Materials
competitions
ICH Materials 60
-
Navruz
Navruz is an ancient and widespread holiday in Tajikistan, and it is celebrated on the vernal equinox, the beginning of the solar year and the new year according to the Iranian calendar, as well as calendars of several other nationalities. Navruz traditionally celebrates the awakening of nature and the beginning of agricultural work.
Tajikistan -
Nooruz
The Nooruz holiday symbolizes the celebration of the New Year according to the solar calendar, on the vernal equinox (March 21). It marks the arrival of something new in people's lives, their hope for a happy and prosperous year. This is one of the most important holidays in Kyrgyzstan, bringing together everyone, regardless of age and ethnicity.
Kyrgyzstan -
Aitys – the art of improvisation
Aitys is a contest centred on improvised oral poetry spoken or sung to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments – the Kazakh dombra. Two performers (akyns) compete with one other to improvise verses on topical themes in a battle of wits that alternates between humorous ripostes and penetrating philosophical reflections. During the competition, the performers sit opposite one another improvising a dialogue on topics chosen by the audience. The winner is the performer considered to have demonstrated the best musical skills, rhythm, originality, resourcefulness, wisdom and wit. The most meaningful and witty expressions often become popular sayings. The element is practised on a variety of occasions, ranging from local festivities to nationwide events, where practitioners often use the contest to raise important social issues. Although it was traditionally performed only by men, many women now participate in Aitys and use the contest to express women’s aspirations and viewpoints.
Kazakhstan -
National Dombra Day: first celebrating in Almaty
The team of students and young dombra artists from various musical colleges and art communities took part in the festive events for the first National Dombra Day celebration in Almaty. The performance was leaded by the famous artists and musicians.\nFirst celebration of the National Dombra Day had been widely spread in the country. A lot of individual artists and dombra professional and folk orchestra conducted the concert performance at Arbat avenue, popular public place in Almaty.\nThe Dombra is a musical two-stringed instrument, which occupies a special place in Kazakhs’ hearts. The National Dombyra Day has been included in the list of national holidays since 2018 by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan. This was done in in order to further consolidate society around the idea of preserving and reviving national culture and identity. The holiday is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of July.\nKazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev established National Dombra Day on June 12th, 2018. It immediately became a favorite holiday for people and was widely celebrated nationwide with music competitions and festivals.\nDombra belongs to the main symbols of the Kazakh musical heritage and culture. This tool invariably unites people of different professions, religions and nationalities in Kazakhstan. You can meet dombra today in almost every home.\nNone of events in the life of the people could happen without this national musical instrument. Respect for dombra is passed down from generation to generation. So it was in the days of nomads and remains to this day. Interest in dombra, as well as its popularity, is not fading away. Today, an increasing number of young people masterfully own this instrument.
Kazakhstan
-
Tajikistan Naburz and children's highlight
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2016 Navruz is celebrated in Iranian cultures such as Tajikistan. As it is a happy festive day to welcome the spring after the long winter, the children enjoy various games. This video shows the children at play. Girls wear traditional Tajik costumes, and boys wear formal clothes while playing games like pebꠓble tossing and catching, kite flying, stick tossing, skipping rope, hacky sack, arm wrestling, swinging, breaking eggs. They also sing, allowing viewers to also feel cheerfulness of a festive day and become quite comfortable.\nLabchang, a musical instrument known from ancient times, received its name because it is placed between the lips and is played by a finger. Some old people in a few areas of Tajikistan continue to play labchang, so the art of playing has almost disappeared. The young generation generally doesn’t even now about the instrument. This film is dedicated to the methods of play on various types of labchangs in different parts of Tajikistan.\nVarious dance forms are performed in relation to nature throughout Tajikistan. The dances are varied, mainly having an imitating character. Performed by folk artists, the dances are transferred from generation to generation. Some of the rare dances are gone with their performers. The Pamiri people perform a rare mourning dance that is currently performed only in Bartang Valley and is on the verge of disappearances. Other dance forms are being revived day by day.
Tajikistan 2017 -
National Dombra Day: first celebrating in Almaty
The team of students and young dombra artists from various musical colleges and art communities took part in the festive events for the first National Dombra Day celebration in Almaty. The performance was leaded by the famous artists and musicians.\nFirst celebration of the National Dombra Day had been widely spread in the country. A lot of individual artists and dombra professional and folk orchestra conducted the concert performance at Arbat avenue, popular public place in Almaty.\nThe Dombra is a musical two-stringed instrument, which occupies a special place in Kazakhs’ hearts. The National Dombyra Day has been included in the list of national holidays since 2018 by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan. This was done in in order to further consolidate society around the idea of preserving and reviving national culture and identity. The holiday is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of July.\nKazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev established National Dombra Day on June 12th, 2018. It immediately became a favorite holiday for people and was widely celebrated nationwide with music competitions and festivals.\nDombra belongs to the main symbols of the Kazakh musical heritage and culture. This tool invariably unites people of different professions, religions and nationalities in Kazakhstan. You can meet dombra today in almost every home.\nNone of events in the life of the people could happen without this national musical instrument. Respect for dombra is passed down from generation to generation. So it was in the days of nomads and remains to this day. Interest in dombra, as well as its popularity, is not fading away. Today, an increasing number of young people masterfully own this instrument.
Kazakhstan 2018-07-01 -
National Dombra Day 2018 celebrating in Almaty: young artists from Kulyash Baiseitova's College
The team of young dombra artists from Kulyash Baiseitova's Musical College took part in the festive events for the first National Dombra Day celebration in Almaty.\nFirst celebration of the National Dombra Day had been widely spread in the country. A lot of individual artists and dombra professional and folk orchestra conducted the concert performance at Arbat avenue, popular public place in Almaty.\nThe Dombra is a musical two-stringed instrument, which occupies a special place in Kazakhs’ hearts. The National Dombyra Day has been included in the list of national holidays since 2018 by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan. This was done in in order to further consolidate society around the idea of preserving and reviving national culture and identity. The holiday is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of July.\nKazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev established National Dombra Day on June 12th, 2018. It immediately became a favorite holiday for people and was widely celebrated nationwide with music competitions and festivals.
Kazakhstan 2018-07-01 -
Navruz in Uzbekistan
"Navruz is one of the largest holidays celebrated by Eastern nations. The Navruz nomination for the UNESCO Representative List in 2009 included seven countries. Since then, more states that celebrate Navruz became States Party to the Convention, the nomination was re-introduced on behalf of twelve States Party.\n\nIn Uzbekistan, 21 March was the national Navruz holiday. However, Navruz is celebrated in throughout country during the whole month.\n\nNavruz celebrations in a makhalla of Tashkent, amusement parks of Fergana, and the Institute of Culture and Art are described in this film. Regardless of the celebration location, it has become a tradition to cook the royal meal of navruz-sumalak and spring meals such as kok somsa (pie with greens) and kok chuchvara (dumplings with greens).\n\nPerformances of folk teams, puppet masters, rope walkers, polvons (wrestlers), and modern music singers and different folk game competitions organized during Navruz. Navruz is not only the beginning of the New Year, but it is the power that brings people closer and spreads love and affection among people. "
Uzbekistan 2017
-
NAVRUZ, SHARING TOGETHER ON NEW YEAR’S DAY—SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE CULTURE OF NAVRUZNavruz (Nowruz) is not just about the first day of spring, but it is also not just a celebration of the New Year marked by indulging in a feast; it has a much wider historical and cultural context with deep doctrinal significance.Year2011NationSouth Korea
-
Navruz in KyrgyzstanMarking the beginning of spring, Navruz (meaning March equinox) is one of the largest traditional holidays in Central Asia. Located in the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has been celebrating Navruz (Nooruz in Kyrgyz) for a long time as its national holiday. When the Navruz holiday comes, Kyrgyz families gather to make holiday desserts: sumolok and boorsok.\n\nIn the old times, sumolok was a ritual dish prepared before the start of spring sowing. Sumolok is a sweet paste made from germinated wheat and stir cooked in a kazan, a large traditional pot in Central Asia. Sumolok has become an important cuisine in Kyrgyz culture since almost all of Kyrgyzstan celebrates the holiday by making it. In villages and towns, families gather around a kazan full of sumolok and take turns to stirring the sumolok. Usually it takes a whole day and night to finish the cuisine, which is why a typical Navruz scene in Kyrgyzstan is pictured as a group of families sitting around a Kazan while singing and stirring sumolok.\n\nBoorsok, on the other hand, is cooked faster than sumolok. Also a traditional sweet in Central Asia, boorsok is a type of fried dough in various shapes. Kyrgyz boorsok is typically shaped like a pressed doughnut.\n\nThis year, Boorsok National Record was held in the Arashan village near the capital city, Bishkek. The event was organized by Ethnographic Complex Kyrgyz Aiyli (meaning Kyrgyz village), successfully attracting an estimated 1,500 local residents and tourists. The main programs included making boorsok, singing songs, and competing in horse riding and other national games. The participants in the boorsok cooking competition used about a ton of flour and made more than 800 kg of boorsok. Later, boxes of boorsok were sent to nearby orphanages and the elderly in Arashan Village.\n\nMarking the beginning of spring, Navruz (meaning March equinox) is one of the largest traditional holidays in Central Asia. Located in the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has been celebrating Navruz (Nooruz in Kyrgyz) for a long time as its national holiday. When the Navruz holiday comes, Kyrgyz families gather to make holiday desserts: sumolok and boorsok.\n\nIn the old times, sumolok was a ritual dish prepared before the start of spring sowing. Sumolok is a sweet paste made from germinated wheat and stir cooked in a kazan, a large traditional pot in Central Asia. Sumolok has become an important cuisine in Kyrgyz culture since almost all of Kyrgyzstan celebrates the holiday by making it. In villages and towns, families gather around a kazan full of sumolok and take turns to stirring the sumolok. Usually it takes a whole day and night to finish the cuisine, which is why a typical Navruz scene in Kyrgyzstan is pictured as a group of families sitting around a Kazan while singing and stirring sumolok.\n\nBoorsok, on the other hand, is cooked faster than sumolok. Also a traditional sweet in Central Asia, boorsok is a type of fried dough in various shapes. Kyrgyz boorsok is typically shaped like a pressed doughnut.\n\nThis year, Boorsok National Record was held in the Arashan village near the capital city, Bishkek. The event was organized by Ethnographic Complex Kyrgyz Aiyli (meaning Kyrgyz village), successfully attracting an estimated 1,500 local residents and tourists. The main programs included making boorsok, singing songs, and competing in horse riding and other national games. The participants in the boorsok cooking competition used about a ton of flour and made more than 800 kg of boorsok. Later, boxes of boorsok were sent to nearby orphanages and the elderly in Arashan Village.\n\nMore information about Navruz is available in ICHCAP’s e-Knowledge Center.\n\nWatch Other Navruz Videos\nNavruz is celebrated throughout Central Asia, with each ethnic group having its own take on the holiday. The videos of Tajik and Uzbek celebrations below are from ICHCAP’s Central Asia ICH Collection.Year2018NationKyrgyzstan