Culture of Kazakhstan

“Love games are perhaps the easiest of all outdoor games”

Kazakh national culture.

'Altybakan' - the swing оп six high poles - is а favourite national youth's entertainment. Two people swing оп it, standing face to face. 'Altybakan' is set up by young people outside of aul. Their parents treat this fun badly, but they never disallow their children to go to 'atybakan'.
Неге young people sing songs, play different games. This fun starts in the evening and continues ир to midnight. Alty bakan is a Kazakh national game, for the organization of which it is necessary to have 6 poles, each 3.6 - 4 meters long, a strong crossbar 5 - 6 meters long, 3 thick strong lassos: 2 of the same length, the third is longer.
The poles are tied in threes, like a tripod, retreating from the upper ends 50 - 70 cm. The tripods are connected by a crossbar, onto which three lassoes are tied at the ends: the short ones serve as seats for two people sitting facing each other, the long one - as a support for the legs.
A third person helps to swing. During the game, boys and girls sing songs. Alty-bakan is still popular among aul youth. The two of them swing on them, standing face to face. They build “alty bakan” outside the village during major holidays. Parents look disapprovingly at many of the amusements of teenagers, but they always let them go to “alty bakan”.
Here they sing songs and play various games. The fun begins in the evening and continues until midnight.

Authority:
Life and culture of the Kazakh people. Kenzheakhmetuly S. Almatykitap, 2006.

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.