Elements
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00002030 Country Kazakhstan ICH Domain Social practices, rituals, festive events Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe Traditional craft skills Address Geographical location of Terisakkan Village 48° 40' 0" N / 66° 30' 0" E. It is situated in Ulytau District of Karaganda Province, in the remote area of vast steppe landscape. Terisakkan Village is situated in Ulytau District of Karaganda Province, in the remote area of vast steppe landscape. The element is observed in some other areas of all regions of the country (however, it is hard to identify the initial location of its practicing). The element is practiced also outside Kazakhstan by some Kazakh ethnic communities in Turkey, China and Mongolia. In different locations it may show some differences in details. In addition, ICH elements related to the first koumiss blessing and celebration are practiced also by other people - Kyrgyz (Kymyz Buzdu), Mongol (Naadam), and Yakut, or Saha (Yssyah).Year of Designation 2015
| Description | Kazakh spring horse-breeding rites mark the end of the old and the beginning of the new yearly horse-breeding cycle. Rooted in the traditional knowledge of nature and in the millennia-aged close relations between man and horse, these rites involve skills inherited from the nomadic ancestors and adapted to the present day reality. The festive rites compiles of the triade: (1) .‘Biye baylau’; (2) ‘Ayghyr kosu’; and (3) ‘Kymyz muryndyk’. ‘Ayghyr kosu’ (figuratively, ‘stallion’s marriage’) is a rite for adjoining stallions in herds. taking place on the same day. This rite is considered as a recent one that emerged in response to shifting from nomadic life to settling. The preparations go all year round (cutting wool and horse hair, getting good stallions for herds, weaving ropes and foal slips, repairing ware, cutting juniper for smoking vessels, cooking ritual food). Blessed by the elders, the ‘first milking’ day comes in early May, when mares have foaled and grass grown. In total the rites take about 3 weeks until the koumiss sharing ceremonies, taking place in every house of the village, are over. |
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| Social and cultural significance | A triad of the horse-breeding spring festive rites is regarded by their bearers as the most important and long-awaited annual event and as their ‘ata kasip’ (ancestral heritage) that all of them know and appreciate from very early childhood. Preceded by the year-long preparations, it comes with first spring warm, flowers and foals, bringing a common joy of life and the gratitude to nature and to each other for a survival of people and horses through long cold winter. It opens a new yearly cycle of life reproduction and a new happy season of the favourite sacred drink, and people believe that all illnesses go away and all troubles are behind. These days are closely related to the cult of ancestors, and many ritual details are addressed to them to secure their help and support. People observe the rites and related rules together to provide the abundance of milk and the fertility of herds. This event strengthens their friendship, mutual understanding and support, unity and social cohesion, and the sense of identity shared not only with relatives, friends and neighbours, but also with much larger community of their compatriots. |
| Transmission method | The knowledge and skills of the element, along with all those related to the traditional horse breeding, is continuously transmitted within families – from grandparents and parents to children and grandchildren, and also from the eldest children to the younger ones. It still remains the only way of transmission and sharing knowledge and practical experience directly during joint preparatory and performing activities of the element. The youngsters learn many things from very childhood through doing them under the supervision of the adults. It is also important that the adults from the horse holding families often pass their knowledge and skills also to the children of their neighbours. Being transmitted from generations to generations, the element remains sustainable but not ‘frozen’. While its rites feature remnants of ancient cults and beliefs inherited from nomadic ancestors, it proves to be well-adapted to the present-time way and conditions of life. It survived despite of the fact that the past generations of its bearers in the 20th century went through a forced transition from the nomadic mode of life to the settled one, and their pastures were considerably reduced in favour of agriculture, preventing them and their herds from seasonal migrations. In response, the traditional form of horse breeding has been adapted by its bearers to the changed conditions through some alterations to its technologies that had an impact also on cultural traditions. For instance, the present ‘ayghyr kosu’ rite appeared following those alterations. |
| Community | The horse breeders and their families living in Ulytau District of Karaganda Province are recognized as a community of the element bearers. These are 9 representatives of Terisakkan community (including 2 women). The community incudes also two representatives of the local history museum and prof. Akhmet Toktabai, expert in Kazakh horse breeding. Other residents of Terisakkan village are always involved in ICH element safeguarding. The wider community of the Kazakh horse breeders and others in Kazakhstan who also practice and/or appreciate this element as a source of identity and/or participate in its events. |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2018 |
Keyword
Information source
Kazakhstan National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage
Materials related to
Photos
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PI00006618
Terisakkan Spring Festival of Horse Breeders: Inventory (Ayghyr kosu)
Ayghyr kosu is a rite succeeding the milking. Young men lead stallions (ayghyr’s) out and keep them in check until women take milk away with them. Then the bridles are taken off and the stallions join their herds. Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders – taking place in Terisakkan Village – mark the end of the previous and the beginning of the new yearly horse-breeding cycle. Rooted in traditional knowledge about nature and the age-old relations between man and horse, the rites involve skills inherited from nomadic ancestors, adapted to present-day reality. The rites take around three weeks in total, until the koumiss sharing ceremonies, which take place in every household, are over. The rites open a new yearly cycle of reproduction and manifest traditional Kazakh hospitality. Faced with the forced transition in the twentieth century from a nomadic way of life to a settled one, bearers have adapted the traditional form of horse breeding to meet present-day conditions to ensure its continued viability.
Kazakhstan 2016 -
PI00001854
Terisakkan Spring Festival of Horse Breeders: Ayghyr kosu
Ayghyr kosu is a rite succeeding the milking. Young men lead stallions (ayghyr’s) out and keep them in check until women take milk away with them. Then the bridles are taken off and the stallions join their herds. Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders – taking place in Terisakkan Village – mark the end of the previous and the beginning of the new yearly horse-breeding cycle. Rooted in traditional knowledge about nature and the age-old relations between man and horse, the rites involve skills inherited from nomadic ancestors, adapted to present-day reality. The rites take around three weeks in total, until the koumiss sharing ceremonies, which take place in every household, are over. The rites open a new yearly cycle of reproduction and manifest traditional Kazakh hospitality. Faced with the forced transition in the twentieth century from a nomadic way of life to a settled one, bearers have adapted the traditional form of horse breeding to meet present-day conditions to ensure its continued viability.
Kazakhstan 2011 -
PI00001881
Terisakkan Spring Festival of Horse Breeders: Ayghyr kosu
Ayghyr kosu is a rite succeeding the milking. Young men lead stallions (ayghyr’s) out and keep them in check until women take milk away with them. Then the bridles are taken off and the stallions join their herds. Kazakh spring horse-breeding rites mark the end of the old and the beginning of the new yearly horse-breeding cycle. Rooted in the traditional knowledge of nature and in the millennia-aged close relations between man and horse, these rites involve skills inherited from the nomadic ancestors and adapted to the present day reality. The festive rites compiles of the triade: (1) .‘Biye baylau’; (2) ‘Ayghyr kosu’; and (3) ‘Kymyz muryndyk’. ‘Kymyz muryndyk’ (metaphorically, ‘initiation of koumiss’) is the 'first koumiss sharing' rite, opening a season of its making and drinking.
Kazakhstan 2013
Videos
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VI00000026
Traditional Spring Festivals of Kazakh Horse Breeders
Ulytau is the geographic and historical center of Kazakhstan where the Kazakh Khanate appeared. Central Kazakhstan is rich in historical monuments. The history and traditions of Kazakh horse breeders have been maintained since the Paleolithic times. The traditions include: biye baylau, separating dairy mares from the shoal or the feast of the first milking; ayghyr kosu, joining a stallion to the herd or the stallion’s wedding; and kymyz muryndyk, beginning to make and drink kymyz or festive of the first kymyz. Inextricably linked with one another, these traditions mark the beginning of a new horse-breeding cycle and form an integral part of Kazakh intangible cultural heritage.
00:16:25
Kazakhstan 2016 -
VI00000820
Traditional Spring Festivals of Kazakh Horse Breeders
Ulytau is the geographic and historical center of Kazakhstan where the Kazakh Khanate appeared. Central Kazakhstan is rich in historical monuments. The history and traditions of Kazakh horse breeders have been maintained since the Paleolithic times. The traditions include: biye baylau, separating dairy mares from the shoal or the feast of the first milking; ayghyr kosu, joining a stallion to the herd or the stallion’s wedding; and kymyz muryndyk, beginning to make and drink kymyz or festive of the first kymyz. Inextricably linked with one another, these traditions mark the beginning of a new horse-breeding cycle and form an integral part of Kazakh intangible cultural heritage.
3:00
Kazakhstan 2016
Article
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DI00000279
TRADITIONAL SPRING FESTIVE RITES OF KAZAKH HORSE BREEDERS
A triad of spring festive rites—biye baylau, ayghyr kosu, and kymyz murundyk, identified and documented in Terisakkan Village in the northern outskirts of Ulytau District, Central Kazakhstan—is a testimony to nomadic culture surviving up to today. Regarded by its bearers as the most important annual festive event, it starts in early May with first spring warmth, new grass, flowers, and foals, opening a new year-round cycle of life reproduction and a new season of making koumiss, an ancient sacred drink.
Yelena Khorosh Scientific Researcher, National Historic, Cultural and Natural Reserve-Museum, Ulytau 2017 -
DI00001350
The Revival of Local Koumyss Festivals in Kazakhstan: Safeguarding Traditions and Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals
A triad of spring festive rites—biye baylau, ayghyr kosu, and kymyz muryndyk, identified and documented in Terisakkan village in the northern outskirts of Ulytau province of central Kazakhstan—were inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List in 2018. The annual festive event starts in early May with new grass, flowers, and foals, opening a year-round cycle of reproduction and a new season of making koumiss, an ancient sacred drink. It had become the case that only the community in Ulytau province conducted this local festival from an earlier time. Now the tradition is being revived in several areas of Kazakhstan, and there is a strong interest in other countries with nomadic cultures.
Balgyn Salykova, Zhanerke Shaigozova, Baktiyor Kozhakhmetov 2023
Elements related to
더보기-
EE00001336
Biye baylau (‘tethering mares’) -Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders
Kazakh spring horse-breeding rites mark the end of the old and the beginning of the new yearly horse-breeding cycle. Rooted in the traditional knowledge of nature and in the millennia-aged close relations between man and horse, these rites involve skills inherited from the nomadic ancestors and adapted to the present day reality. The festive rites compiles of the triade: (1) .‘Biye baylau’; (2) ‘Ayghyr kosu’; and (3) ‘Kymyz muryndyk’. ‘Biye baylau’ (literally, ‘tethering mares’), the ancient 'first milking'; rite encompassing the separation of mares and foals from herds, tethering them, greasing ropes and pegs, milking mares, greasing and smoking vessels for koumiss, fermenting the first-day milk, and celebrating with songs, dances and games. The preparations go all year round (cutting wool and horse hair, getting good stallions for herds, weaving ropes and foal slips, repairing ware, cutting juniper for smoking vessels, cooking ritual food). Blessed by the elders, the ‘first milking’ day comes in early May, when mares have foaled and grass grown. In total the rites take about 3 weeks until the koumiss sharing ceremonies, taking place in every house of the village, are over.
Kazakhstan 2018 -
EE00002031
Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders
Kazakh spring horse-breeding rites mark the end of the old and the beginning of the new yearly horse-breeding cycle. Rooted in the traditional knowledge of nature and in the millennia-aged close relations between man and horse, these rites involve skills inherited from the nomadic ancestors and adapted to the present day reality. The festive rites compiles of the triade: (1) .‘Biye baylau’; (2) ‘Ayghyr kosu’; and (3) ‘Kymyz muryndyk’. ‘Kymyz muryndyk’ (metaphorically, ‘initiation of koumiss’) is the 'first koumiss sharing' rite, opening a season of its making and drinking. The preparations go all year round (cutting wool and horse hair, getting good stallions for herds, weaving ropes and foal slips, repairing ware, cutting juniper for smoking vessels, cooking ritual food). Blessed by the elders, the ‘first milking’ day comes in early May, when mares have foaled and grass grown. In total the rites take about 3 weeks until the koumiss sharing ceremonies, taking place in every house of the village, are over.
Kazakhstan 2018