Culture of Kazakhstan
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Modern Kazakh culture is mainly characterized as a synthesis of
Because animal husbandry was central to the Kazakhs' traditional lifestyle, most of their nomadic practices and customs relate in some way to livestock. Traditional curses and blessings invoked disease or fertility among animals, and good manners required that a person ask first about the health of a man's livestock when greeting him and only afterward inquire about the human aspects of his life.
The traditional Kazakh dwelling is the yurt, a tent consisting of a flexible framework of willow wood covered with varying thicknesses of felt. The open top permits smoke from the central hearth to escape; temperature and draft can be controlled by a flap that increases or decreases the size of the opening. A properly constructed yurt can be cooled in summer and warmed in winter, and it can be disassembled or set up in less than an hour. The interior of the yurt has ritual significance; the right side is generally reserved for men and the left for women. Yurts are also frequently used as a decorative motif in restaurants and other public buildings.
Modern Influences
Today's Kazakhstan is a modern culture, thriving in the post-Soviet era. The traditional Kazakh lifestyle has blended with influences from Western societies, as well as those from Kazakhstan's Russian and Chinese neighbors.
Religion
Cuisine
Traditional
In recent years, there has been an influx of young westernised
.
Traditions
Kazakhs are known for their hospitality, and many Kazakh traditions are based on this ethnic feature. Some traditions have been lost, but some have been rediscovered. Below are some of the traditions that continue to play a role in the modern Kazakh society:
Konakasy (Kazakh: қонақасы; "konak" - guest, "as" - food) - a tradition to welcome a guest and make his stay as enjoyable as one can by providing food, lodge, entertainment. Depending on the circumstances under which a guest had come from, he is either called "arnayy konak" (Kazakh: арнайы қонақ) - a specially invited guest, "kudayy konak" (Kazakh: құдайы қонақ) - a casual traveller, or "kydyrma konak" (Kazakh: қыдырма қонақ) - an unexpected visitor.[6]
Korimdik (Kazakh: көрімдік; "koru" - to see) - a tradition of presenting a person with a gift to congratulate him on a gain in his life. The custom is called korimdik, if a gain is related to a person or an animal (e.g. seeing a person's daughter-in-law or a newborn animal for the first time), and baygazy (Kazakh: байғазы), if the gain is material.[6]
Shashu (Kazakh: шашу - to scatter) - a tradition to shower heroes of an occasion with sweets during some festivity. Kazakhs believe that collected delights bring luck.[6]
Bata (Kazakh: бата - blessing) - a form of poetic art, typically given by the most respected or the eldest person to express gratitude for the provided hospitality, give blessing to a person who is about to enter a new phase in life, go through a challenging experience or travel.[6]
Tusau kesu (Kazakh: тұсау кесу - to cut ties) - a tradition to celebrate the first attempts of a child to walk. The legs of a child are tied with a string of white and black colors symbolizing the good and the bad in life. The tie is then cut by a female relative who is energetic and lively in nature, so that the child acquires her qualities. After the string has been cut, it is burnt.[6]
Kyz uzatu (Kazakh: қыз ұзату) - the first wedding party organized by the parents of a bride. The literal translation is "to see off a daughter".[6]
Betashar (Kazakh: беташар; "bet" - face, "ashu" - to open) - the custom (often done at the wedding) to lift a veil from the face of a bride. Today it the mullah who is invited to perform an improvised song, in which he mentions relatives of the groom. During his performance, a bride has to bow every time she hears a name. After the song, the mother of the groom lifts the veil. [6]
Shildehana (Kazakh: шілдехана) - celebration of a birth of a child.[7]
Suinshi (Kazakh: сүйінші) - a tradition to give present to someone who has brought good news.[7]
Languages
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The official language is Kazakh,[8] a Turkic language closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak. Another widely spoken language is Russian. The recent language policy suggests trilingualism as an important factor for future development of the country. [9]
Literature
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2014) |
Art
Each year Kazakh artisans participate in the "Sheber" competition. The competition is part of the program "Development of crafts and the revival of folk arts and crafts in Kazakhstan", which began in 2006 to increase the competitiveness of Kazakh artisans’ products domestically and internationally. This program is conducted by the Union of Artisans of Kazakhstan, "Chevron", the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia, Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information and the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty.[10]
Movies
In September 2006, the government announced that it is funding distribution of a multimillion-dollar movie called
Since that time such movies like Mongol, Tulpan, and Kelin have been released. All three films were submitted for the Academy Award for
Music
Magic Songs of the Eternal Steppe
Magic Songs of the Eternal Steppe is a series of concerts at
The Symphony Orchestra of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory
Symphony Orchestra of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory was founded in 1947. The first leader of the orchestra was Professor K. Babayev. The Orchestra has a vast repertoire spanning
Sports
Kazakhstan has cultivated a strong interest in
Ruhani Zhangyru
President Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined six specific projects designed to start the spiritual modernisation of Kazakhstan in his keynote article “Course towards the Future: Modernisation of Kazakhstan's Identity," which was released in April 2017. The projects include the following:
- a step-by-step transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet and the New Humanitarian Knowledge
- 100 New Textbooks in the Kazakh Language
- Tugan Zher
- Sacred Geography of Kazakhstan
- Modern Kazakh Culture in the Global World
- 100 New Faces of Kazakhstan.[15]
The program also includes translation of the contemporary Kazakh literature and poetry into the UN's six languages. The official presentation of the Anthology took place in Almaty in April 2019.[16]
The presentation of the Anthology translated into English was held at the British Library in London on September 25, 2019. The Cambridge University Press along with the British literary translation experts translated and published the Kazakh literature collections in English.[17]
An important part of the program is the Seven Facets of the Great Steppe doctrine, which described by President Nazarbayev. The article described the seven facets of the Great Steppe: culture of horsemanship, ancient metallurgy of the great steppe, animal style, Golden Man, cradle of the Turkic world, the Great Silk Road and the land of apples and tulips.[18]
See also
Notes
- ^ "Scythians in Central Asia". Archived from the original on 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
- ^ a b "Kazakhstan". United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. United States Department of State. 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
- ^ a b Kazakhstan - International Religious Freedom Report 2008 U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2009-09-07.
- ^ "Soul of Tengri: Kazakh Traditions and Rituals".
- ^ Scripka, Abigail (2022). Tengrism as a lived religion in Kazakhstan and its role in national identity building (Thesis). Tartu Ülikool.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Обычаи гостеприимства". www.bilu.kz. Archived from the original on 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ a b "Обряды, традиции и обычаи. Самые популярные и широко распространённые виды спорта казахского народа". visitkazakhstan.kz. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
- ^ "Государственный язык Республики Казахстан | Департамент юстиции города Нур-Султан". www.astana.adilet.gov.kz. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
- ^ "Трехъязычие как один из приоритетов современного образования". articlekz.com. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
- KazInform. Archived from the originalon 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- ^ "Kazakhstan in America Magic Songs of the Eternal Steppe". Carnegie Hall.
- ^ "Kazakh American Association presents: Magic Songs of the Eternal Steppe". The Kennedy Center.
- ^ "Symphony Orchestra of Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory". maestroartist.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- ^ The Customs and Traditions of the Kazakh By Betsy Wagenhauser Archived 2001-12-23 at archive.today
- ^ "Rukhani Zhangyru Programme in Kazakhstan's Foreign Policy". mfa.gov.kz.
- ^ "Rukhani Janghyru focuses on revealing Kazakh people's potential, Annie Michailidou".
- ^ "British Library hosts English-language presentation of Kazakh literature". astanatimes.com. 28 September 2019.
- ^ "Ruhani Zhangyru: Nazarbayev's Model". astanatimes.com. 6 December 2018.
References
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Country Studies. Federal Research Division. - Kazakhstan- Bruce Privratsky, Muslim Turkistan, pages 76–77
