Kazakhstan to start making copies of historical exhibits from Russian museums

Kazakhstan will start making exact copies of historical artifacts located in Russian museums. The Ministry of Culture of Kazakhstan reports that this concerns only those exhibits that are related to the history and culture of the republic. This initiative was announced after negotiations between the ministers of culture of Kazakhstan and Russia, which took place in November 2023. The issue of returning historical valuables stored in the Hermitage and other major museums in Russia was discussed.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the legislation of both countries does not provide for the possibility of returning museum items that have become part of the museum collections. Therefore, the authorities of Kazakhstan are considering the option of creating high-quality copies of these valuable artifacts, as well as archival materials. In particular, a working group has already been formed in the National Museum of Kazakhstan, which is compiling a list of items located outside the country.

Most of the items that Kazakhstan seeks to restore were transferred or acquired during scientific expeditions of the 19th-20th centuries. Among them are personal belongings, documents and other items related to outstanding figures of the Kazakh people who left their mark on the history of Kazakh statehood.

Kazakh specialists do not limit themselves to theoretical research, but actively conduct practical work. In September-October 2024, archaeological missions were organized to the Russian cities of Omsk, Astrakhan and Orenburg to study the possibility of creating exact copies. As a result, electronic versions of 11 unique photographs related to the ethnography of the Kazakh people were received from Omsk. The Omsk Museum of History and Local History also received digital copies of documents related to the national liberation movement of 1825-1836.

Data and materials from the archives and museums of Astrakhan and Orenburg were also collected. In Astrakhan, specialists conducted a scientific attribution of 309 ethnographic items of the Kazakh people, and also brought an electronic version of unique documents on the assignment of the status of Khan to Zhangir Sultan. In Orenburg, a large archival material was obtained on archaeological excavations in the territory of Kazakhstan and the construction of a museum in Orenburg. These efforts underscore Kazakhstan's desire to restore cultural ties with historical values ​​​​that are stored outside the republic and to show the world the significance of its cultural heritage.