Similarity and Differences between the National Children’s Games Asyk of the Kazakhs and Kazyk of the Tuvans
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2026.2.12Keywords:
Kazakhs, Tuvans, asyk, kazyk, traditional game, children’s game, issues of upbringing, childhood cultureAbstract
The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of the traditional children’s games “asyk” among the Kazakhs and “kazyk” among the Tuvans as significant elements of the intangible cultural heritage of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia. The authors consider these games as an integral part of childhood culture, a mechanism of socialization, and a means of intergenerational transmission of ethnic values within a nomadic community. The study is based on a cultural-historical approach, works in ethnopedagogy and ethnography, as well as a комплекс of sources, including written and visual materials, museum collections, field observations, and a sociological survey of Kazakh and Tuvan students.
It is shown that both games share a common nomadic origin, are based on the use of the astragalus bone of small livestock, and contribute to the development of agility, coordination, strategic thinking, and collective behavior skills in children. At the same time, the Kazakh tradition is distinguished by a more elaborated structural diversity of game variants and a pronounced sacral component associated with animal cults, rituals, and funerary practices, whereas the Tuvan game “kazyk” places greater emphasis on motor skill training, competitiveness, and symbolism connected with shamanistic and divinatory practices.
Sociological data indicate a high level of recognition and relevance of both games among young people, who perceive them as an important marker of ethnic identity and family leisure. The authors emphasize the перспективность of using these games in ethnocultural educational programs and in further comparative studies of traditional games of Turkic-speaking peoples.
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For citation:
Baudiarova K. B., Yegizbayeva M. K. and Meirmanova G. A. Similarity and Differences between the National Children’s Games Asyk of the Kazakhs and Kazyk of the Tuvans. New Research of Tuva, 2026, no. 2, pp. 176-191. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2026.2.12
Author Biographies
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Kuralai B. Baudiarova Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of History, Farabi University.
Postal address: 71 Al-Farabi Ave., 050040, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
E-mail: baudiyarovakb@gmail.com
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Meruert K. Yegizbayeva Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Faculty of History, Farabi University.
Postal address: 71 Al-Farabi Ave., 050040, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
E-mail: egyzbeavamk@gmail.com
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Gulzhan A. Meirmanova Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Faculty of History, Farabi University.
Postal address: 71 Al-Farabi Ave., 050040, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
E-mail: meirmanovavaga@gmai.com
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