ASTANA – The first Kazakh – French Adventure Festival, titled Under the Sky of Tengri, brought together scientists, explorers, filmmakers and nature enthusiasts on June 6 in Kosshy town near the capital.
Photo credit: silkwaytv.kz
Supported by the French Embassy in Kazakhstan, Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Visit Astana company, the festival featured movie screenings, discussions and live connections with researchers in some of the world’s remote regions.
Held at the Kosshy Social, Cultural and Sports Complex, the festival offered visitors the chance to engage with prominent figures in the geography and mountaineering fields, while also delving into the worlds of aerospace engineering and ecological research.
Among the Kazakh participants were geographer and festival president Ordenbek Mazbayev, renowned mountaineer Maksut Zhumayev and aerospace researcher Beket Tulegenov. They were joined by French adventurers and authors Luc Hardy, Orianne Aymard and documentary filmmaker Stéphane Dugast.
Mazbayev shared his experience leading Kazakhstan’s first expedition to Antarctica in 2011, organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the country’s Independence – an example of how the spirit of adventure aligns with significant scientific and geographical research.
“I advocate for a healthy lifestyle so that our children and youth are inspired to pursue meaningful goals. I believe this will not be the last festival. We would be glad if other embassies support this initiative and help organize similar events across Kazakhstan,” Mazbayev added.
The program also included virtual Q&A sessions with explorers such as Cédric Tassan, Éric Brossier and members of the Concordia scientific base in Antarctica. These exchanges gave attendees rare insight into contemporary scientific expeditions and the personal motivations behind them.
Carlos Marsal, an employee of the French Embassy and a passionate mountaineer, was one of the driving forces behind the idea for the festival. His personal experiences and his own adventure film served as inspiration for the event.
“This is my life – I’ve always been passionate about adventure, and many of my friends share the same interest. I believe Kazakhstan is the space for tourism and exploration, that’s why this festival is so valuable. In fact, several other cities in Kazakhstan have already expressed interest in hosting it in the future. But I’m not doing this for myself – it’s for the younger generations. I want to inspire them to dream big and embrace adventure,” Marsal added.
With a focus on current ecological and scientific challenges, the event promoted dialogue across cultures while encouraging public interest in adventure and research. Families with children, students and local residents filled the venue throughout the day, attending movie screenings and live talks that connected local traditions with global scientific efforts.
Admission was free, and the event aimed to make knowledge and inspiration accessible to a broad audience. Organizers expressed hope that the festival would become an annual tradition, fostering long-term cultural and scientific collaboration between Kazakhstan and France.
