Przewalski’s Horses to Roam Kazakh Steppe Once Again Following Czech-Kazakh Partnership
ASTANA – Przewalski’s horses, the last truly wild horses on the planet, could return to the Kazakh steppe once again after a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources and the Prague Zoo during the Kazakh-Czech business forum on April 24,…
Kazakhstan Celebrates 200 Years of Musical Genius Kurmangazy
ASTANA – This year, Kazakhstan is celebrating 200 years of Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly, a leading figure in Kazakh traditional music, composer, and versatile dombra performer, whose music reflected personal narratives and stories of Kazakh people in the 19th century. Kurmangazy spoke to the hearts of less privileged Kazakh people, fighting against injustice and the unaccountability of…
Ian Nepomniachtchi Misses Winning Position After Defeat in Game 12 of World Chess Championship
ASTANA – With the last two games of the World Chess Championship remaining, the spectators are no closer to a verdict, as Ding Liren emerged victorious in game 12, equalizing his chances for the champion title with Ian Nepomniachtchi at 6:6, reported the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The ceremonial first move in game 12 was…
EU Begin Talks with Kazakhstan to Prevent Re-Export of Sanctioned Goods to Russia
ASTANA – The European Union (EU) began talks with Kazakhstan aimed at preventing Russia from using third countries to bypass the restrictions imposed by the EU, said International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions David O’Sullivan at a press conference during his visit to Astana on April 24. The context of the visit…
Trio of Artists Share Firsthand Stories on Their Art Narratives and Techniques
ASTANA – The New Day exhibition brought together two contemporary artists, Amanat Nazarkul and Vladimir Gvozdev (Shege), and a traditional carpet (tuskiiz) collector, Natalya Krivets, to share with a wider audience their firsthand experiences in art and working methods on April 14 at the Kulanshi Art Center in Astana. It is rare to find all…
World War II Guerrilla Fighter and Author Kasym Kaisenov Remembered in Kazakhstan on His 105th Anniversary
ASTANA – Kasym Kaisenov, a frontline guerrilla fighter during World War II and a novelist whose chronicles explored the war’s legacy for a post-war generation, is being celebrated in Kazakhstan on his 105th anniversary on April 23. Personal war experience and memories of his comrades From the standpoint of a guerrilla fighter, Kaisenov possessed a…
Rising Kazakh Chess Star Meruert Kamalidenova: Success Comes from Balancing Fun and Effort
ASTANA – It has been a promising year for the 17-year-old Meruert Kamalidenova, Kazakhstan’s national chess team member, who made an eye-catching performance on the final day of the women’s teams match, defeating China’s four-time Women’s World Chess Champion Hou Yifan. In her recent interview with the Kazinform news agency, she talked about her approach…
Young Choreographers Bring Neoclassical and Modern Dance Together in Astana Ballet’s Latest Premieres
ASTANA – Astana Ballet is premiering Ainur Abilgazina’s neoclassic “Soli Deo Gloria” and Olzhas Makhanbetaliyev’s modern “Nine” to highlight the theater’s 10th anniversary season on April 15-16 in the capital. By bringing different dance styles together the artists have created new transformative ways to interpret the music and the narrative arc. Both choreographers are staging…
Ding Liren Makes Comeback to Beat Ian Nepomniachtchi in Trilling Match
ASTANA – The stakes are as high as ever at the FIDE World Chess Championship in Astana. Ding Liren convincingly defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi during the sixth game, leveling the score at 3:3 on April 16, reported the FIDE press service. The match took another unexpected turn as Ding recovered from his heavy defeat in the…
Kazakhstan Prepares New Document to Boost Development and Prevalence of Kazakh Language
ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education has developed a draft concept for language policy development for 2023-2029 that addresses priorities, the future outlook, and measures to boost the development of the Kazakh language. The draft, published on the Open Legal Acts website, is available for public discussion until April 25. The…
Second Game in Chess Championship Turns Bitter for Ding after Nepomniachtchi Seizes His First Win
ASTANA – Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated Ding Liren in 29 moves with black in the second game of the 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship on April 10 in Astana, seizing an early advantage in the race for the men’s most prestigious title in chess, reported FIDE. This was the first victory in the games for the…
Unraveling Colorful Art and Tradition of Kazakh Carpet Weaving
ASTANA – Discovering Kazakh carpets can take one on a highly patterned journey through the centuries-old aesthetic tradition of nomadic people, their symbolism in design, and the simple practicalities of such an essential household item. The ancient nomadic practice of carpet weaving remains one of the last vestiges of art that is fading away. In…
Kazakhstan Celebrates 150 Years of Inspirational Revolutionary Amangeldi Imanov
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Amangeldi Imanov, the leader of the 1916 national liberation uprising against the Tsarist rule, who became a symbol of resistance to social oppression during the power transition period of the early 20th century. Imanov took a passionate stance against both the colonial policy of the tsarist…
New Animated Series Tell Story of Prominent Kazakh Composer Kurmangazy
ASTANA – A debut animated series, “Dala Shyrqauy” (The Field Song), produced by Tasqyn Studio, brought to light the story of Kurmangazy, a prominent Kazakh composer and dombra player, whose 200th anniversary is celebrated across Kazakhstan this year. The first episode premiered on March 16 on the Tasqyn Studio Youtube channel. The series offers a…
Blooming Beauty: Forgotten Facts About Kazakhstan’s Rich Tulip Heritage
ASTANA – Spring manifests itself in many ways, but the blossom of tulips might be among the most welcomed in Kazakhstan, the land where dozens of tulip species originate. For Kazakh people, a brief but intense period when the flowers are in bloom is a reminder of life’s transience. They are beloved for signaling the…
Country’s First Children Dubbing Studio Opens to Popularize Kazakh Language
ASTANA – A creative initiative of schoolchildren from the town of Ekibastuz in northeastern Kazakhstan to dub popular foreign cartoons into the Kazakh language has secured a grant to expand its cartoon-dubbing venture, announced the city’s education department on its Instagram page on March 28. The initiative aims to provide dubbed entertainment content tailor-made for…
Kazakh Ecology Minister Meets with UN Secretary-General
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Zulfiya Suleimenova, discussed Kazakhstan’s plans for sustainable water resources management with the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 24. The Secretary-General commended Kazakhstan’s efforts, emphasizing the active position taken by the country in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals…
Kazakh Team of 38 Professionals Compete in Abilympics for the First Time
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s finest team of 38 people took part in the 10th International Abilympics competition of professional skills for people with disabilities in the French city of Metz on March 23-25, reported Kazakhstan’s Consulate General in Strasbourg’s press service. Kazakhstan’s team represented educational institutions from nearly all regions of the country. It includes professionals…
Kazakhstan Taking Steps to Prevent Torture and Protect Human Rights, Says Human Rights Commissioner
ASTANA – The recently enacted law that tightens punishment for torture is an extension of Kazakhstan’s ongoing legal reforms directed to combat the deliberate targeting of civilians and torture, said Kazakhstan’s Human Rights Commissioner Artur Lastayev in an interview with Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper on March 22 ahead of the Right to Truth Day. This day…
Kazakhstan’s Election Offered Voters Increased Choice, Some Limitations Remain, OSCE Observers Say
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s March 19 parliamentary election offered increased choice for voters, though some limits on the exercise of fundamental freedoms and participation remain, said international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly during the presentation of their preliminary…
There Is Something to Learn from Kazakhstan’s Election, Foreign Observers Say
ASTANA – Respect for the rule of law, transparent voting procedures, and accessible and civilian-oriented polling stations are among the few features of Kazakhstan’s parliamentary elections that define the country’s commitment to the expansion of democracy, said international observers at the press briefing in Astana on March 19. Daniel Robert Kawczynski, a member of the…
International Observers Mark Active Youth Participation, No Significant Violations
ASTANA – Smooth organization and high voter turnout among the young people is how foreign observers describe Kazakhstan’s parliamentary election at a press briefing in Astana on March 19, saying there are no significant violations as of noon. Observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) reported active voter participation, particularly…
Top Kazakh Officials Brief Foreign Media on Upcoming Parliamentary Election
ASTANA — State Counselor Erlan Karin and Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko spoke about the major features and changes in the upcoming March 19 parliamentary election and its significance for Kazakhstan’s political development with the foreign reporters in Astana on March 16. With the country undergoing transformative political reforms and electoral cycle, one could not…
Kazakh MFA, CEC Brief Diplomatic Corps on Preparations for Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko and the Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Nurlan Abdirov briefed the heads of diplomatic missions on the preparation and conduct of the March 19 parliamentary election to Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakh Parliament, and maslikhats, the local representative bodies, on March 15, days before what could…
Kazakh CEC Accredits Almost 800 International Observers for Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited 793 observers from 41 foreign states and 12 international organizations, as the CEC wrapped up accreditation on March 13 at 6 p.m. Astana time, reported CEC Secretary Mukhtar Yerman at a March 13 CEC meeting in Astana. Out of 793 observers, 473 observers from 17 foreign countries…
