“Ancient Secrets of the Great Steppe”
On February 27, 2025, the Botai Museum-Reserve organized master classes for students of the Saumalkol school-gymnasium on the topic “Ancient Secrets of the Great Steppe.” The sessions focused on the production of pottery and stone discs using ancient Botai technologies.
Pottery production held an important place among the Botai people and was mainly intended for household and domestic use. The patterns applied to ceramics consisted mainly of hatched triangles, zigzags, fir-tree motifs, circular designs, and lines.
Stone discs were made using drilling and grinding techniques. During the Eneolithic period (4th–3rd millennia BCE) on the territory of Kazakhstan, disc-shaped stone hammers appeared.
The ancient Botai people used the stone hammer as a unique tool for slaughtering large livestock.
The organized master classes attracted great interest among the students, who actively and enthusiastically participated in the event.
“Traditional Friday”
In order to implement the instructions of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev regarding national clothing, given at the III National Kurultai held on March 15, 2024, the staff of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Botai” launched the “Traditional Friday” initiative, wearing national attire instead of formal clothing every Friday.
Exhibition “ «Туған өлкем-тұңған шежірем» (My Native Land – a Treasure Trove of History)
On February 21, 2025, staff of the Botai Museum-Reserve organized an educational historical museum lesson for students of the secondary school in the village of Chaglinka, Zerenda district, Akmola region, on the topic “«Туған өлкем-тұңған шежірем»,” dedicated to the Botai culture.
The purpose of the museum lesson was to promote the unique archaeological monument of the Botai culture and to foster a sense of love for the Motherland and respect for its history and cultural heritage among young people.
The staff of the Botai Museum-Reserve prepared a lecture on monuments of the Botai culture and presented an exhibition of artifacts and unique archaeological finds specifically for the students.
Students of grades 5–11 were also shown master classes demonstrating the reconstruction of pottery and the production of stone discs using ancient technologies.
Approximately 50 students took part in the event.
Excursion
On February 10, 2025, the Botai Museum-Reserve was visited by 4th-grade students of the Saumalkol Kazakh Secondary School.
An educational tour was organized for the schoolchildren in the exhibition hall of the museum-reserve. During the excursion, students were provided with information about the Botai culture, the history of its research, as well as preserved artifacts from the Eneolithic period.
Results of the Essay Competition
Results of the essay competition among teachers of general education schools, lyceums, and secondary specialized educational institutions (colleges), with the issuance of an international certificate, on the topic “Botai – the Culture of the Great Steppe.”
A total of 26 works were submitted to the essay competition from the cities of Astana, Kyzylorda, Karaganda, Kostanay, and Kokshetau, as well as from districts of Akmola region and North Kazakhstan region (G. Musrepov, Kyzylzhar, and Aiyrtau districts).
In total, 26 works were submitted, including 16 in Kazakh and 10 in Russian.
