“Night at the museum”: real-life movie-like journey in the museums of Astana and Almaty
In honor of the Museums Day, Astana and Almaty held the annual “Night of the Museums” campaign. From May 17 to 19, museums opened their doors for all visitors and prepared programs. In Astana, the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan took part in the “Night of Museums” event, which took place on May 18 under the title “Museum - Territory of Meanings”. Kazinform News Agency correspondent visited the National Museum of Kazakhstan to share the experience.
The event included sightseeing tours for children, a presentation of books from the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, master classes on sculpture and painting, a museum lesson “Living Exhibits”, classes in the “Painting and Graphics” club, a museum lesson “Togyzkumalak”, the opening of a personal exhibition of a member of the Kazakhstan Artists Union Rafael Slekenov, as well as a concert of the Kazakh State Folklore Ensemble “Astana Sazy”.
The Astana Ballet presented the ballet "Sultan Beybarys" on their stage. Among the theater's repertory of performances, this one is the most outstanding. The writers ponder what it takes to attain absolute power, the cost the hero bears in obtaining the throne, and the desire to occupy it. The performance's leitmotif is the idea of the never-ending steppe and his yearning for the Motherland. Mukaram Avakhri won the Umai National Art Award in the "Best Choreographer" category for this performance.
The State Museum of Art named after Kasteyev in Almaty held an event with a varied program. The event included a fair of craftsmen, a screening of the film “Kusama: Infinite Worlds”, concert programs of traditional and classical music, choreographic and stage shows, thematic excursions through the halls of the museum. As well as the opening of exhibitions dedicated to Japanese art of the 17th–21st centuries, decorative and applied art of Kazakhstan, the work of Abylkhan Kasteyev, Russian art of the 12th–20th centuries, fine art of Kazakhstan and Western European art of the 16th–19th centuries were held. Master classes from the Japanese house “Ichikawa” and master classes on felting, sculpture, pottery, pointillism and drawing with wax plasticine were held. There was an educational interactive quest game for children and teenagers and a concert program with the participation of various groups and performers.
The Almaty Museum held the event with theatrical excursions, where characters from different eras, such as warriors and the architect P. Gourde, came to life in front of visitors. The program included the quest “My Discovery of the Museum”, the exhibition “Madeni Maidan” (dedicated to the life and work of the ethnographer and founder of museums in Kazakhstan Uzbekali Zhanibekov), intellectual games with Show Today, the blitz exhibition “Rarities from the Museum’s Funds'', the concert “Songs about Almaty”, master classes on pottery and jewelry making, coinage.
