The members of the expedition “Trails of nomads” visited a remote corner of our country - the village of Urunhaika in East Kazakhstan region. This is a typical Altai village situated in a picturesque location on the shores of Lake Markakol. There are different opinions among the people about the origin of the name of the village. Most say that this is from the Kalmyk language, and it translates as the “evening wind.” According to the head of the expedition, Sapar Iskakov, this is a misapprehension. The origin of the word “Urunhaika” has not yet been fully studied. One thing is certain - this isle of civilization, surrounded by green valleys and fast mountain rivers, is one of the most beautiful places in the country.
“The first Arab scholar that we know from history, Rashid al-Din, tried to figure out where the word Urunhaika came from. He attributes it to a tribe whose representatives mainly live in the Republic of Tuva, Russia. These are Turkic-speaking peoples. It means they are our ancestors,” said Sapar Iskakov, Head, ‘Trails of nomads’ expedition.
Translation by Galiya Khassenkhanova
