Aktobe Performers Attempt World Record with Round-the-Clock Epic Recital

2026-03-17 - 10:06

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – In Aktobe, traditional zhyrshy (epic storytellers) have begun performing folk epics around the clock in an effort to secure a place in the Global Book of Records GBR. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times. The performances are taking place at the Aktobe Folk Art Center, where zhyrshy and dastan performers (narrators of traditional epic tales) present a structured, multi-part creative program. The evening opened with termes (short folk or epic songs) and folk songs, followed by multiple sections dedicated to the epic “Kyrymnyn Qyryk Batyry” (Forty Heroes of Crimea). The final parts feature “Dini Qissala” (Religious Tale) and “Nasikhat” (Moral Teachings). The initiative has drawn international attention. Kuandyk Kudaibergenov, GBR general registration officer for Asia and Africa, attended the event and confirmed that the project had been approved by a majority of international experts, reported Kazinform on March 17. According to him, similar large-scale efforts are rare. Finland currently leads in preserving and registering epic poetry, having included much of its folklore in global records. Aktobe’s performers, he noted, have now become the first among Turkic-speaking peoples to be included in the Global Book of Records in this category. To meet official requirements, experts are monitoring the performances around the clock. Participants remain on site, staying overnight and continuing the recitations without interruption.