Nick Fielding’s ‘South to the Great Steppe: The Travels of Thomas and Lucy Atkinson in Eastern Kazakhstan, 1847-1852' presented at London’s Travellers Club

The presentation became a landmark event to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate and the 24th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Participants involved the representatives of British academia and scientific community, as well as representatives of British media.

Mr. Dauletbek Kussainov, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan to the UK, Mr. Mark Akhmed, editor of the ‘Open Central Asia’ magazine, and Mr. David Parry, a British writer, delivered welcome speeches at the event.

The author of the book, Mr. Nick Fielding, made an in-depth report on the travels of Thomas Atkinson in Kazakhstan.

The book is about the travel of a famous British artist and a traveler Thomas Atkinson, who together with his wife Lucy, explored the vast territory of what is now Northern and Eastern Kazakhstan in the 19 th century. It includes the notes, diaries and letters of Thomas Atkinson, as well as high-quality reproductions of his paintings.

Thomas and Lucy Atkinson left unique writings on the Kazakh society of the 19 th century. During their journey, they met many Kazakh senior officials. They stayed in their villages, spoke to their families, recorded their talks and described their style of life. No artist described the lives of the steppe nomads and painted their portraits in details as Thomas Atkinson did.

Following the presentation of the book ‘South to the Great Steppe: The Travels of Thomas and Lucy Atkinson in Eastern Kazakhstan, 1847-1852’, ‘100 experiences of modern Kazakhstan’, the photo album on the natural and cultural diversity of Kazakhstan was launched.

Source: http://www.kazembassy.org.uk/en