Tolegen Bakhargul.  My business is based on keeping national heritage.// Economics. №29 (149) 22-28.07.2010

Lately the notion of “keeping the national values only in the museum” has been brought to life. We involve into dialog  the director of “Ademi-Ai” company, cultural worker of RK, ethnographer, collector, known not only for collecting antiques, but for manufacturing  them.

During 15 years I have been collecting the ancient applied art of Kazakhs, including jewellery, harness and home appliances  of nomads.

My private collection has more than thousand items. Last year I had an exhibition named “Zhuregimde - Otanym” (Motherland in my heart) in State Museum of gold and noble metals named after Abylkhan Kasteev.

This year the exhibition took place in State Central museum. This year the number of exhibits have been increased in compare to last year. There have been introduced not only jewellery, but home appliances of nomads, yarness, knitting handmade goods.  Swords, shields, spindles, mortar and pestle and tubs were introduced on the exhibition.

“Care about the national values is joy for us,” – she pointed, highly appreciating our work. I think that people enjoyed the cultural heritage  enough.

This year you have been recognized as a “Woman of Kazakhstan”. What is the secret of your top ranking and success among the known women of Kazakhstan?

The participation in this project is a great joy for me. I consider that my victory is recognition of my people. It was not easy to integrate into society if you came from abroad. Among  visitors were many surprised people  interested in the way of how so many collections have been done.  People knew about us  through magazine “Ademi -Ai”. Maybe because of that, I succeeded at the very first step. To keep national heritage one should love national values. How has the love to ancectors’ heritage been revived in you?

It is necessary to be a patriot to work hard in this area. My mom had good hand at everything. From age of 5 I started adopting all her techniques. My mom put her whole soul into “koshma” making and embroidering.

My parents taught me to cherish the national heritage as the apple of my eye. Grandparents not only knew the nomadic culture and traditions of Kazakhs but followed them even in daily life. During my studying in Beijing, I was amazed by thousand year relics in Chinese museums. I had a thought about collecting my own national heritage. Up to this day, when I find relics, I hurry to get them. My attention on jewellery made of metal is not aimed for profit but to promote the national heritage.

Is your collection has been made in China or in Kazakhstan?

Jewellery craft is well developed in western region of Kazakhstan.  That’s why, the majority of jewellery was collected in the land of Kazakhs. Honestly speaking, I did not see the artistic jewellery workpieces before my coming here. Chinese Kazakhs have more knitting hand made goods. However, less attention is paid on knitting here.  

I am trying to work more with metal handmade goods, because their beauty is long lasting. Kazakhs saying that valued things always keep their value.  They do not rust. Their value grows with time. For instance, the Golden Man has remained the same through ages. Now it seems that spiritual values lose their worth. What is the reason?

-Time of technical progress, era of globalization has come. The matched dependent behaviour to something is predominated. It is understandable that in this time national heritage remains in the shadow. I work not to make profit but to help my nation. All funds I get selling the fine metal goods I spend on collecting the relics from people. My business is directed to keep up the national heritage, not to make money. Nation formation is not in the wealth but in traditions, history, religion, valuable relics. We all should work in this direction. Familiarizing ourselves with advanced technology, we should not forget about national peculiarities. It’s turned out that the model of Eifel tower in Paris, spreading all over the world, makes good profit. I would like us to announce to the whole world about our unique Golden Man.

-Turks , including Kazakhs, consider a wolf as a patron. What place does it take in workpieces made by your hands.

-Once I sell statuettes  made by sculptors, people have bought everything. Kazakhs love it. When we built the mausoleum of Adai ata in the west of Kazakhstan, people asked to erect the statue of a wolf. Now, the sculpture of the wolf stands near the mausoleum,. Among my relics you can see a wolf fell. Many people know that its tooth and “alchik” used to carry as an amulet. There is a belief that it keeps away troubles. The wolf fell, and pads hung on the honourable place and have been considered as sacred. Thinking about China, imagine a dragon, thinking about dragon, imagine China. So, we should introduce to people the conception of Kazakhs’ origin from wolves.

-Now we are going through period when Russian-speaking Kazakhs are ashamed that they are not Russians and Kazakh – speaking Kazakhs are ashamed that they are not Arabs. Then, where are the peculiarities of traditions of Kazakhs? What can you say about advantages of traditional clothes?

National Kazakh clothes are the achievement of respect. It’s beautiful and modest. Clothes corresponded to the age of young girls, women and old women.

There were rings such as “a ring for matchmaker”, “ring with sharp angle”

Girls wore rings with sharp angle. After marriage her parents presented to a matchmaker “a ring for matchmaker”, this ring wore on two fingers as a sign of respect. A ring with sharp angle was returned as a sign of wellbeing of a girl. Kazakh daughter-in-law wore “saukele” at festive occasions till pregnancy. Now, women in their forties wear “saukele” on the stage. That time, girls wear decorated ribbons and pendants not only for beauty sake, it had a meaning in raising a modest girl. This jewellery taught to be calm. Girls, who did not want to attract attention with sound of ribbons, grew serious. Silver is a symbol of virginity. Why is there a tradition to pour water with silver spoon? And silver coin also was put in that water. It meant protection against misfortune and troubles. We should revere our ancestors’ traditions and apply them not only at festive occasions but in daily life.

Text by Sagyn Serik

Tolegen Bakhargul.  My business is based on keeping national heritage.// Economics. №29 (149) 22-28.07.2010