Burabay Damu-Museum (Burabai Historical and Local History Museum)
The Burabay Museum of History and Local Lore is a significant scientific and educational institution focused on the systematic collection, study, preservation, and promotion of the cultural and historical heritage of the Burabay District in the Akmola Region. The museum was opened in 1999 to commemorate the 280th anniversary of the birth of the great Kazakh Khan Ablai and was originally located in a small, adapted facility. Its creation was made possible thanks to the personal initiative and enthusiasm of renowned local historian Amina Tursynbayeva. The museum's initial exhibitions were based on materials that reflected the historical, cultural, and ethnographic features of the resort area.
As part of the implementation of the national program "Rukhani Zhangyru", the museum was reorganized and equipped with modern technological tools in 2018. With the support of the Akmola regional akimat, it was officially renamed the Burabay Museum of History and Local Lore. Today, the museum is located in the “Burabay Damu” Tourist Visitor Center and occupies several hundred square meters. It features three exhibition halls, each representing a thematically distinct section covering a specific aspect of the region’s history and culture:
1. The History Hall - This hall contains important artifacts spanning from ancient times to the present. Visitors can explore the socio-economic and cultural organization of Kazakh society, as well as the administrative and territorial development of the Kokshetau region in the 19th century. Separate exhibitions are dedicated to political and social transformations during the Soviet era and the stages of independent Kazakhstan’s formation. The halls are richly decorated with written sources, photographs, maps, and various historical documents.
2. The Ethnography Hall - This hall features authentic objects that reflect the traditional lifestyle, ethnoculture, and applied arts of the Kazakh people. Among the exhibits are a Kazakh yurt, household items (dishes, tools for leather processing, jewelry), samples of national clothing, and musical instruments. Special attention is given to the spiritual heritage of the Kokshetau land, including the works of famous akyns and zhyrshys such as Akan Seri Koramsauly, Birzhan Sal Kozhagululy, and Ukili Ybyrai. Their creations are also presented in the exhibition.
3. The Hall of Burabay Researchers - This hall is dedicated to the scientific contributions of prominent scholars who studied the nature and history of the Burabay region. The exhibitions include the works and materials of Soviet scientists evacuated to the Akmola region during the Great Patriotic War, including academician Vladimir Vernadsky, geographer Lev Berg, microbiologist Nikolai Gamaleya, and others. Also featured are studies by Kazakhstani scholars such as academician Alkey Margulan, geologist Kanysh Satpayev, and historians Abduali Kazybekov and Kairulla Abduyev, who researched the cultural and historical heritage of Burabay.