One of the key areas of the Saby Foundation’s work is supporting national culture and the arts, as well as promoting Kazakhstan’s historical and artistic heritage both at home and internationally.
As part of this work, the Foundation has implemented a number of international cultural initiatives. These include the Art Nomad project, which featured an exhibition of contemporary Kazakh art and a charity auction at Christie’s in London, as well as the Nomad’s Way cultural and social initiative, whose centerpiece was an exhibition of antique Kazakh jewelry, followed by a charity auction at the New York Public Library.
Over the years, the Foundation has also provided sponsorship support to the Astana Opera State Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Kazakh ensemble GN Septet. It contributed to the organization of Kazakhstan’s first national pavilion at the Venice Biennale and supported the exhibition “The Cultural Code of the Kazakh Steppe Civilization” at the National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet in Paris.
Continuing this longstanding and systematic work, the Saby Foundation will provide financial support for the renovation of the Geological Museum of the K.I. Satpayev Institute of Geological Sciences in Almaty.
The museum preserves a unique part of Kazakhstan’s scientific heritage, including more than 55 000 catalogued reference specimens of minerals, rocks and other geological materials. Many of these are irreplaceable records of Kazakhstan’s natural history and are of significant scientific value.
Today, the museum faces a new challenge: making this heritage accessible not only to specialists, but also to a wider audience – above all, children and school students, for whom a visit to the museum can become a first introduction to geology, Kazakhstan’s natural resources and the history of our planet.
The renovation will bring the museum space in line with modern standards for the display and preservation of collections. The project includes professional museum lighting, a modern video surveillance system, as well as updated interiors and textiles.
Particular attention will be paid to preserving the museum’s historic character and its connection to its founder, the outstanding Kazakh scientist Kanysh Imantayevich Satpayev.
For the Saby Foundation, supporting projects of this kind is not simply an investment in the renewal of a particular space. It is a contribution to preserving Kazakhstan’s national heritage, developing an educational environment, and fostering an interest among future generations in the country’s history and scientific legacy.
