A resident of Aktobe, Yerbolat Kuanyshev, has entered Kazakhstan’s
record book with his collection of approximately 3,500 assyks — knucklebone pieces
used in Kazakh traditional games. He has been collecting them for many years,
storing them in a specially converted workshop where he also hosts a small
exhibition for visitors. What began as a hobby has grown into a passion
project. Kuanyshev says his mission is to promote the traditional game. Notably,
assyk atu was added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage eight
years ago.
«I spent 13 years collecting assyks, which has been a huge
effort. To ensure they last longer, I boil them for several hours, then process
and dry them. I plan to create a sculpture of a giant assyk – one and the half
meters tall and two meters long – made entirely of assyks,» said Aktobe
resident Yerbolat Kuanyshev.
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