New holiday may be introduced in Kazakhstan
Tengrinews.kz – A new national holiday, Tulpar Day, may soon appear in Kazakhstan. This was stated in Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s official response to a parliamentary inquiry from members of the Mazhilis.
Earlier, a group of Mazhilis deputies sent an inquiry to the government regarding the development of horse breeding. The authors highlighted several industry issues, such as the import of low-quality horse meat, the lack of systematic education for horse-related professions, and the need to modernize racetracks. Among other things, the deputies proposed establishing at least five modern equestrian complexes in the country, improving funding for horse breeding research institutes, and introducing a national holiday — Tulpar Day.
According to the Prime Minister's response, horse breeding is included in Kazakhstan’s state programs for the development of the agro-industrial complex (AIC). Over the past five years, more than 9.4 billion tenge have been allocated from the budget to support this sector, including about 900 million tenge for the current year.
"Horse breeding enterprises are offered investment subsidies of up to 25 percent for the purchase of machinery and equipment, as well as preferential loans and leasing for the acquisition of horses and equipment," the response states.
The Prime Minister also reminded that on the second Sunday of June, Kazakhstan celebrates the professional holiday — Livestock Breeders’ Day, which includes all workers in the livestock industry, including horse breeding specialists. Furthermore, according to a UN General Assembly resolution, July 11 is observed as World Horse Day in all UN member states.
"In this regard, the issue of introducing a special national holiday — Tulpar Day — will be further considered," the government assured.
Tulpar is a legendary winged or celestial horse in Turkic mythology, similar to the Greek Pegasus. This mythical creature is prominently depicted on the national emblems of Kazakhstan and Bashkortostan. The origin of Tulpar is linked to the hunting traditions of Central Asian peoples, who used horses in combination with birds of prey. Over time, these two animals merged in the human imagination, creating the winged horse known as Tulpar.