Five Countries on the Wave of ExtraAbility: Sails of Spirit Grandly Concluded in Astana
On September 5-6, 2025, Astana hosted the Days of ExtraAbility - an international event within the "Sails of Spirit" project, held for the third year in Kazakhstan with the support of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" and the Federal Agency "Rossotrudnichestvo".
The festival brought together guests from five countries: Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Latvia. Among the participants were Dursun Arslan, Vice President of the Turkish Federation of the Visually Impaired; Davis Andersons, coach of the Latvian youth sailing team; Sergey Mikhailov, captain of the "Ural Sails" club; Kenzhegul Seitzhan and Irina Smirnova, deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan; and Olga Filonova, head of the Russian House in Astana, representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Kazakhstan.
The program began at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan with an inclusive tour and a roundtable discussion. Participants discussed the role of cultural spaces in developing inclusion and familiarized themselves with accessibility practices: from audio guides and audio descriptions to tactile exhibits.
Photo: Press Service of the Federal Agency "Rossotrudnichestvo"
Audio describer and social entrepreneur Anna Loenko spoke about translating museum collections "into the language of the blind," and Oleg Kolpashchikov, President of the "White Cane" NGO, noted:
"People with disabilities are becoming catalysts for ExtraAbility. In Kazakhstan, where the tradition of mutual assistance is deeply rooted, we are shaping the path to a society of the future without boundaries between people, countries, and cultures."
That day, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the "White Cane" NGO and the public association "ATAMYN AMANATY," opening the way to new international initiatives.
On September 6, Central Park in Astana became the venue for a large-scale festival - more than two hundred people gathered to participate in the celebration. Catamarans took to the water with crews where people of different ages, experiences, and abilities worked side by side to steer the vessels. Here, it wasn't competition that was valued, but the ability to be a team.
Simultaneously, nine masterclasses were held on shore: guests learned to tie nautical knots, tried navigating routes blindfolded, and developed attention to the world without usual visual support.
Yevgenia Sidyukova, a festival participant, shared her impressions:
"Thank you very much for organizing such a wonderful event that unites families and people driven by the goal of good deeds. Today's event included several bright activities that could reveal the inner potential of each person that we didn't know about."
Volunteer from the youth resource center "Astana Jastary" Tazabek Altair said:
"Today I was a catamaran captain for the first time and helped participants learn rowing. Later our team took second place in the competitions."
Participant Miras Khusainov added:
"I believe such experiences are essential to try in life: to understand how blind people feel, to walk blindfolded, to study Braille. It's very interesting and unusual. I recommend it to everyone!"
The culmination of the celebration was a unique gala concert right from the deck of a catamaran. The water resonated with songs by Moscow rock musician Alexander Fedorov, visually impaired performer and leader of the "Russian Song" ensemble Irina Deeva, Kazakh singer Aidyn Zhumabaev, and Igor Poretsky, participant of "Sails of Spirit" and digital accessibility expert.
The final point was a flash mob with sign language singing, where hundreds of hands and voices united in a single rhythm, symbolizing the idea of ExtraAbility - developing hidden talents and equality of opportunity for all.
The festival once again confirmed the importance of international cooperation: participants from five countries contributed to the common cause and proved that ExtraAbility is a universal language uniting people of different cultures, ages, and abilities.
Project Partners:
State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom"
Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation "Rossotrudnichestvo"
Akimat of Astana (Kazakhstan)
Akimat of Karaganda Region (Kazakhstan)
Akimat of Balkhash City (Kazakhstan)
Medscan Group
Institute of Management Design and Competitive Strategies LLC
"Nurbakhytyk" Recreation Center (Kazakhstan)
"Special Holidays" Charitable Events Foundation (Kazakhstan)
"ATAMYN AMANATY" Public Association (Kazakhstan)
"Bakyt" Society of People with Disabilities (Kazakhstan)
Inclusive Media Portal #Defacto FM (Kazakhstan)
Tarsus Disability Platform (Turkey)
Village of Hope for Development and Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities (Egypt)
Russian Geographical Society
Surgut City Organization of the All-Russian Society of Disabled People
Khanty-Mansiysk Regional Organization of the All-Russian Society of Disabled People