On August 13, 2026, an expanded meeting of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, entitled “Promising Areas for the Study of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ulus of Jochi,” was held in Almaty
The meeting took place at Gylym Ordasy and brought together heads of research institutes, representatives of the academic community, and scholars specializing in the history, archaeology, ethnology, folklore, genetics, and other areas related to the study of the Ulus of Jochi and the Golden Horde.
The expanded meeting was moderated by Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Chairman of the Management Board – Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Akhylbek Kurishbayev, President of the Management Board of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, delivered welcoming remarks.
The meeting focused on current issues and prospects for the further study of the historical and cultural heritage of the Ulus of Jochi. The presentations covered various aspects of the history of the Golden Horde, archaeological research, folklore heritage, and opportunities for applying interdisciplinary research methods.
During the academic session, Zhenisbek Tolen, Head of the Center for Education and Social Development Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences, presented a report on priority areas and prospects for the study of the Ulus of Jochi. Zhaksylyk Sabitov, Director of the Research Institute for the Study of the Ulus of Jochi, presented a report entitled “Golden Horde Studies in Kazakhstan in the 19th–21st Centuries.”
Kenzhekhan Matyzhanov, Director General of the M.O. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art, delivered a presentation on “The Golden Horde Era and Kazakh Folklore,” while Akan Ongaruly, Director General of the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, presented new academic directions in the interdisciplinary study of the archaeology of the Ulus of Jochi.
The Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology also participated in the meeting. Ziyabek Kabuldinov, Director General of the Institute and Honorary Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, delivered a presentation entitled “Some Issues in the Study of the History of the Golden Horde.”
The range of presentations reflected the comprehensive nature of contemporary research on the Ulus of Jochi. Alongside issues of political and social history, the participants addressed archaeological sites, cultural heritage, and the potential application of methods from the natural sciences.
Madiyar Yeleuov, Professor at the Department of Archaeology, Ethnology and Museology of the Faculty of History at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, presented a report entitled “Medieval Kyshkala – a Cultural Center of the Golden Horde Era.” Maksat Zhabagin, Head of the Human Genetics Laboratory at the National Center for Biotechnology, PhD and Professor, presented research on the genetic analysis of the Y chromosome in the study of Golden Horde genealogy.
Thus, the meeting brought together historical, archaeological, folklore, and genetic approaches within a single academic platform. An interdisciplinary approach makes it possible to compare different types of sources and broaden the research base for studying the history of the Ulus of Jochi and the Golden Horde.
The issues discussed also included further work with written and archaeological sources and the study of historical geography, urban centers, and the cultural heritage of the Golden Horde period. Together, these areas contribute to a more detailed examination of the political, social, and cultural processes that took place in the territory of Kazakhstan and across Eurasia during the medieval period.
The academic session concluded with a general discussion and closing remarks.
The expanded meeting provided an opportunity for specialists from various research organizations to present their work and discuss promising areas for the further study of the historical and cultural heritage of the Ulus of Jochi. The participation of the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology formed part of the broader academic discussion on current issues in the history of the Golden Horde and medieval Kazakhstan.
