On April 3, the Presidential Center hosted a lecture on "Kazakh Jewelry Art" for eighth-grade students from the capital's School No. 114.
The lesson aimed to introduce students to the rich heritage of Kazakh zerger masters and the symbolism found in traditional jewelry.
Students learned that for nomads, jewelry served as more than decoration; it acted as a "passport". In the past, people could tell someone's social status, age, and even family ties by looking at the patterns on their rings and bracelets. The lecturer focused on the sacred meaning of silver, explaining that our ancestors linked it to the purity of the Moon and believed it offered protection through magic.
To engage students, the lecturer presented various jewelry types, including massive bracelets (bilezik), tinkling hair pendants (sholpy) that encouraged graceful movement, message rings (kus muryn), matchmakers’ rings (kudagi zhuzik), and men's belts (beldik) symbolizing the status of horsemen and warriors.
Students explored the meanings behind the ornaments, from ancient geometric patterns to zoomorphic motifs. A discussion on children's amulets (tumars) and the use of owl claws for infant protection generated particular interest.
"When studying jewelry, we don't just look at beautiful objects; we read the history of our people, encoded in metal and stone," noted lecturer Gulsum Sarsekeyeva at the end of the lesson.
