Street in Astana Named After Mesrop Mashtots as Armenia and Kazakhstan Expand Cultural Ties

A street in Astana has officially been named after Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet — a significant moment in the cultural cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan. The development was reported by Public Radio correspondent Lena Badeyan from the Kazakh capital.

The inauguration ceremony for Mesrop Mashtots Street brought together senior officials from both countries. Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of Culture of Armenia and Kazakhstan attended the event, listing the importance the two governments place on strengthening cultural ties.

The ceremony took place during Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s official visit to Kazakhstan. As part of the visit, Armenia and Kazakhstan are preparing to sign three new memoranda of cooperation focused on the cultural sector. These agreements cover collaboration in cinematography, the development of libraries, and museum-related activities. Officials from both sides see these areas as key to expanding cultural exchange and building long-term partnerships between their institutions.

Beyond culture, the relationship between Armenia and Kazakhstan is also expanding in other fields. According to the agenda of the visit, more than a dozen additional agreements covering cooperation in various sectors are expected to be signed today. These documents aim to further deepen ties and support broader collaboration across government, economic, and social spheres.

Mesrop Mashtots was a 5th-century Armenian monk, theologian, and scholar best known for creating the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD. His work not only shaped the development of Armenian literature, education, and cultural identity but also preserved the Armenian language during a period of political and religious challenges. Mashtots later contributed to the creation or refinement of the Georgian and Caucasian Albanian scripts and played a key role in spreading literacy across the region. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Armenian history and a symbol of cultural resilience.

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