Culture and traditions are part of a nation’s history, and visiting museums should be an integral part of anyone who wishes to know the history of their ancestors and their country.
AO “Nurbank” considered the restoration of historical artifacts to preserve the continuity of Kazakh culture, which led to the opening of the Museum of Folk and Applied Arts of the XVII-XX centuries in 2014. It is located in the basement of the Central Store of the “French House” and is open to the public.
The collection is presented in several areas: weapons, horse equipment, jewelry, handmade carpets, and household items.
War played a significant role in Kazakh history—the population often participated in battles, so horse equipment and weapons were especially important for Kazakhs. Cold weapons were decorated with natural and precious stones, silver, and engravings.
The upper classes had sabers. Thus, one can find daggers of Kenesary, Uali, and Ablai Khan here. Additionally, the collection includes a genuine Turkish yatagan.
Almost all weapons were male, as the male population participated in wars and battles. However, the museum displays two women's knives with scabbards. While one of them was likely a kitchen knife, the other resembles a weapon more closely.
According to guide Madina Zhanibekova, men in Kazakh society dressed more modestly than women, especially regarding the so-called “black bone.” The only way a Kazakh man could stand out was with weapons, namely, a knife and a whip. There were two whips—everyday and ceremonial.
Additionally, the collection includes composite belts, to which the tools used by a man in daily life were attached.
A significant part of the museum is dedicated to jewelry. As a rule, all jewelry items were made of silver, with natural and precious stones, as well as gold and gold plating, used. Silver was believed to purify, as even today it is said that silver has bactericidal properties.
In earlier times, food prepared by a girl without silver rings was considered impure, so women would put on several silver ornaments on their hands before cooking.
Stones such as amethyst, coral, turquoise, carnelian, and pearls were used. Pearls were believed to solve vision problems. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, hair ornaments, forehead ornaments, and other items were popular. The matchmaker had a ring worn on two fingers simultaneously—“құдағи жүзік”—“two rings—one soul,” as they referred to the ornament.
The profession of zerger—jeweler—was respected and, as one would say today, prestigious and well-paid. For example, one ring could cost one sheep, a bracelet—4-5 sheep, and a full jewelry set for a girl—40 sheep. Craft secrets were passed down from generation to generation.
A girl in the Kazakh steppe received her first decoration at the age of 10-12, with more pieces added over time, so by the wedding, the jewelry set could weigh up to 20 kilograms. Sometimes the bride could not even move independently, and if parents felt the decorations weren’t enough, silver inserts were sewn onto the wedding dress.
For instance, hair ornaments were so heavy that a girl had to watch her posture not to tilt her shoulders or head to one side. Sholpy and shalbau were necessities, as it was believed that hair harbored evil spirits, and the jingling of the decorations scared them away.
With age, after a child was born, a woman began to give away her decorations, keeping only a few by old age.
The decorations of Ablai Khan’s wives are of significant interest—an entire hall is dedicated to them. It should be noted that the khan had many wives—the number ranges from 12 to 15 in different sources.
“At that time, it was necessary to establish relations with other Genghisids, with whom there were tense political relationships. Most of Ablai Khan's wives were Kalmyk, Oirat,” says guide Madina Zhanibekova.
It should be noted that practically all the wives’ decorations are similar or even identical, indicating that the khan made no distinctions in the women's status. The museum also displays a unique item that once belonged to the khan himself—a silver set consisting of a toothpick and ear pick.
In the museum's collection, one can see old wallets and purses, incidentally women’s, suggesting that women managed Kazakhstan's budget. Many amulet holders are presented here, as nomads feared the evil eye. Amulet holders come in various shapes—square, triangle, tube. They typically contained bird feathers, such as owl, or animal fur. Later, Quranic verses were added to amulets.
One room is dedicated to hygiene in the Kazakh steppe. For example, there was a custom, the guide explains, where a girl had to wash before entering the groom's house. For this, a special basin with water was set up in the yurt.
A kumgan was obligatory and offered to each guest so they could wash before the meal.
Chests are also displayed—they were an integral part of a yurt's interior. They stored the girl's dowry. One of the chests from past centuries is covered with newspapers with articles written in Kazakh but using the Latin alphabet!
The museum includes more modern halls with exhibits from the Soviet period—TVs, radios, phonographs. Several halls are devoted to religion—Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist.
Each hall's interior features handmade carpets. The collection includes dishes from various periods, even a samovar from 1825.
The extensive collection of exhibits, as well as many other items, can be seen daily, without weekends, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visiting the museum, incidentally, is free.