Kazakhstan Opens Berlin’s Abai House to Celebrate National Poet’s Legacy
Kazakhstan has opened a new cultural and business centre in Berlin, Germany to mark the 175th birthday of its national poet, Abai Kunanbayev. The Abai House will serve as a hub for strengthening ties between Kazakhstan and Germany through joint projects in culture, education, and trade. Officials from both countries attended the inauguration ceremony. The opening event brought together key representatives from Kazakhstan and Germany. Yerkin Uysimbaev, deputy chair of the Committee for Interethnic Relations, represented Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Information. Mukhtar Karibai, a senior official from the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, was also present. Kuanysh Amirgaliyev, cultural attaché at the Kazakh Embassy in Germany, joined the ceremony alongside Galina Nurtazinova, managing director of the German-Kazakh Society. Magauia Sarbasov, deputy chair of the Otandastar Foundation, attended as well. The foundation has already established Abai Houses in major Kazakh cities such as Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent, as well as in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Similar centres have opened in Omsk (Russia), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and Istanbul (Turkey). Plans are underway to expand the network to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and additional locations in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The Berlin centre follows the same model, aiming to foster collaboration between Kazakh and German communities. It will focus on cultural exchange, economic partnerships, and educational initiatives. The Otandastar Foundation intends to replicate this approach in other countries, building on the success of the Berlin launch. The Abai House in Berlin is now operational, offering a platform for Kazakh-German cooperation. Further centres are expected to open across Central Asia and beyond as part of the ongoing celebrations for Abai Kunanbayev’s legacy. The initiative reflects Kazakhstan’s broader efforts to promote its culture and strengthen international relationships.
