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- Convenors:
-
Aiym Tlepbergen
(L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University)
Leila Bakytova (L.Gumilev Eurasian National University)
Asselia Shulenbayeva
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- Chair:
-
Kulshat Medeuova
(L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University)
- Discussant:
-
Snezhana Atanova
(Nazarbayev University Constructor University)
- Format:
- Panel
- Theme:
- Cultural Studies, Art History & Fine Art
Abstract
The panel focuses on contemporary processes of preservation and representation of cultural heritage and the development of museum practices in Kazakhstan. It examines the role of museum institutions and cultural projects in the context of intangible heritage, historical memory, and the formation of cultural identity. Particular attention is given to the challenges of interpreting new cultural and social realities and to the changes taking place in museum policy. These issues are explored through the history of local history museums and visitor centers and their role in shaping historical memory and developing excursion activities in Astana.
The development of regional museum practices is analyzed through the creation of new museum complexes in the Ulytau region, where contemporary cultural projects are closely connected with tourism development and the construction of regional identity. The panel also addresses different aspects of the “museumization” of national sports, in which traditional practices acquire new symbolic meanings and become included in the sphere of cultural heritage.
Through a museum-centered perspective, the panel discussion aims to consider broader processes of transformation in cultural policy and the institutionalization of heritage in contemporary Kazakhstan.
Accepted papers
Abstract
The paper examines national sports not only as a practice of revitalizing traditional forms, but also as part of cultural heritage that requires preservation, representation, and promotion. In this context, it is possible to speak about the process of the “museumization” of images and meanings associated with national sports, when they begin to be perceived as symbols of history, culture, and national identity. These transformations are connected with the development of cultural policy, the growing interest in intangible cultural heritage, and the emergence of new forms of representing tradition in museum spaces, festivals, ethno-cultural complexes, and official cultural events.
The paper analyzes how national sports in contemporary Kazakhstan acquire new meanings and functions beyond their original social context. Particular attention is given to the ways in which processes of preservation, display, and popularization produce new representations of tradition that are used to strengthen historical memory, national identity, and state cultural policy.
Abstract
The paper analyzes seven museum institutions established over the past 35 years in the Ulytau region (Kazakhstan). Particular attention is given to large-scale regional projects located near the historical and cultural complex of Jochi Khan, which also served as the venue for the first National Kurultai in 2022.
The study examines the Ulytau Visitor Center situated near the sacred monument and pilgrimage site of Akmeshit-Aulie. It explores how regional initiatives reflect the evolution of museum policy - from the preservation of historical and cultural heritage to the creation of new cultural spaces with a strong focus on serving tourists.
The analysis demonstrates how both state and local strategies shape representations of the region’s cultural landscape, strengthen regional identity, and foster engagement with visitors.
В докладе анализируется семь музейных организаций, созданных за последние 35 лет в регионе Улытау (Казахстан). Особый интерес представляют крупные региональные проекты, расположенные рядом с историко-культурным комплексом Жошы хана, месте проведения первого Национального Курылтая в 2022 году. Анализируется визит-центр Улытау, расположенный возле сакрального памятника и места паломничества Акмешит-аулие.
Исследуются как региональные инициативы отражают эволюцию музейной политики от сохранения историко-культурного наследия к созданию новых культурных пространств с акцентом на обслуживание туристов.
Анализ показывает, как государственные и локальные стратегии формируют представление о культурном ландшафте региона, укрепляют региональную идентичность и способствуют взаимодействию с туристами.
Abstract
The paper examines the history of the local history museum that existed in the city (Akmola - Tselinograd - Astana) from 1923 to 2000 as a case of institutional loss that has created a specific gap leading to cultural vulnerability. Through historical materials, professional experience in tour guiding, and elements of autoethnographic reflection, the study explores why the absence of such institutions prevents Astana from maintaining a coherent narrative about itself.
Today Astana remains a capital city without a local history museum and without a Visitor center that could interpret its historical meaning, urban character, and cultural depth. A city that represents the country to the outside world should not remain without a space of memory, without a place where history becomes visible, understandable, and meaningful for residents and visitors.
The paper raises questions important for historians, museum professionals, guides, and urban researchers: can new museum formats replace traditional local history museums, and what forms of cultural institutions are necessary for constructing a sustainable urban identity?
В докладе рассматривается история краеведческого музея, существовавшего в городе (Акмола, Целиноград, Астана) с 1923 по 2000 год, как кейс утраты, специфический пробел ведущий к культурной уязвимости. Через исторические факты, экскурсионную практику и самоэтнографию раскрывается, почему без этих институтов Астана теряет целостный рассказ о себе. Астана сегодня столица без краеведческого музея города и без Визит-центра, который мог бы объяснить её смысл, характер и историческую глубину. Город, который представляет страну миру, не должен оставаться без пространства памяти, без места, где история становится живой, понятной и вдохновляющей. Это текст о памяти, идентичности и будущем города, где поднимает вопрос важный для историков, музейщиков, гидов, урбанистов –могут ли новые формы музеев прийти на смену краеведческим?