Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 181

Culture

British-Kazakh Cultural Festival Returns to Burabay

Burabay, a popular lake resort in northern Kazakhstan, has hosted the 10th edition of the 'Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art' festival, which ran from 29 November to 2 December. The annual gathering, arranged by the London-based Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG), has become one of Central Asia's events for cultural collaboration, bringing together writers, filmmakers, visual artists and musicians from 20 countries. This year’s programme continued the festival’s mix of literature and modern arts, with an emphasis for 2025 on emerging film talent, through the youth-focused Cinema Future festival and the Burabay International Short Film Festival (BISFF). According to filmmaker and BISFF jury member Timur Akhmedjanov, “Young filmmakers from different countries on one screen [means] the birth of a new generation of cinema.” Alongside film events, the festival featured book presentations from publishers Hertfordshire Press, discussions about art, performances by an international community choir, and creative workshops hosted at the ECG Horizons residency. Organisers emphasised that for the festival, collaboration is as important as presentation. “The festival grows like a living universe of ideas and emotions. Here everyone is a creator – and everyone feels that their voice matters,” said festival director and cultural projects author Taina Kaunis. During the event's closing ceremony, awards were presented to some figures shaping Eurasian culture, while the Eurasian Creative Guild announced a change in leadership ahead of its 2026 season. Founder Marat Akhmedjanov, originally from Uzbekistan but now residing in Scotland, highlighted the organisation’s international ethos, saying: “Creativity knows no borders. We speak dozens of languages, yet understand each other perfectly.” ECG vice-chair Saltanat Khamzeyeva called it “the beginning of a big story” for cultural development in Central Asia. The Guild underscores that the Burabay resort has become more than a picturesque location for a festival. Chair Francesca Mepham summed up its growing impact: “We see Eurasian creativity becoming a global voice – and this voice will only become stronger.”

Culture

East Kazakhstan Falconry Festival Brings Together Guardians of Steppe Traditions

The fifth International Falconry Festival was held this month in East Kazakhstan, bringing together falconry masters and custodians of ancient culture from seven countries. A Festival That Brings the Steppe to Life Traditionally held in Ulan district near the village of Bozanbay, the event, also known as Shygys Salburyny, drew more than 100 participants, including falconers and cultural figures from Kazakhstan, as well as guests from Spain, Hungary, Russia, Mongolia, China, and Kyrgyzstan. [caption id="attachment_37948" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] @TCA[/caption] Shygys Salburyny is a celebration of nomadic civilization, where customs and crafts are revived, ancestral songs are sung, ancient rituals performed, and golden eagles once again soar over the steppe. Every gesture of the participants reflects respect for the past, for the harmony between humans and nature, and for the spirit that nurtures strength and nobility. 'Berkutchi' and Golden Eagles: Guardians of the Sky and Steppe For as long as the Kazakh steppe has existed, golden eagles have ruled its skies. Revered for their strength and freedom, their cries louder than the wind, their flight graceful over mountains and rivers, the birds inspired the development of sayat, the art of hunting with birds of prey. From this tradition emerged the berkutchi, a unique brotherhood of falconers. A berkutchi is more than a hunter. He understands nature’s rhythm, reads the wind’s breath, and senses his bird’s mood. The bond between falconer and eagle cannot be imposed; it must be earned. Historically, hunting with golden eagles was a matter of survival, especially in the harsh winter months when eagles provided both meat and feathers for warmth. Over time, sayat evolved into a symbol of spiritual strength, courage, and reverence for nature. A true berkutchi was revered like a batyr, a warrior, respected for his calm, fairness, and poise. [caption id="attachment_37950" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] @TCA[/caption] Training a young eagle is an intricate art, requiring patience and reverence. Eaglets are taken from the nest and slowly trained to accept the falconer’s hand and voice. Trust is built gradually, as the bird learns to recognize and respond to its handler. Every detail is vital from hand movements to shadows on the ground. Before a hunt, the falconer dons an iyanga (sturdy glove) and fits a tomaga (leather hood) on the bird’s head to block light until the moment of release. A whispered prayer to the spirits of the steppe precedes the flight, reminding all that hunting is not conquest, but a respectful exchange with nature. Sayat Today The sayat tradition endures in many parts of Kazakhstan, but East Kazakhstan remains its heartland. “Not every bird flies in immediately,” said Daniyar Nurbek, chief judge of the festival, speaking to The Times of Central Asia. “What matters isn’t force, but mutual understanding. There must be a deep, almost spiritual bond between hunter and eagle, it cannot be commanded, only nurtured.” [caption id="attachment_37951" align="aligncenter" width="600"] @TCA[/caption] Youngsters and Masters The festival welcomed both seasoned falconers and novices. Among them, seven-year-old Abdurashid Mamyrkhan drew particular attention. His father, Mamyrkhan Manayuly, explained that...

Culture

Touching Fairy Tales: In Ust-Kamenogorsk, Books Are Knitted, Sewn, and Brought to Life

At the A.S. Pushkin Library in Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan region, reading has become a tactile adventure. Here, books aren’t just read, they’re knitted, sewn, and handcrafted. Librarians have discovered a magical way to ignite children’s interest in reading: through tactile books that can be touched, flipped through, and even assembled. “The main thing is to find an approach to each child. Even if they haven’t been encouraged to read at home, we can change that in the library,” says Dinara Mergenbayeva, head of the Center for Knowledge. The idea was born from a desire to make books more relatable. “Who says children don’t read? They do, and with great curiosity! They just need something new, lively, and emotional,” she explains. Knitted Books and Soft Stories The library’s first knitted book was a Kazakh-language version of the alphabet primer Әліппе, inspired by Kulmay Sembayeva’s Aripler aleminde (“In the World of Letters”). Each letter is paired with a poem and a small, crocheted animal or object, which children can pull from pockets and explore. “For example, the letter A, next to it are an akhu (swan) and an ayu (bear). We knitted and cut out all the figures ourselves. The materials came from our homes. Even the cover was made from my old suede boots, they’ve found a second life now,” one librarian shares. Another handcrafted creation is Pushkin’s The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish. In this interactive version, characters can be moved around, allowing children to change the course of the story. Kids act out scenes, invent new endings, and immerse themselves more deeply in the narrative. [caption id="attachment_37026" align="aligncenter" width="355"] @Yulia Chernyavskaya[/caption] There’s even a trilingual crocheted edition of Abai’s The Seasons, in Kazakh, Russian, and English. Its pages include trees, snowflakes, flowers, and ladybugs, all detachable and fastened with buttons. Children can “switch” winter to spring, collect leaves, or “scatter” snow, transforming play into reading. “This helps develop fine motor skills, imagination, and a love of books. The key is to keep it interesting,” notes Mergenbayeva. Books You Won’t Find Anywhere Else Each tactile book is handmade, with production times ranging from three weeks to six months. The entire library staff is involved, from brainstorming to material selection and testing books with children. Special editions are created for older students, including a large-format album commemorating Abai’s 175th anniversary, with sections titled “Abai the Writer,” “Abai the Philosopher,” and “Abai the Musician.” “If a child remembers even one illustration, that’s a success. A book should leave an impression, visual, emotional, any kind,” says a librarian. Each edition includes a QR code linking to a digital version in the library’s electronic collection. When Children Bring Their Parents At Pushkin Library, reading is a family affair. Every Saturday features shared reading sessions, reinforcing the tradition of reading together. “The youngest children come with their parents, and later they’re the ones dragging them back. Kids literally pull their moms and dads to the library,” Mergenbayeva smiles. For teenagers, there’s the Literary...

Silk Road

Silk Road Shipwrecks: Virtual Museum Opens Maritime Section

One of Central Asia’s most engaging new cultural projects took on a new dimension last month. The Silk Road Virtual Museum, an online collection of over 20 exhibitions of pre-16th-century Eurasian life and art, has recently opened a section for the ancient trade route’s maritime history. An initiative by the Institute of Asian Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, the site allows visitors to move through themed rooms, just as they would wander through a physical museum. Beginning on a map of the world on the museum’s homepage, visitors click on the Silk Road locations that they wish to discover. Each pin on the map takes them to a video replicating a guided tour of art and artefacts from that place at a certain historical era. Just as in a real museum, each exhibit has an information panel explaining what the object is. Life on the Central Asian parts of the Silk Road is shown in exhibitions to Sogdian traders in Samarkand (6th-8th centuries), with camels often featuring in their ceramic art, and a room dedicated to ancient caravanserais (inns that provided lodging for travellers), including at Tash Rabat in Kyrgyzstan. Launched in 2024, the Silk Road Virtual Museum already displays over 1,300 objects in total. Their geographical reach mainly stretches from Venice to China, as the Silk Road is often imagined today – but there are collections from places as unexpected as Sweden and Indonesia. With the launch of the maritime section on 16 September, their scope now spans seas as well as deserts. Virtual visitors can travel along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, where there are already seven shipwreck exhibitions, each with its own unique story. The project is managed by VirtualMuseum360 and supported by an international network of scholars, who aim to make the Silk Road’s many eras and strands accessible to people wherever they are in the world. The web pages have two advantages over traditional museums, in that they are free to access and open 24/7. Leading the Silk Road Virtual Museum (SRVM) is Professor Richard Griffiths, the director of Leiden University’s ‘New Silk Roads’ programme. A distinguished economic historian who has specialised in the history of trade, during a spell teaching in the Chinese city of Chengdu, Griffiths took an interest in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. When he began to trace the policy’s history, he realised that the origins of China’s modern trade with the West can be found in the myths and realities of the ancient Silk Roads. The key to making SRVM work, he says, is collaboration. Griffiths tells The Times of Central Asia: “We’re not replacing real museums – we’re working alongside them. Everything we do depends on the knowledge of academics, archaeologists, and conservators. Together we can make heritage accessible to anyone, anywhere, without losing its depth or integrity.” “Our visitors are a real mix,” he adds. “Often people tell me they use SRVM before a trip, so that when they see objects in a real museum,...

Culture

Global Conflicts Fuel a Wave of Cancellations in Central Asia’s Cultural Scene

On September 20, performers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan took part in the international “Intervision-2025” contest in Moscow, a music competition often described as the Eurasian counterpart to Eurovision. Originally launched in the 1970s by countries of the Eastern Bloc, Intervision has been periodically revived as a stage for showcasing regional talent and cultural diversity, with recent editions aiming to strengthen cultural exchange across Eurasia. At the event, last held in Sochi, Russia, in 2008, the Kyrgyz performers, Nomad, earned second place. But even as regional talent competes on the global stage, a parallel trend is intensifying at home: artists, especially Russians, are increasingly being “canceled” across Central Asia. The root cause, observers say, is Russia's war in Ukraine. Mounting Controversies Concert cancellations, particularly in Kazakhstan, have become so frequent that international artists are growing wary. On September 17, organizers for Canadian pop star The Weeknd announced the cancellation of his planned show in Almaty. They cited a broader pattern of artist cancellations in the country. “In light of recent events and online discussions, we have decided to consider hosting the concert elsewhere,” the statement read. Sources suggest the cancellation was indirectly linked to the backlash over an upcoming concert by Russian rapper Timati, who has publicly supported the war in Ukraine. The online campaign has reportedly cast a shadow over unrelated performances, including The Weeknd’s. At the same time, anti-war artists are also being blocked. Belarusian rapper Max Korzh saw his Almaty show canceled, despite his public criticism of the war. The decision may have been influenced by riots at his August concert in Warsaw, where Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) symbols were seen. In Russia, the UPA is classified as an extremist group; in Poland, it is accused of wartime atrocities against Poles. Following the event, the Polish authorities deported 57 Ukrainians and 6 Belarusians. Kazakh officials, observers say, are keen to avoid similar controversies. The War’s Cultural Fallout Ideological divides are reshaping Central Asia’s cultural landscape. Once welcome, Russian performers now frequently face petitions and protests. In August, an online campaign demanded the cancellation of pop singer Polina Gagarina’s November concert in Kazakhstan. Petitioners argued her public support for Moscow’s policies contradicted international law and risked provoking social unrest. Russian rock singer Zemfira reportedly canceled her June concert at the request of venue owners. Other Russian artists, including Grigory Leps, Vladimir Presnyakov, and the Turetsky Choir, have been barred due to perceived support for the war. The “Zhara” music festival was also scrapped following online criticism, with the Kazakh Minister of Culture citing "political propaganda and attempts to divide society" as the reasons behind the decision. Meanwhile, anti-war comedians and musicians are facing hurdles. Maksim Galkin, designated a “foreign agent” by Russia and now living in Israel, has complained of bans in Kazakhstan. Outspoken rapper Alisher Morgenstern canceled concerts in Almaty and Astana last year, while both his and Leps’ shows were prohibited in Kyrgyzstan. Officials in Bishkek cited moral concerns, accusing Morgenstern of undermining “Kyrgyz traditions...

Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys to Perform in Almaty on September 19 for City Day

Almaty is preparing to host one of its most anticipated music events of the year: the legendary Backstreet Boys will perform at Central Stadium on September 19 in celebration of City Day. Organizers have promised a show featuring the group's greatest hits from the 1990s and 2000s, complete with elaborate stage production and the signature energy that made the band a global phenomenon. To ensure public safety, approximately 2,500 police officers will be deployed, alongside on-site ambulance teams and fire crews. The city administration has also announced that 150 volunteers will assist attendees in navigating the venue. LED screens around the stadium will display a hotline number for those needing assistance. [caption id="attachment_36340" align="alignnone" width="300"] @Almaty Akimat[/caption] The concert is expected to attract Almaty residents as well as international fans, some of whom have traveled thousands of kilometers to see the iconic group perform against the backdrop of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains. “I bought my ticket back in July and flew in from Minsk just for this show. The city is amazing, and the atmosphere promises to be unforgettable,” said Belarusian fan Yulia Makhovich. For 35-year-old Almaty resident Alina Agapova, the event carries personal significance: “Backstreet Boys are my childhood and youth. Their songs always carried deep meaning and are tied to important memories. For me, this is not just a concert but a return to the times when we collected posters, magazines, and dreamed of seeing them live.” [caption id="attachment_36344" align="alignnone" width="300"] @Almaty Akimat[/caption] Many fans see the band’s visit as a milestone for Kazakhstan’s cultural scene. “Before, to attend concerts like this, you had to fly to Europe or the U.S. Now global stars are coming to us. It’s a matter of pride for our city,” said Aigerim, a university student who purchased her ticket in the first days of sales. Almaty is emerging as a regional hub for international music. After hosting stars like Jennifer Lopez and Marilyn Manson, the Backstreet Boys’ concert highlights the city’s drive to become Central Asia’s leading destination for major cultural events, with strong attention to safety and accessibility.