From December 24 to 25, 2024, a two-day tour titled "Astana—the City of the Third Millennium" was organized for participants of the Silver University program.
As part of the tour, attendees visited the "ALZHIR" Museum and Memorial Complex (in Aqmol village), the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Military History Museum of Kazakhstan.
The visit to the Aqmola Camp for Wives of Traitors to the Motherland concluded with a screening of the documentary film "The Bitter Cold of ALZHIR," based on archival and personal documents, as well as stories from camp prisoners and their descendants. Kazakhstan is currently the only country in the former CIS that has memorialized the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of the Soviet Union repressed citizens during the years 1937–1953.
The National Museum of Kazakhstan impressed visitors with its exhibitions, design, and the high professionalism of its staff. Attendees explored the History Hall and Ethnography Hall, while the Golden Hall sparked particular interest. Here, they observed replicas of several "Golden Man" figures discovered in southern, eastern, and western Kazakhstan.
At the Museum of Military History of Kazakhstan, participants explored exhibits dedicated to Kazakhstan's history in the last century, including the Alash Orda during the Civil War, the Great Patriotic War, and the Soviet-Afghan War.
The tour also included time to visit the Hazret Sultan Cathedral Mosque.
In the evening, a trip was organized to the Central Concert Hall to attend the performance of the chamber choir "Siqyrly Sazdy Hor-Koncert" by Astana Musical.
The participants of the Silver University program expressed their deep gratitude to the university's rector, Marat Syrlybayev, and project coordinator Lyubov Drobysheva for organizing the tour.
New trips, knowledge, and emotions await the attendees in the future!
