Zhanna Irgebaeva, 31, from Omsk, photographer, event organizer, public figure
About Omsk
I was born in Omsk. There’re about 100,000 Kazakhs living in the Omsk region. Kazakhs are indigenous inhabitants of Omsk.
I’ve always been creative, five years ago I started taking pics and visiting events, competitions, exhibitions, got acquainted with interesting people. I got interested in Kazakh youth’s leisure time organization. I came up with the idea to arrange something beautiful and grandiose. At first it was just club-style parties, then we started holding different events such as beauty pageants, charity events, national dance groups. We went skating, played games. I adore national features so I started the company renting Kazakh national dresses and costumes. I implement cool projects having minimal possibilities. That’s great. In future I want to implement much more interesting ideas.
About the Kazakh Diaspora
Kazakhs living in Omsk appreciate traditions, almost all of them try to keep to national rites such as Kyz Uzatu, Nikiakh, Betashar, Kudalyk, Sundet-toi, Tusau kesu.
Being a public activist, I always strive for the Kazakh people unification, identity preservation, revival and popularization of our language, traditions, culture. We’re working on developing friendly relations between Kazakhstan and other countries including Russia. At the moment, I closely cooperate with many Kazakh public associations such as "Moldir" Siberian Center of Kazakh Culture, "Miras" Fund for the Development and Preservation of the Kazakh Language and Culture, Kazakh National Cultural Center, organizations like "KAZAKHI OMSKA" and «TAMASHA».
"Toi Duman" culture and sport fest and Nauryz are annually organized in Omsk. All the events are held to popularize the Kazakh language and culture. Book presentations, poetry nights, concerts with Kazakh artists, national contests such as "Aru Kyz", "Super kelinshek" usually held in Omsk.
Unfortunately, my Kazakh is not fluent. Kazakh is taught in some villages, public organizations are working on this issue. Some Omsk schools and universities have launched extracurricular lessons and elective classes on the Kazakh language.
About Kazakhstan
I wish I could I go to Kazakhstan more often. I’ve been to Almaty and Astana. They’re beautiful. I fell in love with mountains, small rivers and quiet streets in Almaty, whereas Astana is a city of great opportunities, great architectural structures. I want to live in my historical homeland. I want my children to know Kazakh customs, language and culture. Kazakhs living in Russia are very different from Kazakhstanis. They don’t speak Kazakh, young people aren’t aware of customs and history. Anyway, today I can see the revival of Kazakh culture and language.
Asemgul Baymuratova, 39, from Omsk, teacher, stylist, public figure
About Omsk
My father was born in Semey, my mother comes from Omsk. Being the first granddaughter, I was brought up by my grandparents. Therefore, I’ve always heard Kazakh speech and saw traditions held. I used to perform in "Moldir" Siberian center of Kazakh culture.
I’m a teacher at Omsk railway technical school. Besides, I’ve been working in beauty fields for ten years. At first I was a stylist in the "Aru Kyz" beauty contest arranged by "Kazakhs of Omsk" organization. I’ve taken part in competitions, concerts.
About the Kazakh Diaspora
The Kazakh community in Omsk is really active, we arrange events monthly. I used to be a stylist in the "Kazakhs of Omsk" team, now I'm engaged in events organization. We try to attach the youth to the Kazakh culture and hold Kazakh parties, we’ve launched the Kazakh language courses. Young people studying at Omsk universities tend to leave for Kazakhstan after graduation.
Kazakh families living in Omsk arrange big Kazakh weddings, Kudalik, Betashar, Neke, Syrga salu. My daughter Anel is 12, she participates in all the public activities. I want her to know more about Kazakh traditions and speak Kazakh.
I work as a stylist, so I often see brides choosing Kazakh style dresses, wearing Kazakh jewelry, saukele.
About Kazakhstan
We have many relatives there. We often visit Kazakhstan, I’ve been to Kokshetau, Karaganda, Semey and Astana. Visiting Kazakhstan I often notice some differences between Kazakhs living in Russia and Kazakhstanis, who have a slightly different speech.
Torgin Ashenova, 32, from Omsk region, teacher, public figure
About Omsk
There’re about 40 auls with Kazakh names in the Omsk region as it used to belong to Kazakhs. I was born in aul with many Kazakhs and a Kazakh school.
Grandparents always highlighted the importance of our roots. We celebrated all the holidays, held traditional rituals annually as it’s vital to know traditions.
I entered the Pedagogical University in Omsk in 2003. At the fifth year of study I found an ad on Kazakh.ru. My sister and I got interested in it, we started chatting, I saw that the Kazakh youth was looking for Kazakh guys living in Omsk. That was when "Kazakhs of Omsk" organization was launched.
About the Kazakh Diaspora
There’re many Kazakhs living in Omsk. Our organization was started in 2008, the Kazakh youth was assembled for the first time. Some guys who grew up in the city were the only Kazakhs in their classes or universities, so they had a false notion about the number of literate Kazakhs. It was crazy and incomprehensible for me. That's why we started gathering Kazakh youth, holding sports events and Kazakh poetry nights.
In 2012 I was invited to Pavlodar ethnocultural forum "Birlik-Unity.kz" and realized that our social movement had to be registered as a public organization. This year we turn ten years old, we’ve held various events since 2008. We’re willing to popularize our culture, develop the language.
Having launched the first major project "Aru Kyz" covered by all the Internet portals, regional and Kazakhstani TV channels, we loudly declared that we’re Kazakhs. Since then authorities started supporting our organization. Now "Kazakhs of Omsk" is a recognizable brand, we implicate both national and international projects as we want future generation to know who the Kazakhs are.
Today there’re ten public organizations in the Omsk region. There are some engaged in the Kazakh language promotion, some deal with cultural events organization, "Tamasha" specializes in cultural and entertainment events.
Our organization works with young people, we have several large projects such as "Omby Kazaktary" (lit. Kazakhs of Omsk) newspaper and an official public in VKontakte. Our guys participate in different forums, last year they traveled to Astana, Moscow, Kazan, and Orenburg. The Kazakh youth can achieve success. We’re aiming at changing stereotypes and demonstrating talents.
About Kazakhstan
We often visit Kazakhstan, our relatives live in Petropavlovsk, Kokshetau, Semipalatinsk, Karaganda, Astana. Today Kazakh youth studying at Omsk universities prefer working in Astana. Many make career in Kazakhstan.
My father said that we’d move to Kazakhstan having graduated from university. I’d been dreaming of being a TV announcer in Almaty. However, I got engaged in social activities I can’t give up. My sister lives in Astana, I visit her quite often. I love Kazakhs, traditions and language. I really wish to save Kazakh culture in Omsk.
