Festival "Terisakkan Spring"

Since ancient times, every spring in the village of Terisakkan an event has been held, which the staff of the Ulytau reserve-museum turned into an ethnofestival. Residents of the Tersakkan village hold a big holiday on May 2 every year. The origin of this ancient holiday goes back thousands of years, presumably the rite began to take shape in the Bronze Age.

In the Eurasian steppe, perhaps, such a holiday has survived only in the village of Terisakkan. The villagers begin to prepare for this event in winter. The herd owners start looking for a worthy stallion for their herd in advance. Many woo the owners of the best stallions, often invite them to visit, give gifts, make friends, try to agree in advance about the exchange of stallions. Everyone is looking forward to the arrival of spring. When the steppe wakes up after a long winter sleep, when the first tulips appear, brightening the earth with bright lights, when birds sound the heavenly blue with their songs - then this festival is played out. The first foals appear, mare's milk is milked, so that later it becomes a delicious kumis, a drink with the taste of the steppe, giving health.

During the holiday, a cycle of rituals "Bie bailau", "Aygyr kosu" and "Kumysmuryndyk" is held. The fact is that in the herd every two years they are forced to change stallions, since they do not mate with their children, daughters, mares born from them. This is one of the many best qualities of horses. And to continue the horse offspring, stallions are looked for in neighboring villages, and some herd owners go to woo in the neighboring Turgai steppes. In a word, they are preparing for the "horse" wedding really and thoroughly.

To date, the cultural practice of horse breeding has been preserved on the territory of Terisakkan and is a unique phenomenon in the context of modern globalization of Kazakhstani culture. The ethnofestival has been held for the last 5 years, during this period it is gaining popularity to a wide audience not only in Kazakhstan, but also abroad.