Sails of Spirit in Kazakhstan: How ExtraAbility Practices Are Shaping the Future

In early September, Astana hosted the closing of the international inclusive camp "Sails of Spirit," supported by the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" and the Federal Agency "Rossotrudnichestvo." This year, the project was dedicated to the movement towards mutual enrichment—a shared path connecting the philosophy of ExtraAbility with Kazakhstan’s tradition of mutual support.

Participants from five countries—Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Latvia—spent a week on the shores of Lake Balkhash. They trained in sailing and rowing, learned to trust their teams, and weathered storms together. But most importantly, they put the ExtraAbility-business model into practice. Three teams presented their initiatives: redesigning the "Nurbakhytyk" base for accessibility, an environmental project for Balkhash, and an investment proposal for tourism development in Kazakhstan. For the first time, the participants themselves became investors, pooling real money into each other’s ideas.

The regattas on trimarans and catamarans became a symbol of mutual aid and trust. Under the supervision of Davis Andersons, coach of the Latvian youth sailing team, crews composed of people from different countries, ages, and abilities competed in sailing and rowing races. Only teamwork could carry them to the finish line. The absolute winner was the team "Eksurant Perviy," comprising participants from Yekaterinburg, Surgut, Antalya, and St. Petersburg.

On August 30, Constitution Day of Kazakhstan, the "Day of ExtraAbility" was held on the shores of Lake Balkhash. Despite stormy winds, the first-ever on-water concert took place right on a catamaran. The improvised stage featured poet and composer Alexander Chesnokov with his 94-year-old mother Maria Yermenko, hard-of-hearing student Alina Ziangirova from Yekaterinburg, and digital accessibility expert Igor Poretsky, lead programmer of the navigation app for the blind OsmAnd Access and developer of the SmartVoice synthesizer for Android. Music, age, and culture merged into a single space.

The program in Astana was a logical continuation of the camp, demonstrating how practices refined at Balkhash are being integrated into broader systems. In the capital, our experience took root at the level of cultural and public institutions: a roundtable on accessibility in cultural spaces was held at the National Museum of Kazakhstan, discussing ways to implement inclusive solutions, and a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the "White Cane" NGO and the public association "Atamyn Amanaty."

The "Days of ExtraAbility" were attended by distinguished guests: Deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Kenzhegul Seitzhan and Irina Smirnova, and Olga Filonova, Head of the Russian House in Astana, representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Kazakhstan.

The next day, Central Park in Astana transformed into a venue for inclusive regattas and masterclasses. The festival culminated in a gala concert on the water, featuring Moscow rock musician Alexander Fedorov, visually impaired performer Irina Deeva, Kazakh singer Aidyn Zhumabaev, and Igor Poretsky. The finale was a flash mob of sign language singing: hundreds of hands and voices united in a single rhythm, embodying the idea of ExtraAbility—unlocking hidden talents and equal opportunities for all.

At the end of the event, volunteer Amanzhol Makanalin, an entrepreneur from Balkhash, invited everyone to "Sails of Spirit" in Kazakhstan in 2026. We eagerly await the next season!

The results of "Sails of Spirit – 2025" in Kazakhstan demonstrated that sports, culture, and creativity are becoming not just events but practices of mutual enrichment. ExtraAbility emerges as a universal language for speaking about friendship, respect, and cooperation—a language understood by everyone, regardless of age, culture, or abilities.

Project Partners:

· State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom"
· Federal Agency "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
· Ural Sails UPTK
· Doctor Volkova’s Rehabilitation Clinic
· Eldorado Tour LLC