Ykhlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments
The Ykhlas Dukenuly Museum of Kazakh Folk Musical Instruments is one of Kazakhstan’s leading cultural and academic institutions, dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and popularization of the musical heritage of the Kazakh people. The museum is located in one of the most picturesque areas of Almaty - in the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen. It was founded in 1981 and was initially housed in the home of aksakal Seydalin, an enthusiast of folklore and folk musical instruments. Since 1983, the museum has operated in a historic building - the former Officers' House of the Central Asian Military District.
The institution is named after the outstanding Kazakh kuyshi, composer, and kobyz player Ykhlas Dukenuly, one of the founders of the Kazakh kobyz school. His creative legacy and contribution to the revival of the ancient kobyz tradition formed the conceptual basis of the museum, which is dedicated both to his work and to the instrumental culture of the Kazakh people as a whole.
The museum building itself is a valuable cultural and historical monument. The architectural design was created in 1908 by renowned architect Andrei Pavlovich Zenkov. The structure is a vivid example of wooden architecture in the best traditions of late 19th - early 20th century Russian architecture, executed in the so-called “Neo-Russian” style. The exterior of the building resembles a fairytale tower: its tented roof and decorative elements on the façades and windows echo the architecture of medieval Russian churches.
The architectural style of the building is enriched with elements of Kazakh national ornamentation, giving it a distinctive ethno-cultural expressiveness. Traditional Kazakh motifs are used in the design of the façade and interiors to convey the national spirit and cultural code: agash (symbol of life), uzilmes (continuity of lineage), shynzhara (wave-like pattern), otkizbe (horn-like curl). These artistic elements not only adorn the building but also elevate it to the status of a symbol of national spirituality.
The museum’s collection comprises more than 1,000 examples of musical instruments. It includes Kazakh folk instruments such as the dombra, kobyz, syrnai, zhetygen, dabyl, dangyra, and others, as well as ancient instruments common to Turkic peoples - presented both in their original form and as reconstructions. Each exhibit has undergone ethnographic and cultural-historical research, forming the basis for scholarly catalogs. The Ykhlas Museum is also an active center of concert and educational activities: it hosts performances by traditional music artists, academic conferences, master classes, and lectures. Furthermore, the museum fulfills an important research function and is the only institution of its kind in Kazakhstan serving as a hub for international cooperation in the field of folk musical culture.
Thus, the Ykhlas Dukenuly Museum of Kazakh Folk Musical Instruments stands as a fundamental cultural institution aimed at the scholarly understanding of traditional musical culture, the preservation of spiritual heritage, and its transmission to future generations.