Kurultai of European Kazakhs held in the Austrian capital, DKNews.kz reports.
The Kurultai of the Kazakhs of Europe was held in the Austrian capital, bringing together representatives of the Kazakh diaspora from more than 10 countries.
The three-day gathering of ethnic Kazakhs was organized by the Association of the Kazakh Diaspora in Austria, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The event, which has been taking place for more than 20 years, has become an important tradition for Kazakhs living in Europe.
Every year, Kurultai is held in different European cities, allowing Kazakhs from other parts of the continent to meet and exchange experiences. In previous years the event has been held in Cologne, Paris, and Munich, and Vienna had the honor of hosting the guests this year.
The ceremonial part of the event took place in the main hall of the Vienna City Hall, where about 350 Kazakhs from various European countries gathered. A special gift for the Kazakhs was the performance by the artists of the Arnau ensemble from the city of Uralsk, who had traveled specially from Kazakhstan.
“Today we proudly raise the flag of Kazakhstan in the heart of Europe. We have gathered with our entire community to pass on the customs of our ancestors to the younger generation so that they do not forget their roots, their language, and their homeland.
To do this, we organize our Kurultai, where various events take place,” says Melike Durmaz, chairwoman of the Association of the Kazakh Diaspora in Austria.
Kurultai is a particularly important event for European Kazakhs, offering a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in their native culture. Among the participants were descendants of Kazakhs who settled in Turkey in the mid-20th century, as well as more recent migrants from Kazakhstan.
Despite language differences, the participants were united by the language of sport - a football tournament involving 8 teams from different European countries. This promoted acquaintance, communication, and a return to historical roots.
