Kazakhstan’s Government approves 3-year comprehensive plan for cultural heritage preservation

The plan offers specific steps to preserve historic and cultural monuments, promote intangible cultural heritage, train specialists, as well as expand Kazakhstan’s participation in related international programs and initiatives.

Its key objectives include enhancing the protection of World Heritage sites, advancing cultural values in the international agenda, building an expert and educational base, as well as promoting active public engagement in heritage protection.

The comprehensive plan focuses on three key areas: preservation and popularization of tangible cultural heritage, development and support for intangible heritage of the Kazakh people, as well as promotion of UNESCO Memory of the World program.

As part of efforts to protect monuments, condition monitoring of sites of international significance, preparation of guidelines on management of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kazakhstan, as well as expansion of the preliminary list of cultural heritage sites for further international promotion are envisaged, reads a statement from the Government.

The plan’s separate block concerning international cooperation provides for interdepartmental and expert consultations on preparing a possible nomination of the “Silk Roads: the Caspian-Volga Corridor.” Efforts will continue to promote the multinational nomination of the Alpamys Batyr epic, jointly with Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, for inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Other area includes preparation for Kazakhstan’s accession to the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), allowing to strengthen professional networks, as well as adopt cutting-edge techniques for heritage preservation and restoration.

The plan heavily stresses personnel training, with at least 30 experts are set to undergo training each year as part of the implementation of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Kazakhstan’s International Educational Corporation (IEC) also plans to develop conceptual and schematic projects for the preservation of monuments within the framework of bachelor's and master's degree programs.

Special focus will be given to the protection of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, including Kazkah yurt crafting and decoration, Kazakh carpet weaving, and the epic genre of terme in several regions of the country, among others.

Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan showcases intangible cultural heritage at the UNESCO Headquarters.