They don't even dream about grand pianos

The musicologists who dared to speak out loud about their problems cautiously asked us to pay attention to another of their troubles. As it turned out, for several years now, two music schools in Shymkent have been periodically migrating from place to place, without having their own roof over their heads. And the prospects of ever finding one are still vague.

Music School No. 1, named after the legendary singer, People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR Zhamal OMAROVA, is truly the first in the city. It was opened in the 1940s, at the height of the Great Patriotic War. During difficult times, children were introduced to art in a small clay hut with stove heating. During the peacetime, the school became a leading institution in the field of music education and was located in a new building built for it at the same address: 13 Shaimerdenov Street. Classrooms with soundproof walls, a small chamber hall - everything here met the requirements of music education.

It is difficult to count how many graduates subsequently became famous musicians, artists, vocalists. The school could happily count its anniversaries, gathering its fledgling students under the roof of the alma mater, but today they have nowhere to return. The building still stands, but it looks scary. A couple of weeks ago, it was even fenced in so that the shabby walls, gaping with black eye sockets of windows, would not be so noticeable. This is all that remains of the school today.

- Eight years ago, the then director Temirgali KUANDYKOV unexpectedly for all of us informed that the building was declared unsafe, although we did not observe any special external signs: it was warm, comfortable, the walls were strong, - recalls piano teacher Leila ZHALGASBAYEVA , who worked at school No. 1 for more than 40 years. - He assured us that the move would be temporary, he even showed us the project of the new building. Of course, we did not want to move. But who knew that we would never come back here?

And the school literally began to wander. They rented an unsuitable building, somehow adapting it to their needs. Then they moved again. And at present, pianists, vocalists and dombra players live in a building on the corner of Turysov and Kazybek bi streets, occupying one floor, and the departments of wind, string and folk instruments live in a former kindergarten on the other side of town, which they also rent.

Obviously, this state of affairs does not suit either the teachers, or the students, or their parents, who have repeatedly raised the issue of building their own school building, but to no avail.

In July 2022, the empty but still quite sturdy building on Shaimerdenov was engulfed in a fire. The roof and ceilings burned down, but the walls stood. And since then they have stood charred, causing at least bewilderment among passers-by. By the way, for several years now there have been rumors that the plot under the building is to be profitably built on - the location is too attractive. However, according to the Department of Land Resources Management, this land is still registered to the music school.

It was not possible to inquire about plans regarding the construction of a new building from the management: the director's position has been vacant for two years. The previous director Kuandykov, having sat in this chair for ten years, suddenly quit and went to work as a simple teacher, and the current acting director Berik ABDIKADYROV did not dare to talk to a journalist about the fate of the institution.

Meanwhile, despite the lack of its own building and sign, the school continues to fill up with students. They come not only for the strong teachers, but also for the cost of tuition - only 2,400 tenge per month. But the instruments in the classrooms are so rare that some parents are not averse to chipping in to buy new ones.

The fate of music school #4, the only one in the entire residential area of ​​Sairam with a population of 50,000, is no less sad. And the building in which it is located today was heated by a stove not during the war, but throughout this winter.

- I entered this school 45 years ago and returned here as a teacher in 1989, - says the head teacher for academic affairs Dilnoza KAMBARALIEVA, whose life is closely connected with this educational institution. - In the early 2000s, we were moved to the building of the former tax office on the outskirts of the House of Culture. Small, unsightly, only 290 square meters, and we also paid rent to the owner all these years. Of course, we didn’t like it, and neither did our parents. We wrote everywhere! It was useless. The only time we were honored with attention was about five years ago, when the leadership of the city education department showed up for an inspection. But even that didn’t change anything. It’s a shame that in my childhood the conditions for studying were better than those of my current students. There is no money for new instruments, everything goes to renting the building. So we play on what we managed to save.

A new page in the history of the school began with the arrival of a new director in May last year. Shakir UMAROV, by the way, was the only candidate for the position, which had been vacant for more than two years. Having seen the hut in which the school entrusted to him was then huddled, he enthusiastically began to seek a new building. Umarov was not afraid to publicly declare the deplorable state of the building, contacting all authorities, and his efforts were not in vain. Imagine the surprise of the Sairam residents when the Akim of Shymkent Gabit SYZDYKBEKOV became concerned about the fate of the school, personally coming to see the conditions in which the children were studying.

They immediately began to look for a suitable place to move. In the end, the choice fell on the half-century-old but solid former building of school No. 112, which had just moved to a new and spacious one. Yes, with stove heating, but you don’t have to pay for it, and the walls are strong. By the way, Shakir Umarov had to fight for this building. The school director did not immediately agree to vacate it completely, apparently wanting to dispose of the now vacant property at her own discretion.

- We moved here at the beginning of the year. Of course, I admit it, we were cold. The radiators were barely warm, - the school director explains the reasons for the Spartan conditions for teachers and children. - As a fuel, we got disgusting coal, which our predecessors bought. We had to urgently get additional fuel: a transport company gave us a barrel of used motor oil as a sponsor. We mixed it with coal for better combustion. This is how we saved ourselves. Other sponsors, taking pity on the children, are ready to give us two gas heating boilers. So the task is to bring gas to the school building, remake the completely outdated heating system and at least manage minor repairs, as much as funds allow. We don’t have to pay rent now, there is an opportunity to save money in the account.

Director Umarov dreams of expansion (fortunately, there are now more classrooms), and new departments, and opening a choreography class, and even began to establish intercountry cooperation. First of all, with neighboring Uzbekistan, where proposals for friendship and cultural exchange were supported not only in words. The small music school, where there are only 122 students (there are no more places), was presented with various Uzbek folk instruments by the public foundation "Vatandoshlar". Such a gift has never been seen here before.

It is worth admitting that the 18 teachers of this school, like their numerous colleagues from Music School No. 1, do not particularly complain about their fate: it is clear that over so many years they have learned to come to terms with reality and play music even when they have no time for it. They prepare students for competitions on half-century-old instruments, instilling in them a sense of beauty and a love of art. And sometimes they read with envy the news about the opening of new school palaces in Shymkent. Large, bright buildings with maximum amenities, equipped with equipment and new instruments, are an unrealizable dream for them. Although they know for sure that their students deserve such comfort no less than their peers who are more fortunate.

Alisa MASALYOVA, photo by the author, Shymkent