IMPRESSIONS of Almaty region 1 УДК ББК Author: T.Gurzhiy Photographers: A. Zhdanko, P. Mikheyev, K. Akhmetova Design: Ch. Yersain Each country has its own natural wonders. Almaty oblast has a lot of them. Beautiful 100 impressions of Almaty region/Author: T.Gurzhiy /Almaty, 2017. - 208 p. places will not leave anyone indifferent, touching invisible strings in your soul and forcing you to come back again and again ... Rivers and lakes, flowers and animals are decorations of the region. None, even the most high-quality photo will not give ISBN that amazing picture that comes before the eyes of travelers who every year come to admire its incredible beauty of the surroundings of the southern capital. The greatness of nature and its talent as an architect and artist are manifested in its en- tire splendor. People come here to bow to their ancestors. These are the graves of the great sons of the Kazakh people – Zhambyl, Raiymbek, Zhansugurov, Suyunbai... They lived at different times, but were always revered by their descendants, and will forever remain in the history and memory of the people. The uniqueness of the nature of the Almaty oblast allows passing almost all climatic zones in a day: from the permafrost of the mountain peaks to the dusty deserts of Ile and Southern Balkhash. Such a variety is a storehouse for the traveler: choose the direction and go where your eyes look. Be sure to find something of your own. УДК ББК ISBN © Author: T.Gurzhiy © PE Akhmetov 3 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION TANBALY 01 Tanbaly is located in the low mountains of Anrakhai, 170 km to the north-west of Almaty. In 1957, the archaeological expedition of A.G. Maksimova discovered in this tract a huge cluster of ancient drawings carved on the rocks. Further studies have revealed that it is not just a cluster of petroglyphs, but a grand sanctuary, an open-air temple. In this temple of ancient knowledge, everything has its meaning and significance, the landscape, sacred plants, streams, rocks and man-made altars, burial grounds and petroglyphs. Tanbaly sanctuary occupies an outstanding place not only among the monuments of ancient culture and history of Kazakhstan, but also throughout Central Asia. In 2003, Tanbaly was taken under the protection of the state; the State Historical, Cultural and Natural Museum-Reserve was established. Since 2004, Tanbaly has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the Bronze Age, Tanbaly was the main intertribal shrine of a large region. Here, initiation ceremonies (initiation of adolescents into adult members of society), major calendar festivals and rituals, such as Nauryz, various military meetings took place. 4 5 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION USHKONYR 02 Ushkonyr – three rounded peaks in the western part of Ile Alatau. From a distance, they look like the humps of three camels lying next to each other. Its name is translated as three brown peaks. Peaks remain brown until the middle of summer, while everything lying below the high plateau has long been dressed in a juicy green color. Previously, a winding serpentine led to Ushkonyr, now there is a good road laid in the gorge and overlooking the picturesque high plateau of Sat-jailau. From the northern edge of the plateau, there is an excellent view of Ushkonyr mountains – from the south and a wide panorama of the boundless steppe – from the north. Apparently, therefore, this place has become a favorite platform for the start of paragliders and hang-gliders. Ushkonyr stretched from the Shamalgan River in the east, to the Uzyn Kargaly River in the west. A large stone with the size of a house is located to the south of Ushkonyr, before Takyr-kezen pass. This stone is remarkable because of the signs and holes made on its top in antiquity. The wells were filled with the blood of sacrificial animals, and the stone itself was considered sacred. 6 7 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION ZHAMBYL ZHABAYEV 03 Zhambyl Zhabaev (1846-1945 gg.) – akyn, narrator, poet and singer, laureate of the USSR State Prize. The famous akyn Suyunbay taught him the art of improvisation. At the end of the XIX and beginning of the XX century, he repeatedly participated and won in aityses. He was famous as a master of accusatory songs. The epics «Suranshi-batyr», «Utegen-batyr», many Kazakh tales were written from his words. The revolutionary events of 1917 gave a new impetus to the work of the people’s akyn. Zhambyl always remained a people’s poet; because of this, his work was revered and respected regardless of political changes. Since 1938, Zhambyl Zhabaev became a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR. During the Great Patriotic War, Zhambyl glorified the exploits of the heroes of the defenders of the fatherland. Monument was erected and the house- museum of Zhambyl Zhabaev was created in the village of Zhambyl. The garden cultivated by the poet is carefully preserved. 8 9 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION SUYUNBAI ARONULY 04 Outstanding Kazakh akyn, unsurpassed improvisator master of aitys. Suyunbai immortalized the exploits of the outstanding Kazakh batyrs – defenders of their native land in heroic epics «Otegen batyr», «Suranshi batyr», «Sauryk batyr». In song-meditations, in the plot poetic dastans, Suyunbai expressed the thoughts and aspirations of the people. Famous for the whole steppe, aityses of Suyunbai became a classic of the genre. Suyunbai recreated the best ancient traditions of aitys and became the founder of new directions and traditions of a kind of school of aitys skill. Many Kazakh akyns considered Suyunbai their inspirer and teacher. 10 11 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION ILE ALATAU 05 Ile Alatau is the most picturesque and rich in diversity of vegetation and wildlife in the Northern Tien-Shan range. This mountain range received the name «Motley mountains beyond the Ile River» due to different color shades of high- altitude vegetation belts, from steppe to coniferous forest and alpine meadows, glaciers and snow caps on the peaks. The most important feature of Ile Alatau is a unique opportunity to visit various natural areas from continental deserts to alpine meadows and mountain glaciers in several hours; to rise from 600 to 4,500 meters above sea level. That is why Ile Alatau is the center of mass recreation, mountain tourism and mountaineering in Kazakhstan. Almost all the gorges are a favorite vacation spot for residents of Zhetysu. Today, the Almaty State Reserve and the national park «Ile Alatau» occupy most of the northern macroslope of Ile Alatau. Here are also the world-famous winter sports centers – Medeu ice rink and Shymbulak ski complex. 12 13 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION MONUMENT TO SAURYK AND SURANSHI BATYRS 06 Saurik Stambekuly and Suranshi are renowned batyrs and commanders, organizers of the liberation war of the Kazakhs against the oppression of the Kokand Khan and other conquerors. Saurik and Suranshi, as a result of numerous battles and campaigns, liberated the western part of Zhetysu and southern cities from the oppression of Kokand Khan Kudiyar. Saurik batyr heroically died fighting against invaders in Kastek gorge. Suranshi batyr was killed during the liberation of Sauran. The exploits of the outstanding batyrs were sung by the folk storyteller akyns. In our days, a monument is erected on the Almaty-Bishkek route in memory of the mighty defenders of native land. 14 15 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION EDELWEISS 07 «Small stars, wrapped up to a throat by white fur, so as not to freeze from the touch of ice.» So described Konstantin Paustovsky mountain flower – edelweiss, covered with legends. The charming name «edelweiss» from the German language is translated as a noble white. The form of edelweiss really resembles sprockets in the silvery fringe. These flowers grow in hard- to-reach places on rocky mountain slopes, in stony riverbeds, at the foot of mountain glaciers, and are extremely rare. Climb to such heights, find this rare flower and bring it to beloved are not capable of many men. Therefore, in every mountainous country, there are legends associated with edelweiss – the flower of love and faithfulness, courage. In the mountains of Almaty oblast, edelweiss is found everywhere and grows from the upper boundary of the forest to glaciers and rocks. 16 17 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION POPPIES 08 Every spring and early summer, residents and guests of the Almaty oblast can admire the stunning beauty – scarlet fields of Morpheus. Poppy fields were called so in the famous children’s fairy tale «The Wizard of the Emerald City». This is samoseyka poppy (Papaver rhoeas), growing on fields and along roads, overflows with red-green waves against the background of snow-capped mountains. In different countries, red poppies designate opposite symbols. Poppy is a symbol of happy old age and beautiful rest. In France, there is a legend that poppies can bleed a person, if he walks for a long time on the poppy fields. In England, there is a national holiday – the Day of the Poppies. 18 19 IMPRESSIONS OF ALMATY REGION TULIPS 09 For many centuries, tulips have been associated with Holland, which is called the homeland of tulips. However, the true home of many varieties of these beautiful flowers are the expanses of the Mediterranean and Asia, which came from Asia to Europe with trade caravans along the Great Silk Road. About twenty varieties of tulips grow in the natural nature in the steppes, foothills and on mountain slopes of Almaty oblast, preserving the gene pool of this species of bulbous plants. From mid-spring to mid-summer red, yellow and orange fields of tulips can be seen almost throughout the region. The most common are red Tulipa Albertii, yellow and orange Tulipa Lehmanniana, The rarest and beautiful tulips: Tulipa Iliensis, Tulipa buhseana, Tulipa alberti, Tulipa Tetraphylla and Bicoloured Tulipa Zinaidae.