Kazakh Kuis in the Slovak Tatras – Culture Against Violence

Žilina, May 17, 2024 – The capital of one of the most popular tourist regions of Slovakia, the Žilina Region, hosted the Day of Kazakh Culture. The event was organised by the Žilina Town and the Embassy of Kazakhstan under the slogan “Together against violence”, which symbolises the friendship and unity of the peoples of both countries in opposing any form of violence in the contemporary world.

At the opening ceremony, the Mayor of Žilina Peter Fiabáne welcomed the ethnographic presentation of Kazakhstan, which provided an opportunity to get to know Kazakh cultural traditions better and to strengthen the traditionally friendly ties between the two countries. He stressed the importance of joint solidarity actions of the Slovak and Kazakh public in rejecting violence and intolerance.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan Tolezhan Barlybayev, on behalf of the leadership of Kazakhstan, expressed his wishes for a speedy recovery to Prime Minister Robert Fico and pointed out his extraordinary contribution to the development and strengthening of Kazakh-Slovak cooperation. The diplomat thanked the authorities of the Žilina Region for their help in organizing the exhibition and presented the regional library with a collection of books by Abay, Magzhan Zhumabai and other Kazakh writers who advocated the high ideals of peace and humanism.

In the historical centre of Žilina – on the 700-year-old Marian Square - the Kazakh yurt, which symbolises peace and harmony between man and nature, was presented to the general public for the first time. Visitors got acquainted with the decoration and unique craftsmanship of the yurt, which are inscribed on the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. They also learned that the nomads of the Great Steppe were the first in human history to tame horses, smelt metal, created the wheel and the invention of the yurt allowed them to explore the vast expanses of Eurasia. Among those who visited the exhibition was the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia Juraj Blanar.

Oral city’s folklore ensemble "Arnau" performed in the cultural event, which included Kurmangazy's küis “Saryarqa”, “Adai”, “Balbyrauyn”, Däuletkerey’s “Köreğūly”, Mahambet's “Jūmyr qylyş” and others. The Slovak audience highly appreciated the sound of dombyra, kobyz, sherte and jetigen and welcomed the musicians' performance with loud and long-lasting applause.

The ethno-exhibition in Žilina continued the series of Kazakh cultural events in Slovakia. Žilina region became the fourth region in which the exhibition of Kazakh yurts was presented. Previously, the inhabitants of the Bratislava, Trnava and Banská Bystrica regions got acquainted with traditional Kazakh dwellings and ethnographic presentation.