Nauryz 2018

Kazakhstan's official New Year Nauryz is held on March 22nd. Most Central Asian, old Persian and Caucasus countries celebrate similar New Years dates close to the Spring equinox. Families and friends can meet in any city's parks for traditional games, food and other entertainment.

Played like 'Marbles' and collected like 'Pogs,' Shagai is a traditional Kazakh game played by throwing small painted sheep bones on a rug. Since historic times, these small ankle bones have been collected and painted by children all over the country and other regions.

video credit: unknown, from whatsapp group

Free food on a small table in the Old Square.

Step Right Up

Shooting Range

Kurban Eid/Feast of the Sacrifice

Kurban Eid is the second most popular Islamic holiday after Ramadan. Since the end of the Soviet Union, it has become increasingly popular again in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The festival dates back to the books of Abraham and the needed sacrifice of his son.

The ancient story says that before Abraham was going to kill his son a ram appeared near by and this animal was used for the sacrifice to god in place of his son. The fact that he agreed before to kill his son on behalf of god proved his faith and he was able to keep his son in the end. Since this day Muslims have been sacrificing camels, goats, sheep etc. yearly. All the sheep pictured here will be bought by city residents and sacrificed during the three day festival.

Each sheep is tagged by the recent buyer to avoid confusion. 

The buyers themselves initiate.

Going through a conveyor belt like process the buyer will receive the meat in less than thirty minutes.

The brain of the sheep has been a delicacy in Kazakhstan since nomadic times. It's believed by some to help our own brain.

Depending on the wealth of the family they can buy one sheep for the whole or one sheep for each member of the family. Then the meat from the animal should be distributed as follows: 1/3 for the immediate family, 1/3 for neighbors and friends, 1/3 for families in need.

ninth of May

 "Is it propaganda? .. Like propaganda? No?" Repeated my neighbor. "Twenty seven million soviets died.. did you know? .. it was the soviets who raised the flag in Berlin ... I don't understand.. why do Americans think THEY won the war? ..and why are Americans taught this? It's like propaganda, no?"

The guardsmen monument symbolically defends the Kremlin and pays tribute to the Kazakhs who died fighting in WW2. Listen here to a man in my local pub explaining how 28 Kazakh men fended off a battalion of German tanks.

За родину, за Сталина

It was interesting to see someone supporting Stalin. I didn't see him here last year. My Russian teacher was surprised when I showed her this. She told me that by the mid 1960's most of soviet people were aware of the atrocities that had occurred under him.

"I remember! I'm Proud!"