From 19 to 21 November 2025, the atrium of AlmaU hosted the II Documentary Film Festival “Expedition as a Lifestyle”. The event was organised by University, the public geographical organisations of Kazakhstan and Russia – Qazaq Geography and the Russian Geographical Society, as well as the oldest environmental public organisation in Kazakhstan, the “Kazakh Society for Nature Protection”.
The festival aimed to promote the exchange of experience and strengthen cooperation in preserving historical and cultural heritage and natural diversity, to stimulate interest in educational and research activities, and to engage specialists and enthusiasts in expedition work.
Roman Botabekov, Director General of “Turan TV” and representative of Qazaq Geography in Almaty Region, noted:
“This year marks the 190th anniversary of the birth of a great son of the Kazakh people – humanist, researcher, traveller and writer Shokan Ualikhanov. He was ahead of his time, bridging the steppe and the ‘high’ offices of the Russian Geographical Society. For us, Chokan Valikhanov is a bridge between two worlds, two states and two peoples. His influence remains so strong today that it continues to unite scholars and documentary filmmakers from different countries. In October, together with AlmaU, we held an international conference, and in summer we organised an expedition following Ualikhanov’s path to Issyk-Kul and Kashgar. Part of the filmed material was presented to the festival audience.”
In 2025, “Turan TV” and AlmaU plan to launch an initiative to produce TV programmes, films, and video content on urgent environmental and social topics created by students. Young authors will be able to propose topics, write scripts, conduct filming and editing, and promote their work on social media. The best student projects will be shown on “Turan TV” and included in the competition programme of the festival in November 2026. Additionally, the organisers plan to expand the event’s format next year and turn the festival into a Eurasian platform.