Achievements of the Saraishyq Museum-Reserve in the Field of Research Activities for 2025
1. Within the framework of program-targeted funding of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024–2025, the research program “Golden Horde Monuments of Saraishyq, Ushkan, Ashysai, Karagaily in the Context of Historical and Cultural Heritage (13th–15th centuries)” (Scientific Supervisor — Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Ulzhan Akhmetova) was fully implemented, received 28 points based on expert evaluation, and was approved at the meeting of the National Scientific Council No. 17 on December 18, 2025.
2. Within the framework of grant funding of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023–2025, the research project “The Capital City of Saraishyq in the Context of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ulus of Jochi (13th–16th centuries)” (Scientific Supervisor — Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Abilseiit Muktar) was fully implemented, received 29 points based on expert evaluation, and was approved at the meeting of the National Scientific Council No. 17 on December 18, 2025.
3. A monograph of 12 printed sheets entitled “Golden Horde Cities of Karagaily, Ushkan, Ashysai: History and Archaeology”, previously not introduced into academic circulation, was published.
4. 2 articles were published in a high-impact journal indexed in the SCOPUS database — “Povolzhskaya Arkheologiya” (Q1, percentile 81).
5. 3 articles were published in scientific journals included in the list approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
6. On November 17–18, 2025, an international scientific symposium entitled “Saraishyq at the Crossroads of East and West: History and Culture of the Great Steppe” was held in the city of Atyrau and in Saraishyq, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Akimat of Atyrau Region. Scholars and representatives from Kazakhstan, the USA, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Russia took part in the symposium, as well as representatives of the international organizations UNESCO, ISESCO, TURKSOY, andthe Academy of TURKSOY Peoples.
7. In 2025, specialists from Ankara University of the Republic of Turkiye, including medieval archaeologist Muharrem Çeken, as well as six bachelor’s and master’s students in history, participated in archaeological research work conducted at Saraishyq.
8. In July–August 2025, researchers from Saraishyq organized a special expedition to the urban sites of the Ulus of Jochi: Hajji-Tarkhan – Selitrennoye – Sarai-Batu – Gulistan – Beldzhamen– Ukek – Mokhsha – Azak – Madzhar. During the expedition, meetings were held with Russian archaeologists, and materials from these cities were compared with the archaeological data of Saraishyq.
9. From August 2 to August 12, 2025, archaeologists of Saraishyq A. Turaruly, Zh. Baigaliev, and A. Zhumabayev took part in archaeological excavations at the site of Sarai-Batu, the capital of the Ulus of Jochi (Russian Federation), where they underwent training and exchanged professional experience. The scientific supervisor of the excavations was the renowned archaeologist, Doctor of Historical Sciences E. Pigarev.
