Kazakhstan to Launch Restoration Works on 39 Historical and Cultural Sites in 2026

The Ministry of Culture and Information Committee has approved an updated list of historical and cultural monuments scheduled for scientific restoration in 2026, The Caspian Post reports, citing the Astana Times.

The national plan includes 39 sites, ranging from medieval mausoleums and ancient settlements to architectural landmarks of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

According to the order issued by the committee, the new program covers major archaeological and architectural monuments across Kazakhstan, reported the Ministry’s press service on Dec. 8.

Among the key sites prioritized for restoration are the Syganak settlement (10th-18th centuries) in the Kyzylorda Region, the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and Arystan Bab Mausoleum in the Turkistan Region, and the Otyrar settlement, one of the most significant ancient cities on the Silk Road.

The plan also includes the ancient city of Turkistan, the Uzyn Ata and Alkozha Ata mausoleums, reflecting the region’s diverse religious and cultural heritage.

In the Zhambyl Region, restoration will continue at the Taraz settlement, while in East Kazakhstan, efforts will focus on the Berel burial mounds, dating back to the early Iron Age and early medieval period. Several major archaeological complexes in the Ulytau Region, including Baskamyr and Akmеshit Aulie, are also part of the plan. In North Kazakhstan, restoration is scheduled for the Botai settlement, a globally significant site associated with early horse domestication.

Restoration work in Pavlodar will cover a wide range of historical buildings, including early 20th-century post and telegraph offices, trading rows, the Russian-Asian Foreign Trade Bank, cultural landmarks such as the House of Railway Workers, and memorial sites such as the Glory Memorial. The homes of notable figures, including poet Pavel Vasilyev and photographer Dmitry Bagaev, are also included.

In Almaty, the list includes the house of merchant Shakhvorostov, now home to the United States Consulate, designed in 1890, and the former Ministry of Finance building, currently used by the city’s Finance Department.