ALMATY — Nearly 17,000 people attended the museum events in Almaty as part of the annual Night at the Museum cultural campaign marking the International Museum Day, making it one of the city’s largest public cultural initiatives dedicated to promoting historical awareness and cultural heritage.
Museums across Almaty opened their doors late into the night on May 18 as thousands of residents and visitors took part in the annual Night at the Museum cultural campaign. Photo credit: Perizat Smetova. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
It included exhibitions, performances, concerts, workshops and interactive programs designed to promote Kazakhstan’s historical and cultural heritage, all free of charge from 6 p.m. until midnight.
The initiative included a wide range of cultural institutions, among them Almaty Museum of Arts, the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments named after Ykhlas Dukenuly, the Akhmet Baitursynuly House Museum, the museums dedicated to Dinmukhamed Kunaev, Sabit Mukanov and Gabit Musrepov, the Nurgisa Tlendiyev Memorial Museum and the Multimedia Center of Traditional Music.
Visitors explored exhibitions, showcasing rare museum objects connected to decorative arts, theater, radio, visual arts and national traditions. Photo credit: Perizat Smetova.
One of the largest programs took place at the National Central Museum of Kazakhstan, where the annual event was held under the theme Museums Unite a Divided World.
The museum featured exhibitions of rare artifacts, archival documents, antiques and collections reflecting various periods of Kazakhstan’s history and culture. The visitors explored exhibitions, showcasing rare museum objects connected to decorative arts, theater, radio, visual arts and national traditions.
One of the evening’s highlights was the Living Museum theatrical tour, where the public interacted with actors portraying the Golden Man, Queen Tomyris and Kazakh khans, recreating scenes from different eras of steppe history.
Actors from the State Academic Puppet Theater also staged performances throughout the museum space.
As part of the initiative, several prominent Kazakh cultural figures donated personal items and artifacts to the museum’s collection. Among them were composer Altynbek Korazbayev, singer Roza Rymbayeva, musician Saule Zhanpeisova and Paralympic medalist Temirzhan Daulet.
The museum also hosted the international Museum Fest exhibition, presenting projects and curated displays from institutions affiliated with TURKSOY, including the Batyr Babalar (Brave Children) Museum, the Anağa Qurmet (Respect to Mother) Museum and the Karasai District Historical Museum.
Among the rare exhibits drawing the public attention were the saber of Bopai Khanum, sister of Kazakh ruler Kenesary Khan, traditional jewelry and 20th-century cameras.
Visitors also took part in hands-on workshops on carpet weaving, felt making, pottery and ancient Turkic runic writing, while interactive quests and educational games introduced younger audiences to museum collections through more immersive and engaging formats.
