The Kabanbai Batyr Historical and Ethnographic Museum

The Kabanbai Batyr Historical and Ethnographic Museum was opened in 1991 in the village of Kabanbai in the Alakol District to mark the 300th anniversary of the national batyr Karakerei Kabanbai.

The museum has six demonstration halls. The exposition starts with a narrative of Kabanbai Batyr’s life path. The exhibits on display in the next hall familiarize visitors with the culture and lifestyle of the Kazakh people. The beautiful articles of applied art are of particular interest there. Also, there is a collection of national jewellery there. The attention of visitors is attracted by many folk musical instruments, carpets, and dishes.

A special hall of the museum demonstrates objects telling about everyday life of warriors of the time. A saddle, decorated with silver plates, a leather belt, a helmet, a chain mail, a curved sword, a bow, and a club – all those were an indispensable part of life of every man who spent most of his life in military campaigns.

The stock of the Kabanbai Batyr Museum amounts to about eight hundred exhibits; it is annually visited by hundreds of people. The main task of the museum is not only to replenish the visitors’ knowledge about the great commander but also to instil patriotism in them.