On January 23, 2025, the ceremonial opening of a classroom dedicated to the People’s Artist of Kazakhstan, Dimash Qudaibergen, took place at Gymnasium No. 87 named after Abay Kunanbayev.

The ceremony was attended by the artist’s parents, Honored Figures of Kazakhstan Kanat and Svetlana Aitbaevs. Dimash’s fans from the fan club “Astana Dears” also came to support this joyful initiative.

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School No. 87 was opened in September 2019 as part of a project to establish a network of schools named after Abay Kunanbayev, in honor of the 175th anniversary of the great poet and thinker.

The core values of the school are based on Abay’s five virtues: aspiration, hard work, deep thought, contentment, and compassion. These qualities are expected to be reflected in teachers, students, and the entire educational system. More than two thousand students at the school embrace these values as a guiding principle in their lives.

The school has established a scientific and educational center called “Abaitanu,” which aims to promote Abay’s rich heritage among the youth. The center implements an elective course that includes three sections: “Abay’s Childhood,” “Abay the Poet,” and “Abay the Sage.”

There is also a museum dedicated to Abay at the school, and a multimedia classroom where events aimed at studying his works are held.

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The school staff, led by Principal Aigul Ondaganovna Kashaeva, warmly welcomed the guests and conducted a tour.

The school features thematic classrooms dedicated to Shakarim Kudaiberdiev, Akhmet Baitursynov, and Mukhtar Auezov. Notably, the school library includes a collection of board games in the Kazakh national style.

The new classroom named after Dimash Qudaibergen will serve as both a music classroom and a museum. Kanat and Svetlana Aitbaevs, along with the artist’s fans, donated various exhibits for the museum. In the future, the collection will be enriched with books, newspapers, magazines, and memorabilia related to the artist. This initiative is designed for children passionate about music and the arts. The classroom is equipped with modern and traditional musical instruments.

Kazakh language teacher Daniyar Ikhsan shared with DimashNews the story behind the establishment of the classroom:

“Principal Aigul Ondaganovna, during her visit to Japan, noticed the significant attention given to musical art there. Inspired by this, she introduced the ‘10-Minute Singing’ project in our school. Now, during class hours, students sing for 10 minutes.

When the question arose as to whom to dedicate the music classroom, we decided it should be associated with a person who motivates children today and serves as a role model. Thus, it was decided to name the classroom after Dimash Qudaibergen.

Musical events, celebrations, vocal and dombra club sessions, as well as music lessons will be held here, where students will get to know the life and works of the artist as if they were on an excursion.”

During the celebration, singing students and their parents delighted the audience with a performance of Dimash’s original song “Omir” and Abay Kunanbayev’s song “Kozimnin Qarasy.”

“The main idea of this classroom is for it to become a symbol for children aspiring to achieve great heights in art, inspired by Dimash’s example. These children are our future, and nurturing them in the spirit of spiritual values and national traditions is an important direction for our country. When children memorize Abay’s poems and know 45 of his teachings, it evokes great admiration. Studying and understanding such works, filled with deep philosophy, is no simple task. However, it shapes the worldview of the younger generation and instills national and cultural values,” shared Mr. Kanat.

The school has its own newspaper, “Abay Nur,” which publishes articles by students, teachers, and parents quarterly. Students learning the basics of journalism interviewed Dimash’s parents for the “Gibrat” program of the “AQ” media studio. In their conversation with the famous artist’s parents, the children inquired about how Dimash studied and what books he enjoyed reading in childhood.

Mrs. Svetlana expressed her wishes to the students and staff of the school, hoping for future cooperation:

“We are very pleased to see your successes. Upon stepping through the door, we immediately noticed the beautiful, systematic educational work. The education here is already outstanding, but the educational work is a separate, beautifully presented direction, from the ‘10-Minute Singing’ project to the depth associated with Abay, which involves everyone – from the youngest children to the educators. We observed meaningful moments related to music and national art, which we are very pleased with. Therefore, we want to express our immense gratitude to the school principal and the entire staff.

Congratulations on the opening of the classroom dedicated to Dimash! He has become a son to the entire Kazakh people, and this certainly fills us with great pride. If his admirable qualities positively influence the younger generation, it will be a tremendous joy for us.

We wish that from this classroom, from these walls, well-educated, cultured children emerge who will become the pride of our country and glorify Kazakhstan’s name on the world stage. We wish you success, and thank you very much for your work!”