Kurmangazy District Museum

The Kurmangazy District Museum, a guardian of spiritual treasures that tells the story of the past and present of the sacred land of Kurmangazy, was founded in 1963 as a small community-based museum corner within a school. The museum’s creation was actively supported by local historian and history teacher Zarif Bektenov. From 1971 to 1979, the museum was allocated space in the District House of Culture of the Tengiz District and received the status of a People’s Museum. On July 23, 1979, by decision of the Executive Committee of the Tengiz District Council, the museum officially opened its doors to the public as a district museum. In 1982, it became a district branch of the Atyrau Regional Museum of History and Local Lore.

A major contribution to the collection of materials, the enrichment of the museum’s fund with valuable exhibits, and its rise to a leading position among district museums in the region was made by local historian Maksot Zholzhanov, who headed the museum from 1986 to 1996. Over the course of a decade, he earned a reputation as a local historian and one of the country’s renowned toponymists. In 1992, with the support of the local transport depot, an annex was added to the museum building, allowing it to expand.

The main areas of the museum’s work include the collection, documentation, and preservation of artifacts, as well as organizing exhibitions and educational activities. The museum’s collection consists of numerous items that reflect the cultural heritage of the region. The museum plays an important role not only in preserving tangible and intangible heritage but also in researching, promoting, and using it to educate the younger generation. The collection includes both material and spiritual artifacts from ancient times to the present day: archaeological and ethnographic objects, numismatics, rare manuscripts, historical documents and photographs, weapons, and taxidermy displays of animals and birds.

The museum's exhibits are divided into several thematic halls:

1. Ethnography Hall - highlights the rich culture and daily life of the brave Kazakh people. A panorama of a yurt’s interior - the traditional nomadic dwelling of the Kazakhs - gives visitors insight into the people’s lifestyle and culture. The hall also showcases 19th-century silver jewelry, a model of a loom with samples of alasha (traditional woven carpets), sets of horse harnesses, and blacksmithing tools. These artifacts allow visitors to trace the spiritual culture of the Kazakhs over past centuries.

2. Hall of Local History - reflects the rich history of the district, long known for its talents. It displays documents, photographs, and personal belongings of prominent figures who contributed to the development of the region’s economy, agriculture, education, and culture.

3. Hall of Honored Citizens of the District - this hall includes a portrait of Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly, a model of the mausoleum in Altynzhar, the dombra of Ryskaliyev Mukhameduly (to whom Dina Nurpeisova gave her blessing), photographs of ethnographer and Tengiz district akim Makash Bekmukhametov, and personal items of honorary citizen M. Sabirova, including a headdress, chapan (traditional robe), and bag. M. Sabirova was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour and two Orders of the Badge of Honour.

4. Nature Section - in the diorama “World of Animals and Birds”, visitors can see a display introducing the local fauna. The section features taxidermied animals and birds that inhabit the region.