During the Days of Russian Culture in Kazakhstan, a roundtable discussion on "Combining Cultural Traditions and Contemporary Creative Practices: Cultural Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia" was held at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The discussion was attended by Aida Balayeva, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Andrey Malyshev, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation; and representatives of the museum, theater, educational, and film professional communities, as well as concert organizations from both countries.
In her welcoming remarks, Aida Balayeva emphasized that cultural cooperation is of particular importance in the relations between Kazakhstan and Russia. The parties hold joint exhibitions and film festivals, organize artist tours, and jointly seek new formats for collaboration in the cultural and humanitarian spheres.
"It is very important that our meetings are becoming a tradition. A year ago, we also held a roundtable discussion to discuss prospects for cooperation, and today we can already speak about concrete results in virtually all areas of culture – from museum and archival work to collaboration between theater and concert organizations. "This demonstrates that such dialogue is truly effective and allows us to meaningfully expand our cultural and humanitarian ties. Today's meeting provides an opportunity to reconcile approaches, introduce new initiatives, and develop a broader range of joint activities," Aida Balayeva emphasized.
In his response, Andrey Malyshev also emphasized that the Russian side attaches particular importance to developing cultural ties with Kazakhstan.
"We highly value our interaction with Kazakhstan in the spheres of culture and art. For many years, fraternal Kazakhstan has warmly welcomed Russian cultural figures. This once again confirms that we are united by a common cultural space, shared spiritual values, and a deep humanitarian affinity. We also remember with particular warmth the Days of Kazakhstan Culture in Russia, which were a vibrant event and once again demonstrated the high level of our creative ties. Today, it is especially important for us to discuss prospects for the coming years – in inter-museum activities, theater exchanges, education, libraries, and other areas that can imbue cooperation with new practical content," said Andrey Malyshev.
Museum activities were a key topic at the roundtable. An agreement was reached between the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography to collaborate on a catalog of Kazakh ethnographic materials. Furthermore, preparations are underway in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum for new archaeological exhibitions and exchange displays scheduled for the fall of 2027. This fall, the Abylkhan Kasteyev National Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan will open an exhibition, "20th Century Russian Art in 30 Masterpieces," featuring works from the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Furthermore, partnerships in the field of restoration are intensifying. The Kazakh side expressed its readiness to continue internship programs for specialists in the field at Russian centers, as well as to deepen joint efforts with museums in border areas on cataloguing and archival matters.
The film industry is shifting its focus from festival screenings to larger-scale collaboration in the production and promotion of films. A representative of ROSKINO expressed interest in implementing joint practical projects. The Kazakh Film National Film Studio confirmed its readiness to continue work on the film "Time," which is nearing completion. Filming is planned to take place in Kazakhstan and Russia. Concurrently, work is underway to digitize the valuable Kazakh film collection held by the Russian State Film Fund.
The meeting also addressed the exchange of professional experience between emerging Russian and Kazakh composers, as well as the priority development of jazz music and the optimization of collaboration through concert venues. Particular attention was paid to the prospects for the development of choreography, including through joint educational initiatives, internship programs, master classes, and the introduction of a dual-degree training system at specialized academies in both countries.
Summing up the roundtable, Aida Balayeva assured the participants that all the proposals voiced would form the basis for future work. She also expressed confidence that the cooperation plan for 2027-2028 will be enriched with concrete proposals from all parties. The meeting resulted in the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia and the Russian Ethnographic Museum of the Russian Federation. The memorandum envisages joint work on thematic catalogs, the development of scientific and methodological approaches, and closer collaboration between artists, restorers, and other museum professionals.