NEWS

So the ancestors lived

What did the house of a rich Kazakh merchant look like, what is kulebyak and where can I see the monument to the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli? Of course, you can find this in the ethnic village, which has been welcoming guests to Ust-Kamenogorsk for more than 10 years. The houses of representatives of different ethnic groups living in Eastern Kazakhstan are located on the same street.

At the entrance you will be met by the houses with a rather unusual architecture. These are not hobbits 'homes, but artisans' workshops. You can also buy wicker dishes or jewelry.



The first things you can see in the ethnic village are the most exotic buildings of the peoples of the Caucasus. The Chechen tower, Georgian and Armenian huts are made of ordinary stone. Such houses are durable; they are well tolerated heat and cold. Near the Georgian dwelling there is even a monument to the famous author of "The Knight in the tiger's skin".




The Kazakhs of the Irtysh region also built their houses out of stone. This dwelling had no foundation and looked just like a Yurt. And this is the house of a rich Kazakh merchant. The manor is, as they say, a supernaculum, and in the yard is a rich set of harnesses and agricultural tools.



As for me, I like the house of a well-to-do old believer peasant. The old believers hardly communicated with their neighbors and kept their distance. The entire dwelling is painted with wooden lace and multicolored paints. There was even a small balcony where the family liked to drink tea from the samovar in the evenings.




Due to the pandemic, the number of visitors has declined dramatically. Sometimes, before the pandemic representatives of national cultural centers held cooking master classes on weekends. Vacationers can sample beshbarmak, hash Browns, pilaf or really quite exotic for today's pie-pie. Well, until the quarantine is lifted, we have to admire the beautiful houses and remember how our grandparents lived.





How to get there?
The ethnic village is located on the left Bank of the Irtysh river. You can get here by bus: 14, 17, 24, 26, 43, 46, 54, 246, 262. Admission is free.

Author: Dmitry Krukovich
Photo: Yermek Imangazinov, Sergey Surov