Museum of Turkic Studies unveiled in Astana

"In 2009 when President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev put forward the initiative to establish the Turkic Academy (now TWESCO), he stressed that it will need its own library and a museum. Presently, TWESCO conducts in-depth research of the heritage of the Turkic world. However, there is not much information about turcologists. In this connection, we decided to gather their personal belongings, documents and works in this museum," Chairman of JSC "Yegemen Kazakhstan" and TWESCO President Darkhan Kydyrali said at the unveiling ceremony.

He also pointed out that a lot of people are keen to learn more about the fate of turcologists.

"We do know that many turcologists went through hardships. Many of them were gunned down, others were persecuted for political reasons. In our museum visitors will see the documents illustrating those hardships and learn what they've been through," Mr. Kydyrali added.



According to him, personal belongings of such well-known tucologists as Abduali Kaidar, Abzhan Kurishzhanov, Amir Nazhil, Rabiga Syzdykova and others are on display at the museum.

"If the museum gets its own big building in the future, it will become the first Museum of Turkic Studies," the TWESCO President added.
Attending the unveiling ceremony were researchers, representatives of intellectual circles as well as mass media from Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Mongolia. The event was held within the framework of the 2nd Humanitarian Research Forum "Uly dala". Nearly 300 researchers from American and Asian countries are expected to participate in the forum.