ASTANA – The Museum of Almaty has opened “Peaks Reaching for the Sky,” an exhibition on the history of mountaineering in Kazakhstan from the 1930s to the present day.
Photo credit: Aleksandr Pavsky / Kazinform.
Visitors can learn how mountain camps helped train generations of athletes and explore the life stories of the climbers who shaped the sport. The display brings together archival photographs, documents, personal belongings, and the equipment climbers carried to the summits. It traces how mountaineering took root in Kazakhstan, from the first ascents and landmark expeditions to the achievements of today’s athletes, reported Kazinform news agency.
From the first ascents to today’s climbers
One of the key milestones in the history of Kazakh mountaineering came on July 17, 1930. That day, Ivan Mysovsky, Vladimir Gorbunov, and Alexander Berggrin, led by Grigory Beloglazov, made the first organized ascent of the mountains around Almaty.
In the years that followed, climbing clubs began to appear in the city. In 1935, around 250 climbers from across the country gathered in Almaty and climbed the surrounding peaks, including Talgar Peak.
A separate part of the exhibition is devoted to World War II. A school near Gorelnik trained instructors for the Soviet Union’s mountain rifle units, and around 15,000 service members passed through it.
Photo credit: Aleksandr Pavsky / Kazinform.
The stands also display archival photographs of expedition members, materials on how climbers prepared for their ascents, and the stories behind famous summits, including Khan Tengri, the best-known peak in Kazakhstan.
The exhibition pays tribute to the climbers who built the reputation of the Kazakh school. Among them are Kazbek Valiev, Valery Shevtsov, renowned coach and expedition leader Ervand Ilyinsky, and Maksut Zhumayev, who has climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. It also honors the legendary Anatoli Boukreev, who held the Snow Leopard title, and Denis Urubko, who also summited all 14 eight-thousanders.
A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to women climbers and their contribution to the sport.
Kazbek Valiev, one of Kazakhstan’s best-known climbers and the first Kazakh to summit Everest, attended the opening.
“I want to congratulate everyone on the opening of the mountaineering department of the Museum of Almaty. I think it is well deserved, because the history of mountaineering in Kazakhstan is vast. Most of its achievements are tied to Almaty climbers. The Almaty Mountaineering Federation is doing a lot to popularize the sport among city residents,” he said.
Lyazzat Sagyndikova, director of the Association of Almaty Museums, said the exhibition is meant not only to tell the history of the sport but also to show the contribution of people who devoted their lives to the mountains. She added that their stories “inspire the younger generation to strive for new heights.”
The exhibition is open from Oct. 28 through the end of November 2026.
