For more than twenty years, Aibek Shalgimbekov, Professor at Baitursynuly University, has begun the academic year by taking history students to the Mausoleum of Ybyrai Altynsarin.
This year, they were joined by third-year students of the History and Social Studies educational program at the KRU Pedagogical Institute, as well as second-year journalism students from Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau University.
Currently, 12 students from Ualikhanov University are studying at KRU’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities as part of an academic mobility program.
For the first time, part of the tour was conducted by Sanzhar Ussenov, a third-year student. He admits that he was a little nervous before beginning.
“But as soon as I started speaking, the nervousness quickly disappeared, and I became completely immersed in the story. It was especially rewarding to see how interested the students were,” Sanzhar said. “They listened attentively and were genuinely engaged in learning about the life and work of one of the earliest educators and teachers of the Kazakh steppe. For me, conducting this tour was an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience for my future career as a history teacher.”
During the traditional visit, students learn about Altynsarin’s educational work and discover lesser-known facts about his life and legacy.
For example, he advocated the establishment of schools for the children of Russian settlers, and, on his initiative, material in the Kazakh language was published in the Turgai Newspaper.
The learning experience will continue back at the university. Students will search for new historical evidence, work with museum materials, and discuss their findings during seminars.
In this way, a traditional lesson at the mausoleum becomes the starting point for engaging academic work in the classroom. After all, history is not only something to be read about—it is something to see, experience, and feel all around us.
