Care for a brief history lesson?
That was the question posed to our group during our final day in the capital Astana. In this odd, sparkling city where many of the buildings are less that 20 years old, it may feel strange to look at ancient artifacts in a place such as this. But here we went! Even through the blizzard, the wind, and ice covering the pavement on our path to the entrance, it wasn’t enough to deter our group from visiting the somewhat recently constructed National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which was built in 2014 and stands tall across the Independence Square. This building is chock-full of interesting historical tidbits and relics from eras long ago, which I found to be fascinating indeed.
The first order of business when discussing this museum (as with any building) is the architecture. The exterior is made of marble and glass, which is bound to catch the attention of any passerby. And from the moment you walk in, you’ll notice a grand entrance hall with pristine walls, with escalators leading to the many floors, and doorways leading to the many exhibition halls. Hanging high above the entrance is a giant golden eagle and sun, which, when viewed with the bright blue wall behind them, bear a striking resemblance to the flag of the Republic of Kazakhstan, designed in 1992 by Kazakhstani artist Shaken Niyazbekov.
Sitting prominently on a large chair beneath the eagle is a statue of Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the Kazakhstani government for almost 30 years until his resignation in 2019. As leader of the government initiative, he was in large part responsible for this museum’s construction, which happened along with the rest of the city of Astana. The symbolism (and glorification) of these national symbols appearing right alongside Nazabayev’s statue sends an overt political message, but from an aesthetic point of view, it makes for a memorable entrance into this museum. The many floors, escalators, and entrances to the various exhibition halls ensure that visitors cross through this area frequently, and on top of that there is a gift shop here too. All in all, this is not an area you will forget easily, as it leaves quite the impression.
For the exhibits themselves, there is much to discuss. The collection is full of artifacts related to Kazakhstan’s history and cultural heritage. Perhaps the most famous exhibit is a reconstruction of the armor of the “Золотой Человек” (“Golden Man”), which was unearthed in 1969 from the Issyk mound roughly 50 kilometers outside Almaty. This mysterious Saka warrior from the 5th century BC remains an enigma among historians and anthropologists, and as a result, the golden warrior has become the subject of many rumors and legends, with there being some attempts by officials to make “Золотой Человек” into a sort of national symbol for Kazakhstan. No matter who this warrior was, his armor does look really cool and it’s certainly worth the visit.
The National Museum contains other ancient relics related to the history of both Kazakhstan and Central Asia as a whole. This stone contains an inscription by Amir Timur, a prominent Central Asian conqueror in the 14th century who famous for his leadership of the Timurid Empire. The writing is in both Arabic and Uyghur script, and it speaks of his campaign against Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh.
On top of historical findings, the National Museum also houses an extensive art gallery, including paintings and sculptures from a variety of different artists and eras. These are located on the higher floors of the museum, but even so, it’s unlikely that you will miss them as the escalators lead directly to these doorways. The highest floors contain the most abstract pieces, one of which is a giant scroll that spans the entire room, and another is literally just footprints painted onto the floor and going across a pile of bricks. I found these pieces to be very creative and intellectually stimulating.
For families visiting the National Museum, you might consider visiting the dinosaur exhibit, which is bound to get kids (and dinosaur enthusiasts like myself) excited. These skeletal reconstructions, while not made from real fossils, make for a perfect group photo opportunity. This made the area a bit crowded when we were here, but I found the experience to be entertaining and overall worth it.
Last but not least, on the other floors of the museum, you’ll find exhibits dedicated to Kazakhstan’s contemporary history. These generally include the founding of the modern republic, and, at the bottom floor by the gift shop, there is a massive room-sized model of the city of Astana, complete with neat little buildings. I found it to be a nice touch to see the city layout from high above, especially after spending several days getting to know the different landmarks.
So, overall, would I recommend this museum? Well, if you ever happen to be in Astana, I’d say it is definitely worth checking out! It gives a pretty good look into the history of the Eurasian steppe and the exhibits are very well put together. “Золотой человек” and the entrance hall were the big highlights for me, but the art pieces also did a great job catching my attention. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with dinosaurs. Consider adding this to your travel plans if you head to Kazakhstan! And hopefully, you won’t have to visit during a blizzard.
Rating: 8/10
-Adrian
