Museum of Kazakhstan history of science
The Museum of the History of Science of Kazakhstan is an important scientific and cultural institution that systematically presents the formation and development of national science from ancient times to the present day. The museum’s exhibition not only reflects the evolution of scientific knowledge but also provides a detailed account of the lives and work of outstanding representatives of Kazakh science and their contribution to the development of society and civilization. The museum's collection includes more than 6,000 unique items - rare books, photographic documents, and personal belongings of prominent scientists and educators. These materials are valuable sources that provide documentary evidence of the stages in the development of science in Kazakhstan.
The museum was established to meet the scholarly need for an objective analysis and generalization of the historical development of science in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its thematic structure comprises the following sections:
1. Origins of Science from Ancient Times - This section explores the early forms of scientific knowledge and the intellectual foundations of science on the territory of Kazakhstan. Special attention is paid to the works of medieval thinkers - Abu Nasr al-Farabi, Mahmud Kashgari, Yusuf Balasaguni, Qadyrgali Zhalayiri, Ahmad Yassawi, Muhammad Haidar Dulati, and others and their contribution to the development of science.
2. Scientific Research and Educational Activity in the 18th-19th Centuries - This section is devoted to Russian scholars such as P. Rychkov, A. Levshin, V. Velyaminov-Zernov, and P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, as well as the work of the Russian Geographical Society, which studied Kazakhstan from geographical, natural-historical, and ethnographic perspectives. The section also highlights the scholarly and educational contributions of Kazakh thinkers - Shoqan Walikhanov, Abai Qunanbaiuly, and Ybyrai Altynsarin.
3. Development of Science in the Soviet Period (1920-1991) - This section covers the stages of institutionalization of science in Kazakhstan, including the establishment of the Kazakh Base of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the Kazakh Branch, and later the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. The exhibition highlights the work of the Academy’s founders, including academician Kanysh Imantaevich Satpayev. His personal display includes scientific works such as the "Algebra" textbook for Kazakh schools (1924) and his "Selected Works," published between 1967 and 1970.
4. Science in Independent Kazakhstan - This section is devoted to the institutional and substantive development of science in the years of independence. It presents the history of research institutes under the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the work of more than forty scientific organizations and universities. The exhibition includes achievements and scholarly works of prominent scientists who have made significant contributions to contemporary Kazakh science.
Today, the Museum of the History of Science of Kazakhstan conducts research, archival, educational, and cultural activities, playing a crucial role in preserving the historical memory of national science and transmitting it to future generations. The museum serves as a unique intellectual and spiritual space that ensures the continuity of science and education.