During a working trip of the Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aida Balayeva, to Rome, the presentation of the monograph "Shokan Ualikhanov and the Birth of Modern Kazakhstan" took place. The book, published to the 190th anniversary of the outstanding Kazakh figure, was first published in Italian.

Aida Balayeva congratulated all those involved in the research on the release of this work dedicated to the great scientist, educator and traveler. The Minister noted that the presentation of Shokan Ualikhanov's legacy to the Italian audience is an important step deepening spiritual ties between Kazakhstan and Italy.

"Shokan Ualikhanov is not only an outstanding personality of the Great Steppe, but also a figure of world scale. His research opened to the international scientific community the richest culture and civilization of ethnic groups and states of Central Asia, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Kazakh people. The publication of his works in Italian is a clear example of how science and education bring nations closer together. This book will provide Italian readers with the opportunity to better understand the history, culture and spiritual world of the Kazakh people," said Aida Balayeva.

The Minister sincerely thanked the specialists of both countries who participated in the creation of the book – researchers, translators, ethnographers. She also expressed confidence that today's meeting will be an incentive to strengthen scientific ties between Kazakhstan and Italy, and will inspire young researchers and scientists to new discoveries.

The biography of Shokan Ualikhanov was written by Italian professor Federico Pastore, who has been studying Kazakh sources and documents about the life of the scientist for many years. The monograph also contains an extensive section devoted to outstanding Kazakhstanis with whom Ualikhanov met throughout his life.

The book was published with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Italian Republic by Sandro Teti Editore at the expense of sponsorship funds from the Kazakh company "Kaspiy Neft" JSC and the corporate fund Doscar Foundation Charity Fund. The study is also available in English.