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The 7th Borderless Onsite Meeting took place on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in association with Global Commons. This time, Ms. Tursynaliyeva Azhar, a NipCA Fellow of the 5th class from Kazakhstan, presented on the theme of “Steppe Culture of Kazakhstan”.

Kazakhstan is an oil and natural gas producing country, and its capital, Astana, has a landscape reminiscent of a futuristic city designed by Mr. Kisho Kurokawa. However, this time the presentation focused more on the steppe culture of Kazakhstan rather than on those aspects.

The steppe, which are the central theme of the presentation, are an important presence for the people of Kazakhstan, as they form the basis of their lives, nature, history, culture, and spirit. “Saryarqa”, a group of steppe and lakes in North Kazakhstan, famous as a natural heritage site, is a famous bird-watching spot and is also considered the birthplace of horse breeding. The steppe were also once the campsite of Genghis Khan’s warriors and the home of the Kazakh Khanate. Furthermore, it has played an important role as a major trade route along the Silk Road. Orientalist scholar Ualikhanov described the steppes as “vast and free space, the natural homeland of the Kazakh people, a source of people’s strength and a symbol of spiritual freedom.” In addition, the presentation also introduced the steppe landscape through the work of Kazakh painter KASTEEV Abylkhan.

Other highlights included the Tibetan rock paintings at Tamgali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that can be considered an “open-air temple”, as clues to tracing the transitions in nomadic life in Central Asia, and an exhibit at the Central National Museum of Kazakhstan, which conveys the characteristics of nomadic culture from the 8th century BC to the early 20th century.

At the end of the presentation, Azhar-san played the Dombra, a traditional Kazakh instrument, and performed the song “AKKU” (which means “Swan” in Kazakh). This gave participants a firsthand taste of Kazakhstan’s culture.