The National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Aziret Sultan” hosts many significant cultural events. One of the most notable is the republican “Yassawi Studies” competition among schoolchildren. This year, the intellectual contest is scheduled to take place on April 17-18 in the city of Turkistan. The competition aims to promote the hikmets of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, who played a crucial role in shaping the spiritual unity of the Kazakh people. It also encourages the younger generation to delve into and explore the great sage’s legacy, enhances their intellectual abilities, and fosters an understanding of the lives and contributions of historical figures buried in the mausoleum.

At the start of the new academic year, the museum-reserve sent official letters to all regions and the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent. Currently, district, city, and regional qualifying rounds of the “Yassawi Studies-2025” competition are being held across the country.

In Turkistan Region, the qualifying round took place at School No. 24 named after M. Shokay, located in the regional center. The “Regional Center for Identifying and Supporting Gifted Children” organized the event.

A total of 74 students participated in the regional competition. The head of the jury was B. Baibolov, head of the Scientific Research Department of the “Aziret Sultan” National Museum-Reserve.

The competition consisted of two stages. The first stage, titled “The Legacy of the Ancestor – a Trust for the Child,” began with a draw, during which participants received their assigned numbers. Accordingly, 74 students were divided into seven groups: five groups of 11 participants each and two groups of 10. As a result, 34 students advanced to the next round.

The second stage, titled “Knowledge Conquers Thousands,” required participants to draw tickets and answer questions. These questions covered legends about Yassawi’s life, the interpretation of hikmets, the history of the mausoleum’s construction, Kazakhstan’s history, and the significance of artifacts gifted to the mausoleum by Amir Timur. This stage tested the students’ intellectual capacity and understanding.

The participants demonstrated excellent preparation, making it difficult to determine the winners. Seven students with equal scores were called to the stage for an additional round, where they competed by reciting hikmets from memory according to the first-round rules.

Following the regional competition, the winners were Turar Sayan, Ziya Aruzhan (Otyrar District), Tanirbergen Akerke (Maktaaral District), Hakimova Umida (Sauran District), and Akhmadiyar Merey (Ordabasy District), who secured their spots for the republican “Yassawi Studies-2025” competition. Additionally, the jury recommended Koltay Feruza (Tolebi District), who stood out with her knowledge, as a reserve participant for the national stage scheduled for April.

The winners and prize holders of the regional “Yassawi Studies-2025” competition were awarded special letters of appreciation from the Regional Center for Identifying and Supporting Gifted Children under the Turkistan Regional Department of Education.

Berik BAIBOLOV, Head of the Scientific Research Department.