NUR-SULTAN – The primary Nomad Fest with the participation of a historic reconstructor, which is without doubt one of the rarest professions in Kazakhstan, gathered not too long ago an interior circle of roughly 30 individuals in order that they might absolutely plunge into the ambiance of the nomadic way of life within the neighborhood of the Kazakh capital.
Baidaralin (L) and Baigozhin (R) demonstrating combating strategies through the pageant. Photograph credit score: Saniya Bulatkulova. Click on to see the map in full dimension
In comparison with native ethnic festivals, the place individuals eat conventional meals, play nationwide video games, dance, sing and take part within the craft truthful, the occasion sought to familiarize its visitors with particulars of the lifetime of nomadic Kazakhs which were forgotten on account of colonization and Sovietization.
In response to occasion organizer and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Nazarbayev College Ulan Bigozhin, he proposed to carry the primary unbiased nomad fest to his buddy and colleague Daniyar Baidaralin after he discovered a kymyzkhana (the place, the place individuals might drink fermented mare’s milk) throughout one in every of his horseback walks. They determined to deliver collectively solely their colleagues and buddies for the primary time to see whether or not individuals would love such an occasion.
“I’ve saved a horse for myself since 2018, so horse using has develop into a way of life for me. My buddies and I do horseback using to the closest lakes at a mean distance of 20-40 kilometers,” Bigozhin mentioned in an interview with The Astana Occasions.
One of many homeowners of native kymyzkhana giving visitors kymyz. Photograph credit score: Saniya Bulatkulova
Baidaralin, who serves as a analysis fellow of the State Historic and Cultural Museum-Reserve Issyk within the Almaty Area, carried out as a speaker through the first a part of the occasion. He gave an thrilling lecture in regards to the bes karu (5 forms of conventional Kazakh weapons) and demonstrated the strategies individuals used whereas combating with that armament.
Along with his assertion about Kazakh nationwide video games being a type of preparation for battle, Baidaralin talked about his clothes which he sewed himself.
“That is the best way Kazakhs dwelling close to the Syrdarya River (western and southern Kazakhstan) used to dress in roughly 18-19 century,” Baidaralin mentioned on the occasion.
After a one-hour lunch break, throughout which visitors tasted kymyz made by native dwellers, fest individuals noticed the method of mare milking and a few of them even tried to do it themselves. Following this, Bigozhin and Baidaralin showcased the methods Kazakh individuals battled and shot bows on horseback.
Baidaralin and Bigozhin demonstrating struggle strategies whereas using their horses. Photograph credit score: Saniya Bulatkulova
“I made a decision to take part within the occasion as I used to be very desirous about horse using, significantly in Kazakhstan. Truly I didn’t find out about it earlier than I got here to Kazakhstan. And I actually like this space. This forest and fields, it’s so good to flee from the town,” mentioned Curtis Merphy, who got here from the US to show historical past at Nazarbayev College.
Baidaralin sporting clothes of Saka individuals (Eurasian nomads). Photograph credit score: Saniya Bulatkulova
One other fest’s visitor, Marek Jochec, Professor of Finance at Nazarbayev College and Czech Republic native, mentioned that “he appreciated this occasion very a lot because it was fairly casual and fairly pleasant.”
“I noticed for the primary time the lifetime of nomads in addition to utilizing bow and arrows and taking pictures a bow from a horse,” Jochec concluded.
