Vol. 113 No. 2 (2026): Мәдени мұра №2 (113) 2026

Stone sculptures hold a special place in museum collections as unique artifacts
that reflect the artistic, spiritual, and social dimensions of various eras. These relics span
several historical periods, covering cultural and historical processes from the Early Iron Age
to the ethnographic period. Within the museum environment, they simultaneously serve as
subjects of scientific research and tools for visual communication with the general public. This
dual function enables a comprehensive application of both traditional methods and modern
approaches to integrate stone sculptures into scientific discourse, ensure their preservation,
and present them within the exhibition space.
Accordingly, this article examines stone sculptures preserved in Kazakhstan’s museum
funds as a distinct group of museum objects, analyzing the core issues of their scientific
study and exhibition presentation. It addresses challenges related to attribution and dating,
methods of documentation, typological and iconographic analysis, as well as the conservation
conditions of stone monuments both in situ and in museums. Emphasis is placed on the
potential of modern technologies to ensure long-term preservation and audience engagement.
Additionally, the paper reviews the prerequisites for the phased accumulation of these
monuments in museums, analyzing the collections of Kazakhstani museums and relevant
scientific publications. Finally, it provides a bibliographical overview of stone sculptures
discovered nationwide and in museum collections, with a particular focus on the challenges
of exhibition interpretation.

This article analyzes the visual strategies of the National Museum of the Republic
of Kazakhstan as mechanisms for constructing national identity. In the context of digital cultural
transformation, the museum is considered not only as a repository of heritage, but also as a
space where historical narratives are visually structured and symbolically mediated. The study
aims to identify and systematize the museum’s visual strategies and to examine their role in
representing statehood, historical continuity, and cultural belonging.
The theoretical framework draws on the concepts of sites of memory, imagined communities,
and the exhibitionary complex. Visual, semiotic, and narrative analysis, together with elements
of visual anthropology, made it possible to reveal how spatial organization, symbolic codes,
and exhibition scenarios transform historical material into stable images of collective identity.
The findings reveal architectural-spatial framing, visual sacralization of antiquity, ethnocultural
representation, visualization of statehood, representation of collective memory, and digital
mediation of heritage.
The study demonstrates that museum visual practices function as instruments of memory
politics and contribute to the stabilization of national identity. The results may be useful for
museum studies, visual anthropology, cultural policy, archaeology, and ethnology.

The article is devoted to the theoretical and practical aspects of the
musealization, conservation, and digital representation of the Golden Man (kaz: Altyn
adam), a unique archaeological monument of Saka culture discovered in the Issyk burial
mound in 1970. It considers the monument’s place in Kazakhstan’s national cultural
heritage system and its role in shaping historical memory, symbolic politics, and
national identity. Based on an interdisciplinary approach, the study analyzes the main
stages of research and museum presentation of the Golden Man, as well as the existing
reconstructions by K. Akishev, A. Akishev, A. Tanabayev, and K. Altynbekov. Special
attention is given to methodological issues of reconstructing the monument’s appearance
and interpreting its historical and cultural status within contemporary museum practices
and digital humanities.
The article addresses the scientific reliability of visual reconstructions, criteria for
their verification, and the role of digital technologies in preserving, transmitting, and
popularizing archaeological heritage. It argues for unified scientific principles for
conservation, reconstruction, and digital representation, grounded in international
heritage standards. The article concludes that a scientifically grounded interpretive model
is essential for preventing pseudoscientific reconstructions, preserving authenticity, and
improving communication between museums and the public.

This article analyzes the representation of traditional Kazakh nomadic material
culture within museum space. The study focuses on a traditional household object widely
used in nomadic everyday life and examines its transformation from a utilitarian tool into
a museum exhibit within the framework of the “tool-exhibit” concept. The research aims to
identify the object's material, functional, and semantic dimensions and to interpret its museum mage from a museological perspective. The methodological framework is based on the
theory of the cultural biography of things (object biography), museum display analysis, and
comparative typological methods. The research materials include collections from the National
Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, analogous items from Uzbekistan and Russia
museums. The results show that the keseqap, originally a utilitarian object of nomadic life,
possessed not only practical functions but also aesthetic, social, and symbolic significance.
The study demonstrates that the loss of its original functional context in museum exhibitions
limits the interpretation of its cultural meanings. It therefore emphasizes the importance
of presenting traditional household objects through an integrated functional, cultural, and
semantic approach. The keseqap is considered both a reflection of nomadic adaptive practices
and an object of museum representation.

The article examines certain methods of the natural sciences applied to the study of Paleolithic sites in Kazakhstan. It analyzes importance of interdisciplinary approach to study earliest human history. Special attention is given to geology, geomorphology, paleontology, radiometric dating, use-wear (traceological) analysis, and paleoecology, which refine dating and describe natural environment and economic activities of prehistoric humans. Role of natural science research in reconstructing human settlement processes in Kazakhstan during the Paleolithic is demonstrated. It is noted that integrated application of modern methods improves understanding of cultural and technological features and increases reliability of archaeological interpretations. Further development is linked to new remote sensing technologies and laboratory analytical methods. Integration of field and laboratory data is important for accurate models of ancient natural and cultural complexes.

Future perspectives include expanding geographical coverage and refining chronology of Paleolithic sites in Kazakhstan. Results can be used for comparative analysis of Paleolithic industries in Eurasia and for new scientific approaches in archaeological research in Kazakhstan. Continued development of research remains a priority direction of modern archaeology in Kazakhstan. These findings contribute to broader understanding of prehistoric development and methodological advancement in archaeology in Kazakhstan and Eurasia studies today.

The article examines the typological characteristics of medieval cities and settlements in the Keles region based on archaeological materials and comparative analysis. Special attention is paid to the structure of the sites, their geographical location, and defensive systems. In archaeology, the classification of medieval settlements is considered an important approach for understanding the development of urban culture and historical processes in a particular region.

The study is based on the works of A.D. Lyublinskaya, V.M. Masson, E.V. Rtveladze, Yu.A. Zadneprovsky, V.M. Rostovtsev, E.I. Ageeva, G.I. Patsevich, K.A. Akishev, K.M. Baipakov, A.N. Bernshtam, P.N. Kozhemyako, and M. Eleuov. Their research provided the methodological foundation for the classification of archaeological monuments in the Keles region. These scholars grouped medieval settlements according to their size, internal structure, location, and functions.

Particular attention was given to the traditional three-part layout consisting of the citadel, shahristan, and rabad, as well as the preservation of defensive walls and towers. Comparative materials from the Semirechye and Shu–Talas regions were also used to identify the main typological features and historical significance of the settlements.

The article presents the results of the study of the fortified outpost settlement of Zhezdy, located on the northern chinks of the Ustyurt Plateau. Based on fieldwork materials, analysis of the ceramic assemblage, planigraphy, and fortification features, the cultural and chronological characteristics of the site and its functional purpose have been clarified. It has been established that the most intensive phase of the settlement’s occupation dates to the Early Medieval period (second half of the 7th – first half of the 9th century). The well-constructed enclosure walls built of bedrock shell limestone slabs, arrow towers, a gate labyrinth, and the internal layout of the premises indicate that Zhezdy belongs to the Zhetyasar-III stage of the Zhetyasar culture.

Special attention is paid to the arrow-shaped planned structures identified in the vicinity of the site. Comparison of ceramic materials and chronological indicators demonstrates their synchronicity with the settlement and makes it possible to consider these features within a unified context of territorial occupation. Analysis of the site’s topographic position and fortification system shows that Zhezdy occupied a strategically important position on the northern periphery of the Zhetyasar culture distribution area and probably controlled movement routes through the chink zones of the Ustyurt Plateau. At present, the settlement of Zhezdy is the northernmost site of the Zhetyasar culture and the first site of this culture identified and investigated in Western Kazakhstan.

The study aims to identify patterns in the distribution of water resources in the
Talas-Asa region as a key factor in the emergence of settlements and outposts along caravan
routes from the 3rd century BC to the 12th century AD. Particular attention is given to natural
factors that shaped the regional water balance and, consequently, influenced the direction of
medieval trade routes. The most important factors include climatic conditions, the orography
of the upper reaches of the Talas, Asa, and smaller rivers, the geological and hydrogeological
structure of the middle reaches, and tectonic processes affecting the lower reaches of the basin.
Ancient caravan routes were reconstructed through the identification of chains of tortkuls,
which functioned as territorial outposts and connecting points between major settlements. The
analysis was conducted using the Google Earth platform. The largest urban center of the Talas-
Asa basin was Taraz, where the northern, eastern, and southern caravan routes converged.
Trade caravans from the Ispidjab historical and cultural region reached Taraz either along the
Teris River valley or through the Kuyuk Pass. From Taraz, the routes diverged: one extended
eastward along the northern foothills of the Kyrgyz Alatau, while another followed the Talas
River valley northward toward Betpakdala.

This article examines rock art from various periods of the Big Karatau Range,
a northwestern spur of the Tian Shan extending across three southern regions of Kazakhstan
(Zhambyl, Turkestan, and Kyzylorda). The study aims to identify connections between the
visual traditions of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. To address issues of archaeological
contextualization, stylistic, iconographic, comparative-historical, semantic analyses were
employed. The article explores the semantic meanings of narrative compositions and images
found in the Karatau rock art, as well as stylistic changes in their representation across
different periods. The formation of these images is examined through a comparison of the
worldview and religious beliefs of the region’s ancient inhabitants with mythological texts
and ethnographic materials preserved in written sources. The themes of “twins” and “ritual
battle,” frequently depicted in the rock art, are associated with the concept “endless struggle”
reflected in binary images of a dualistic nature. Some themes that originated in the Bronze Age
underwent stylistic transformations during the Early Iron Age and evolved into established
narrative forms. These forms make it possible to trace the distribution of certain images and to
identify continuity in worldview and material culture between the two periods.

The article presents the results of an archaeozoological analysis of osteological materials from the Kazakh wintering site Tazhegul-2. The study aims to identify the main directions of the population's economic activities based on laboratory analysis of animal bone remains. The research employed standard archaeozoological methods and paleopathological analysis to assess animal health. Of 578 bone specimens identified, 494 (86%) were determined to the species level. The analysis revealed all major domestic species: small ruminants (Ovis et Capra), cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), and donkey (Equus asinus). Among wild fauna, fox cranial elements were recorded. Quantitatively, small ruminant bones predominate (39%), followed by cattle (33%) and horse (26%), while camel and donkey bones are minimal. Age analysis indicates most small ruminants were slaughtered between 1 and 2 years of age. Cattle were kept for meat and dairy purposes, slaughtered at 1.5–4 years and older. Overall, the age structure shows a relative predominance of adult individuals. Among bone artifacts, a fragment of a skate made from a horse metapodial bone was identified.

This article examines the analytical potential of digital three-dimensional models of Bronze Age ceramic vessels as a source of morphometric data. The study material comprised 6 vessels of the Sintashta-Petrovka, Alakul and Sargary-Alekseyevka cultures from the collection of the Kostanay Regional Museum of History and Local Lore. 3D models were obtained using a structured light scanner EinScan-SP and processed in MeshLab. Morphometric analysis included verification of digital measurement accuracy against museum passport data, classification by the proportionality index H/D_m, and calculation of volume V and surface area S. Verification showed that deviations do not exceed 1.85% across all linear parameters. The deviation for Dm of specimen no. 1 at +3.03% reflects genuine geometric asymmetry of the vessel body confirmed by cross-sectional analysis of the 3D model and does not represent measurement error. For specimen no. 5 the D_m value absent from museum documentation was recovered from the digital model. Classification by H/D_m in the range 0.61 to 0.92 revealed typological differences between cultural groups formulated as hypotheses for future large-sample studies. Calculation of V and S provided data unavailable through standard museum documentation. The results confirm the analytical potential of 3D models for morphometric study of Bronze Age ceramic collections in Kazakhstan.

This article investigates what role of the Kıpchak-Turkic (Kuman) speaking ethnic groups played in Hungarian prehistory. The Hungarian (On-Ogur) and Kabar tribes brake away from the Khazar Empire in the 9^th century. They conquered the Carpathian Basin and moved out of the Volga Region (Etelköz) but some Hungarians remained in the region (Alania, Bashkiria). Kuman and Kıpchak tribes started to dominate the Volga Region starting from the 10^th century. In the 13^th century the region was incorporated to the Mongol Empire as the Jochi Ulus, which promoted the Kuman-Kıpchak language as a lingua franca. Eastern Hungarian assimilated to these Kıpchak-Turkic speaking ethnic groups. After the disintegration of the Western Mongol Empire (Jochi Ulus) the nomadic Nogai Horde became the leading power in the Volga Region. This led to the formation of the modern ethnic groups like Nogai, Bashkir, Tawlu (Karachai-Balkar), Kumuklu and Kazan Tatar (Volga Bulgars). The ethnic history and folklore (oral history) provides many important data that helps us to reconstruct the prehistory of the Hungarian tribes in the Volga region.

In recent years, interest in traditional jewelry of the nomadic Kazakh society
has increased. However, using jewelry exclusively for decorative purposes and lack of
knowledge about the meaningful ideas behind the ornaments and shapes on them remains an
important research issue. The purpose of this article is to identify the place and importance
of ethnographic artifacts related to the celestial world in Kazakh civilization, as reflected
in jewelry. The study employs both general scientific and specialized methods, including
semiotics and interpretation. These methods allow for an in-depth exploration of the topic.
The research paper examines cosmological symbols and sacred meanings and functions
in jewelry from the 19th-20th centuries stored in the collection of the National Museum of
Kazakhstan. The study allowed us to view traditional jewelry not just as a decorative or
applied product, but as an ethnographic legacy with complex sacred significance related to
cosmological systems. The patterns and forms in the ornaments show that people artistically
expressed their connection with nature, the heavens, and human beings, preserving this
spiritual practice through generations.

Мақалада қазақ мақал-мәтелдеріндегі қасқырдың этномәдени семантикасы қарастырылады. Қасқыр бейнесі қазақ халқының дүниетанымында, мәдени жадында және құндылықтар жүйесінде маңызды орын алатын күрделі мәдени-когнитивтік код болып табылады. Зерттеудің мақсаты – қазақ мақал-мәтелдеріндегі қасқырдың семантикалық құрылымын анықтау және оның этномәдени мазмұнын ашу. Зерттеу материалы ретінде «Бабалар сөзі» жүзтомдығының мақал-мәтелдерге арналған томдарынан қасқыр, бөрі, абадан, бөлтірік және басқа да атауларға байланысты 120-дан астам паремиялық бірлік пайдаланылды. Зерттеуде сипаттамалық, семантикалық, этнолингвистикалық, салыстырмалы және жіктеу әдістері қолданылады. Талдау барысында қасқыр образына қатысты мақал-мәтелдердің қауіп пен жыртқыштық, зұлымдық пен қатыгездік, ашкөздік пен тойымсыздық, батырлық пен батылдық, еркіндік пен тәуекелділік, сондай-ақ бірлік, жолдастық және тектілік ұғымдарын бейнелейтін негізгі семантикалық топтары айқындалды. Сондай-ақ, «қасқыр» және «бөрі» атауларының қолданысында белгілі бір мағыналық жіктеу сақталғаны анықталды: «қасқыр» атауы көбінесе қауіп, жыртқыштық және зұлымдық семантикасымен байланысса, «бөрі» атауы күш, батылдық, еркіндік және тектілік ұғымдарымен сабақтасады. Зерттеу нәтижелері қасқыр образы қазақ дүниетанымындағы көпқабатты этномәдени модель және ұлттық құндылықтар жүйесін, мәдени жад пен дүниетанымдық ұстанымдарды бейнелейтін маңызды тілдік-мәдени кодтардың бірі екенін көрсетті

This article examines the mythological and ethnographic content of the «Zher-Su» (Yer-Sub) concept within the traditional worldview of Turkic peoples. In the contemporary context, studying the continuity between archaic beliefs and modern environmental ethics is crucial for identifying the shared cultural code of the Turkic world. The research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the mythological foundations of «Zher-Su» its position in the «three worlds» model, and extant worship practices by synthesizing ancient Turkic written monuments with ethnographic data. The study employs historical-comparative analysis, hermeneutic approaches, and ethnographic description, providing a source-critical review of works by scholars such as A. Kononov, V. Bartold, S. Abramzon, and K. Sartkozhuly. The findings demonstrate that «Zher-Su» is not merely a geographic designation but a sacred substance – equa in status to Tengri and Umay – and a symbol of state sovereignty. Furthermore, the research establishes that shared rituals, such as «Zher-Su tayuu» have integrated with Islamic layers, persisting as forms of religious syncretism. Ultimately, the «Zher-Su» cult serves as the foundation for ethnic identity and environmental culture, affirming the unified spiritual roots inherent in the Turkic worldview.

The purpose of the article is to examine the emergence, formation and certain
complex aspects in the history of specialized secondary and higher educational institutions
in Kyzylorda, which was the capital of Kazakhstan in 1925–1929, within the context of the
socio-political and cultural processes of the 1920s and 1930s. Based on the analysis of historical
documents and scholarly literature, the study shows that several technical schools were
opened in Kyzylorda in the 1920s and, until the beginning of the Second World War, played an
important role in training specialists for the economy of the republic. The article also considers
the relocation to Kazakhstan and later to Kyzylorda of part of the Korean ethnic group
from the Far Eastern region of the USSR, who were subjected to deportation as one of the
manifestations of the Stalinist totalitarian regime against peoples considered “unreliable for
Soviet power.” On the basis of specific documents, the authors describe the establishment of
Korean schools and a pedagogical institute with instruction in Korean, its subsequent closure
by the Bolshevik authorities, and its transformation into a higher educational institution with
instruction in Kazakh and Russian. The materials are introduced into scholarly circulation for
the first time.

The labour market adaptation of ethnic Kazakh repatriates (qandases) in Kazakhstan has attracted growing scholarly attention, yet region-specific studies of employment integration remain scarce. This article investigates the labour market adaptation strategies of repatriates in the Zhetysu region, drawing on semi-structured interviews with qandases who migrated from China, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed three distinct strategies: entrepreneurial adaptation, characterised by self-employment and small business creation; professional adaptation, defined by employment in one's specialist field; and forced adaptation, involving entry into low-skilled or informal labour unrelated to one's qualifications. Adaptation outcomes are shaped by education level, language proficiency, Cyrillic literacy, social networks, and country of origin. Repatriates from Uzbekistan integrated most smoothly into formal employment, owing to a shared Soviet institutional heritage and Russian-language competence, whereas those from China faced the steepest barriers because of script incompatibility. Across all groups, kinship and compatriot networks were the primary channels for labour market entry. The entrepreneurial strategy emerged as the most prevalent response, not as a first choice but as a structural outcome of language barriers, credential non-recognition, and inadequate formal employment conditions. 

Based on scholarly research, the article analyzes the historical role of dervishes
and their impact on local culture. The heritage of the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi school is considered
the foundation of Turkestan's unique identity. Priority is given to identifying the socio-cultural
potential of the dervish institution. As the main hypothesis, integrating dervish heritage into
modern tourism is argued to be the key mechanism for preserving regional identity. This
phenomenon shaped Turkestan's spiritual appearance and influenced the entire Islamic world.
Dervishes became figures who formed the people's spiritual identity.
They founded a spiritual school aligned with the steppe worldview. Through Sufi efforts,
numerous shrines and tekkes were built, becoming a main thread in integrating religious
life. This historical continuity has raised spiritual tourism in Kazakhstan to a higher level.
Today, Turkestan is a sacred place uniting the Turkic world, where dervish traditions are being
revived and highly valued through pilgrimage culture.
Scientific data on dervishes are systematically organized, and their contribution to shaping the city’s identity is identified. Emphasis is placed on the great importance of dervish heritage
in enriching tourism. These issues are comprehensively analyzed based on the fundamental
methodological principles of modern social anthropology and cultural geography.

This article presents a scholarly review of the fundamental monograph by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor A.T. Toleubayev, Early Saka Shilikti Culture (Almaty, 2018). The study is devoted to a comprehensive examination of the elite monuments of the Shilikti Valley in the East Kazakhstan Region – one of the most significant centres of the Early Iron Age in the Eurasian space. The book analyses the results of archaeological excavations conducted since 2003 and, on the basis of materials from the Baigetobe kurgan (No. 1) of the Shilikty-3 cemetery, where the third "Golden Man" was discovered, provides a new scholarly assessment of the level of socio-economic, cultural and political development of Saka society. The monograph applies, for the first time in domestic archaeology, a wide range of multidisciplinary research methods, examining the chronology, technological achievements and ethnocultural connections of the early Saka culture from fundamentally new perspectives. The review analyses the historiographical place of the monograph, its methodological approach, principal scientific discoveries and debatable conclusions.