News

For the first time foreign citizens decorated with Georgian orders

On Friday, November 24, Georgyi Gabashvili, Culture Minister of Georgia and Mukhtar Ablyazov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank TuranAlem opened culture festival "Crossroad: Kazakhstan-Georgia" in art-center "Amirani", in Tbilisi. The festival will continue till November 26 and will consist of series of art-projects, organized and sponsored by BTA Group.

The program of the festival includes photo exhibitions by Kazakhstan leading artists Vadim Soloviev, Oleg Belyalov and Yulia Aibasova.

Demonstration of Kazakh blockbuster "Nomad" is scheduled to cast some light on the history of Kazakh statehood development, almost unknown outside Kazakhstan, to show national peculiarities, Kazakh culture of XVII century and to impress Georgian audience with the budget and scales of shooting.

Round-table "Cultural imperialism. Reality and perspectives", moderated by Murat Auezov, will allow Kazakh and Georgian writers, cultural and linguistic scholars to discuss the issues of cultural sovereignty and cultural imperialism.

On behalf of Kazakhstan will participate:

• — Murat Auezov, General Director of the National Library, son of great writer, Mukhtar Auezov
• — Bulat Atabayev, Senior Director of Republic German Drama Theater. Michael Tumanishvili apprentice, lived in Tbilisi in 1984-1986.
• — Ardak Yezhenova, poetess

On behalf of Georgia will participate:

• — Zaal Abashidze, General Director of the National Library
• — Georgyi Margelashvili, Rector of Drama University of Georgia, art director of Tumanishvili Theatre, Michael Tumanishvili apprentice
• — David Sakvarelidze, Director of State Opera and Ballet Theatre of Zachary Paliashvili
• — Lia Sturua, poetess

Theatric show "Toi"(Feast) presents Kazakh current culture in spectacular and informative way. Young Kazakh professionals, who obtained recognition in the years of independence, and Georgian artists based their show on elements of folklore, ethnography and national traditions mixture with opera and musical. It includes songs, dances, dialogue, opera arias, and much more.

For the first time, "Kyz Zhybek" – the first Kazakh musical - was taken abroad. This production of famous opera by Eugenyi Brusilovskyi (1905-1981) is a vivid example of art development in Kazakhstan. In Georgia, where culture and art were always up to the mark, new view of eternal theme of love will be estimated at true worth.

On November 25, award ceremony took place in state chancellery of Georgia. Mukhtar Ablyazov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC "Bank TuranAlem" and Yerkin Tatishev, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board were decorated with "Honor" orders. The decree signed by Michael Saakashvili, President of Georgia states that Mukhtar Ablyazov and Yerkin Tatishev were awarded "for successful investment projects and considerable personal contribution to the development of Georgian economy".

JSC "Bank TuranAlem" (BTA) is the core of the financial group, present in all market segments. BTA is the system-making bank of Kazakhstan and the leader in creation of banking network in the CIS countries. As of November 10, BTA's assets exceeded $11.8 bn USD, while its total equity capital exceeded $1.6 bn USD. BTA confidently holds the leading position in trade financing, SME lending and mortgage loans among Kazakhstan's second tier banks. According to the new strategy for 2006-2015, recently adopted by BTA top-management, the Bank intends to take the leading positions in Kazakhstan and other CIS markets in corporate and retail banking, SME segment and to increase BTA shares in Kazakhstan market at least up to 25%, at least 2% in Russia, and at least 5% in other countries of presence. It is planned to increase the assets to $25 bn USD till 2010 and to $50 bn USD till 2015.

JSC "Bank TuranAlem" sponsors several large-scale cultural projects in Kazakhstan, considering them as effective investments in promoting Kazakhstan. Thus, TuranAlem Philharmonic Orchestra was created, managed by Marat Bisengaliyev. Every year in Astana and Almaty world famous musicians of Kazakh origin perform "Concerts in the homeland". In 2006 the support is given to the first national musical "Kyz Zhibek" of Bulat Atabayev. Since 2003 the Bank finances restoration, distribution and promotion of Kazakhstan film "Gold Collection" – the best pictures from Kazakhstan directors.