Date: May 22, 2026, 4:30 PM
Venue: Nazira Dauletova Hall, National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan
(14 Abay Avenue, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan)
Organizers:
Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation,
National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation (hereinafter — Foundation), jointly with the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will hold a presentation ceremony of fundamental scholarly publications dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress on May 22, 2026, at 4:30 PM in the Nazira Dauletova Hall. The Congress is regarded as one of the most significant and historic events in the spiritual and cultural life of the Turkic world in the early twentieth century. The event, bringing together prominent scholars of the Turkic world as well as representatives of international and national organizations, will present two important publications reflecting the shared historical memory, scholarly continuity, and spiritual unity of the Turkic peoples.
The first publication is the scholarly work “The First Turkological Congress”, authored by the Director of the Atatürk Center in Azerbaijan, Academician, Professor, Doctor of Philological Sciences Nizami Jafarov, together with distinguished Azerbaijani scholars Mahira Huseynova and Aysel Garibli. The book comprehensively examines the historical mission of the Congress held in Baku in 1926 and its exceptional role in the cultural and scientific development of the Turkic peoples. Particular attention is devoted to issues of ethnography, orthography, terminology, alphabet, language, literature, cultural heritage, and regional studies, all of which became subjects of profound scholarly analysis.
The event will also feature the presentation of the visual documentary chronicle “1926/2026: The 100th Anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress”, prepared by the Foundation in cooperation with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The publication is based on historical documents preserved in the collections of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan and the Central State Archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The volume includes official protocols, rare photographic materials, scholarly opinions, and reports reflecting the key issues discussed during the Congress, including the study of the history of Turkic peoples, the development of linguistics, the systematization of scientific terminology, questions of the new alphabet and orthography, as well as the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
These materials constitute a valuable historical source illustrating the institutional formation of Turkology as a scientific discipline.
The presented works convincingly demonstrate that the 1926 Congress was not merely a platform for scholarly dialogue, but also a symbol of intellectual revival, spiritual renewal, and a civilizational aspiration toward unity aimed at shaping a common cultural future for the Turkic peoples.
Among the 130 delegates who participated in the Congress were prominent representatives of the Kazakh intelligentsia, including Akhmet Baitursynov, Nazir Torekulov, Eldes Omarov, Bilal Suleyev, and other outstanding figures. They actively contributed to discussions on the key issues of the agenda and made an invaluable contribution to defining the future directions of Turkological studies. Their scholarly legacy laid a solid foundation for the subsequent development of Kazakh linguistics, literary studies, as well as educational and methodological reforms.
This invaluable heritage, which has greatly contributed to the development of national spirituality, today represents a shared treasure not only for Kazakhstan, but for the entire science and culture of the Turkic world.
In accordance with the instructions adopted at the 12th Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, held on October 6–7, 2025, in Gabala, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has been carrying out systematic efforts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First All-Union Turkological Congress throughout 2026 across the brotherly Turkic states. Within the framework of this initiative, the Foundation is implementing a number of international projects in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and other countries.
In particular, jointly with the Turkic Academy, TÜRKSOY, the Turkish Language Association, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and Baku State University, the Foundation will organize the International Turkological Conference entitled “The Legacy of the First Baku Turkological Congress and the Turkic World in the 21st Century” in Almaty on May 21–22, 2026. In addition, the thematic exhibition “1926/2026: The 100th Anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress” will be opened at the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Contact Information:
+7 705 802 20 58 (Serik Nurmolda, Representative of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation)
+ 7 700 573 30 11 (Kuralay Murat, PR-manager)
______________ (Representative of the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan)
