Kostanay Kazakhstan - A History

 Yelena, our gracious tour guide and hostess extraordinaire took us for a spin on Sunday after mosque and church to the Kostanay Regional Historical and Natural Museum which has been around since 1915.  What we found was some really really beautiful things, and perhaps a furry friend or two.

 Traditional Kazakh culture was nomadic in nature.  People lived in yurts, portable, bent dwelling structures.  Felt was used to enclose the yurt as these people were also pastoralists and had many sheep to provide the wool.  A yurt was designed to be dismantled and parts could be carried easily to be rebuilt on another site. Complete construction took around 2 hours.  Note the wooden circle at the top.  It is called a shangrak.  The wooden crown of the yurt was itself emblematic in many Central Asian cultures. In old Kazakh communities, the yurt itself would often be repaired and rebuilt, but the shangrak would remain intact, passed from father to son upon the father's death. A family's length of heritage could be measured by the accumulation of stains on the shangrak from decades of smoke passing through it.

 A stylized version of the crown or shangrak is in the center of the coat of arms of Kazakhstan and forms the main image on the flag of Kazakhstan. 

 This quilt reminded me of my good friend Lori Clark who works for the Monmouth Maine school system and quilts splendid works of art.  I loved the colors and the patterns here, and it also reminded me of Lori's policy of a 6 color minimum on all creations and outfits she wears.  This quilt illustrates that repeating geometric patterns were widely used. The most widespread geometric pattern was the continuous hammer or walking pattern. Commonly used as a border decoration it represented unending strength and constant movement. Another common pattern was the ulzii which was a symbol of long life and happiness. The nose pattern and horn patterns found on items in here derived from the shape of the animal's nose and horns, and were the oldest traditional patterns. All patterns can be found among not only the yurts themselves, but also on embroidery, furniture, books, clothing, doors, and other objects you can see above. 

 The museum houses one of the best collections in Kazakhstan of national costumes of peoples of the region, containing Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Tartar, Chuvash, Mari, Mordvinian and Khakass national costumes and items of clothing. 

 For info on these musical instruments (traditional folk) of Kazakhstan see this link:  http://expat.nursat.kz/?3337

This is the interior of a log house built by displaced people relocated from Russia.  In the top right corner is a religious icon (Orthodox), a spinning wheel and an accordion and balalaika. 

 Above you see traditional Ukrainian outfits.  Beginning in the end of the 18th century, several waves of both voluntary and involuntary Ukrainian settlers came to Kazakhstan. The first Ukrainians to arrive were exiled by the Russian government. A large wave of settlers in the late nineteenth century arrived from almost all of the regions of Ukraine that had been part of the Russian Empire at that time. Seeking more opportunities and free land, these voluntary emigrants numbered approximately 100,000 people in Kazakhstan. In the 1930s during the Soviet era process of Collectivization,  approximately 64,000 Ukrainian kulak (relatively wealthy peasant) families were forcibly resettled in Kazakhstan.

 Here are some old ads that we came across in the museum for a variety of products. 

 Being from Maine, USA, the lobsters caught my eye immediately.  I was told this was an advertisement for a type of candy.

 This is Jenny Braunfel's new boyfriend.   He is a recreation of a 19th century small shop owner. 

 Most of our kids only learn about The Soviet Union.  Not Kazakhstan.  I think it is really common that people actually refer to it as simply Russia.  Kazakhstan is an independent country.  It was once part of the Soviet Union.  I think it is important to make that distinction though as what we have found here differs greatly. 

This part of the museum was dedicated to displaying a collection of banners, pennants, ribbons and armbands of honor from workers of the Soviet era.  Banners of the Pioneer and Komsomol organizations of the city and Red Banners, awarded to the region and individual organizations for delivery of grain to the state can be seen in this section.

This section of the museum is dedicated to the contributions of Kazakh peoples to the "Great Patriotic War" to end fascism during WWII.  Much like the United States during this time, Kazakh peoples were devoted to the goal of "Everything for the front and everything for victory."  Like the United States, women, the elderly and teenagers remained at home and bore their share of the burden of war by working long hours to increase military production and free up enlisted men to fight.  More than 73,000 residents of the region fought on different fronts, and more than 36,000 soldiers fell on the battlefield, went missing, died of their wounds in hospitals or died in fascist concentration camps.  30,000 heroes from this region of Kazakhstan were awarded military orders and medals and 31 awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union."  Two famous pilots, Ivan Pavlov and Leonid Beda were awarded the title twice.  I was flabbergasted that I had learned nothing of the contribution of individual Asian countries during the war outside of the US statistics and contributions.  It was refreshing to get another perspective and really hit home just how huge WWII was. 

This statue is dedicated to the families of fallen soldiers. 

 Here piggie piggie piggie.  Rob Lech, this is for you.  We found it in the museum here.  Every country has one. 

 The feeding of the deer.  This is why I love a diorama. 

 HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! 

A significant part of the collections of the museum's palaeontology collection constitutes the remains of various animals.  Mammoth, woolly rhinoceros (who knew they were woolly), prehistoric bulls and giant deer are here.  Kristi and I were screwing around as usual and were getting ready to take yet another perspective photo and were actually told that we could touch this part of the exhibit.  I was stunned as this would not happen in any US museum.  Hence the look on my face above. 

There are people in every room of this museum that were helpful if we had questions or comments. 

This region is home to one of the oldest known vessels of the Neolithic era. 

They also have many remains from archaeological sites.

During the Second World War, many of the most valuable exhibits from the Historical Museum and teh Museum of Eastern Cultures in Moscow were transported to the Kostanay region for safekeeping.  These pieces are on exhibit as part of the "Heroic Past of the Peoples of the USSR" and feature works depicting the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War.

I never did find out what type of gun this was - but it is absolutely huge.  If you could help me out I welcome the comment below.

Lenin.

Lastly there was a temporary exhibit of needlepoint of all things but I found it to be quite beautiful. 

What I have learned over and over again in this country is that it is one of the most diverse places I have ever seen.  It isn't hard to look around and see the myriad of cultures, religions and languages that meet you around every corner and in every classroom.  Kazakhstan for a long time was thought of or spoken of simply as the Soviet Union.  But what existed here prior to the Russian Empire, and the Soviets was a culture that was already well established.  What they added was more variety often forced, but nonetheless variety.  People here do not focus on how they are different.  They celebrate their ancestry, traditions and individual cultures while also identifying as one nation.   Why is that?  The answer lies in some of the programs and steps that the government and citizens of Kazakhstan have taken.  This shall be looked at in the next entry.