate in London, and Recoleta in Buenos Aires attract visitors from around the world and serve as places of remembrance and respect. The Russian cemetery in Osh is also part of the city's cultural heritage and should not be lost.” As of now, city officials have not issued an official response to the bishop’s appeal.

Cultural Heritage Art and Literature

The Journeys of Kazakh Fairy Tales to the United States

The Kazakh people have always been dedicated to preserving and advancing their culture and literature and sharing them with the world. Over the thirty-plus years since independence, the Kazakh state has actively sought valuable historical records and archival materials about its people. It is remarkable to discover that during the Soviet era, numerous Western travelers explored Kazakhstan’s territory, documenting their observations on traditions, daily life, religion, and political perspectives in books that were later published in English. In the fall of 2023, with funding from the Bolashak program, I started a project to research the history of the Kazakh people and steppe based on the English-language accounts of Western travelers who visited the steppe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although I started this project when I was working as a newspaper reporter in Kazakhstan, there was no way to access the database of large libraries abroad. Nineteen Kazakh Fairy Tales and Mary Lou Masey Kazakh-American relations did not begin solely after the collapse of the Soviet Union but can be traced back to the late 19th century. This is evident from old books written in English and printed by major American publishers, which I discovered in archival collections. While exploring the catalogs at George Washington University’s Gelman Library, I came across an intriguing book titled Stories of the Steppes, retold by Mary Lou Masey and illustrated by Helen Basilevsky. Published in 1968 by the David McKay Company, Inc. in New York, this book reflects Masey’s fascination with Central Asian culture. Having traveled to the region with her husband, Jack, she introduced American readers to its rich heritage through this collection. The book features 19 folktales from Russian sources, not as literal translations but as engaging retellings that remain faithful to the original plotlines. [caption id="attachment_29332" align="aligncenter" width="207"] The cover of Stories of the Steppes, retold by Mary Lou Masey [/caption] In this work, Masey presents traditional Kazakh folktales, including fairy tales, satirical stories about daily life, humorous tales and stories about animal, as well as narratives about both wise and foolish individuals. In the preface, she notes that while some reflect Russian cultural influence and others share common elements with global folklore, the collection remains distinctly Kazakh. It captures a unique way of life and showcases the remarkable artistry of the wandering storytellers who passed these tales down through the generations. [caption id="attachment_29333" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Illustration of the fairy tale "The One-Eyed Giant" from the book by Mary Lou Masey, 1968[/caption] As I flipped through the pages of this book, I became curious about its author. A writer and researcher with a background in International Studies, Masey earned her B.A. from Ohio State University with a major in Russian. She authored four children’s books published by David McKay: Branislav the Dragon (1967), Stories of the Steppes (1968), The Picture Story of the Soviet Union (1971), and Teddy and the Moon (1972). In adapting Kazakh folktales for Western readers, particularly children, Masey prioritized preserving the essence and richness...

UNESCO Cultural Heritage

Eagles, Heritage, and History: A Glimpse into Kazakhstan’s Ancient Art of Falconry

Inspired by TCA’s coverage of the 2024 World Nomad Games and the incredible showcase of falconry events, I reflected on a visit to the Sunkar Entertainment Complex near Almaty, Kazakhstan. Established during the Soviet era, the complex was originally designed as a mountain retreat for workers, featuring saunas, horseback riding, skiing, and other snow sports. However, its defining feature today is the bird sanctuary founded in the 1990s to conserve the region's dwindling population of birds of prey. The sanctuary serves as both a conservation effort and an entertainment venue, highlighting the delicate balance between preserving natural heritage and creating an engaging visitor experience. A practice the beginnings of which are shrouded in mystery, many experts trace the origins of falconry back to the steppes of Mongolia, dating between 4000 and 6000 BCE. Bronze Age cave paintings suggest falconry was already established, and a third millennium BCE pottery shard from Tell Chuera, modern-day Syria, depicts a bird of prey. The oldest visuals of falcons, however, are etched into rocks from the Altai Mountains, spanning Central and East Asia, circa 1000 BCE. Finding information on falconry in Europe and the Middle East is easy, but uncovering its ties to Kazakhstan's nomadic traditions proves more challenging. A podcast featuring two generations of a Kazakh family from the Altai Mountains sheds light through oral traditions. This narrative highlights falconry as more than a sport – it's a historical bond between humans and birds of prey, offering profound insights into nomadic heritage. [caption id="attachment_29223" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Hunting with birds at the World Nomad Games, Astana, 2024; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland[/caption] The Golden Eagle, often called the "Empress of the Sky," holds a divine status in falconry. Renowned for its ability to stare directly at the sun without harm, it's a symbol of freedom and pride for the Kazakh people. The Kazakh language boasts a staggering vocabulary for falconry, exceeding 1,500 unique terms. Its importance is also immortalized on Kazakhstan's national flag, echoing the legacy of Genghis Khan, whose banner also featured an eagle at its center. This speaks to his passion for falconry, a tradition vividly documented by Marco Polo, who described eagle hunting with Khan's grandson as early as the 1100s. The bond between humans and birds was so blurred that in ancient times, a nursing mother could share her milk with golden eagle chicks, even when her own child faced food scarcity. The Siberian golden eagle, or burgut, is among the largest of its kind. The formidable females, favored for hunting, boast wingspans of two meters and talons stretching up to six centimeters. Weighing over six kilograms, these birds demand not just expertise but also exceptional strength and courage from their handlers. Female eagles are traditionally captured before they learn to fly – old enough to survive outside the nest, but still nest-bound. They’re considered larger and more reliable hunters once tamed compared to their smaller, less-predictable male counterparts. Breaking eagles is a foundational skill in falconry, requiring meticulous preparation and...

Central Asian Art Art and Culture Cultural Heritage

Simurgh Self-Help: Slavs and Tatars’ New Show Rethinks National Symbolism

“It’s interesting that in Western symbolism you never see a delicate female eagle,” notes Payam, one-half of the artist collective Slavs and Tatars, from his studio in Berlin. “But the central-Asian Simurgh is gender-fluid, metaphysical. It doesn’t belong to this world.” The mythological figure of the Simurgh is the focus of Slavs and Tatars’ latest show at the gallery The Third Line in Dubai called “Simurgh Self-Help”. The show speaks of the importance of reclaiming and reframing cultural memories in a fractured world, and an invitation to think beyond the artificial, top-down confines of nationalism, to find cultural unity. [caption id="attachment_28951" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Slavs and Tatars Samovar Vacuum-formed plastic, acrylic paint; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] The exhibition extends a lineage of conceptual inquiry, drawing upon the mystical bird Simurgh, ever-present in Persian and Central Asia mythologies, as a counterpoint to the ubiquitous, secularized eagle of Western heraldry. A constant companion of Zeus in Greek mythology, the eagle is a recurring symbol in the Western world: “Everywhere you look in the West, you find eagles,” notes Payam. “It’s on the German flag, on American football teams, on the Albanian flag. It’s a tired, secularized symbol, heavy with the weight of imperial history.” In contrast, the Simurgh exists on a different plane, one that rejects hierarchies in favor of collective transformation. [caption id="attachment_28952" align="aligncenter" width="1874"] Slavs and Tatars Samovar Vacuum-formed plastic, acrylic paint; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] Today the Simurgh is going through a similar secularization to the Western eagle, with Turkish SIM cards and Azerbaijani soccer teams called Simurgh. "It's easy, in some sense, for as an artist to take something which is very high and important, let's say spiritual or religious, and make it make fun of it, bring it down in a caricatural way,” says Payam. “What's very hard as an artist is to take something which has been debased and make it high again." In the show, we see works that go in either direction, presenting an alternative mythology, one that shows that cultures are fluid and interconnected. “Simurgh Self-Help,” which had previous iterations in Warsaw, Athens, and Baden-Baden, was originally started two years ago as a conceptual echo of Marcel Broodthaers’ Musée d'Art Moderne: Département des Aigles. This was a conceptual museum/artistic project created by the Belgian artist in 1968, full of artworks referenced by Slavs and Tatars in their show. [caption id="attachment_28953" align="aligncenter" width="2500"] Slavs and Tatars, Soft Power_2023, Woolen Yarn; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] The Simurgh, Payam explains, traverses territories from Kazakhstan to Ukraine, yet remains absent in Poland. “It’s a question of defining a region not through imposed political structures but through the myths that bubble from the ground up,” remarks Payam. The Simurgh becomes a cipher for alternative cartographies, a challenge to the top-down imposition of nationhood. If the eagle stands for conquest and dominance, the Simurgh stands for the dissolution of categories and unity...

Cultural Heritage Fashion Cultural Appropriation Kyrgyz culture

Cultural Appropriation: How the YAKA Brand Sparked Outrage in Kyrgyzstan

A scandal has erupted in Kyrgyzstan over the Russian clothing brand YAKA, founded by Anna Obydenova. The company, which produces clothing, accessories, and carpets adorned with stylized Kyrgyz ornaments, has faced backlash after claiming exclusive copyright to its designs. This move has sparked widespread outrage among Kyrgyz citizens, who accuse the brand of appropriating their cultural heritage. Social Media Backlash The controversy first gained traction on social media, where users quickly pointed out the alleged appropriation. One of the first to speak out was Uulzhan Bekturova, who posted an Instagram story highlighting that YAKA’s so-called “skirt” from its YAKA Unique collection was, in fact, a traditional Kyrgyz garment known as a beldemchi. She addressed the brand directly: “No, this is not a ‘skirt’ from your YAKA Unique collection, it is our beldemchi! Stop stealing our culture! Shame on you!” Her post quickly went viral, triggering a wave of public indignation. Further fueling the controversy was a statement on YAKA’s official website claiming that the brand was created “in honor of the 100th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s independence.” This historical inaccuracy (Kyrgyzstan gained independence only 34 years ago, in 1991) led to further accusations of ignorance and cultural insensitivity. Another source of outrage was YAKA’s warning that copying its designs was prohibited, which many saw as an attempt to monopolize traditional Kyrgyz patterns. TikTok Outrage and Calls for Boycott Public discontent was particularly intense on TikTok, where users criticized YAKA’s actions. One user, @rrrrrramilya, posted a viral video condemning the brand’s claim over Kyrgyz symbols: “A clothing brand has patented Kyrgyz patterns, registering them as their property. They justify it by saying ‘Made in Kyrgyzstan’ is on each product and that Kyrgyz artisans create them. So, if it’s made in Kyrgyzstan, is that OK? No! Manufacturing in a country does not give you the right to own its culture. Making something in Kyrgyzstan does not mean you get exclusive rights to traditional symbols!” Another user, @yido.kg, explained why cultural appropriation is such a sensitive issue: “The problem is that culture bearers are often discriminated against because of their own culture, while others use it as a fashion trend. But this isn’t just fashion - it’s the heritage of an entire people.” These videos gained widespread support, with many users calling for a boycott of YAKA products and demanding legal protection of Kyrgyz cultural heritage at the international level. Voices from Kyrgyzstan TCA spoke with Kyrgyz citizens to gauge their perspectives on the issue. Aisulu, 20, from Bishkek, expressed her frustration: “I am proud of our culture and traditions. It’s terrible when someone tries to profit from our heritage without our consent.” Mairam, 24, from Osh, added: “Our ornaments are not just patterns; they are part of our soul. No one should have the right to appropriate them.” Beksultan, 26, from Bishkek, emphasized the need for action: “We must unite and protect our cultural heritage. Cases like this should not go unnoticed.” YAKA’s Response and a New Controversy In response to the backlash,...