The exhibition "From Athens to Astana: Olympic Artifacts from the Vladimir Potanin Collection" has opened at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The exhibition is timed to coincide with the 130th anniversary of the first modern Olympic Games and is part of the cultural program of the 2026 Future Games international multisport tournament.

The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Museum, the National Olympic Committee, and the Vladimir Potanin Olympic Collection project.

The exhibition features 140 authentic items from Vladimir Potanin's collection. Among them are award and commemorative medals, Olympic torches, and diplomas dating back to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

The exhibition is complemented by unique exhibits from the National Museum's collection, commemorating the achievements of famous Kazakhstani athletes. Visitors can see photographs and personal sports equipment of Vladimir Smirnov, Bekzat Sattarkhanov, Bakhtiyar Artayev, Serik Sapiyev, Alexander Vinokurov, Denis Ten, Olga Rypakova, Gennady Golovkin, and Yeldos Smetov.

The exhibition space is designed in a sports theme. Thematic zones, designed as a wrestling mat and a boxing ring, complement the exhibition. In the digital section, images of ancient gods and athletes featured on Olympic diplomas are brought to life using neural network technologies. This allows visitors to explore the history of the Olympic Games in a modern, interactive format.

Vladimir Potanin's Olympic collection has previously been exhibited in Moscow, Sochi, and Beijing, as well as in Minsk during the 2nd European Games, in Kazan during the BRICS Games, and in St. Petersburg during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The artifacts on display reflect not only the history of the Olympic Games but also the development of art and aesthetics across different eras.
The exhibition will run until September 30, 2026.