Kazakh artist Dosbol Kasymov works on the icon “Mother of the Great Steppe” in preparation for the papal visit to Kazakhstan from September 13-15. / Alexey Gotovsky/CNA
Rome Newsroom, September 6, 2022, 9:03 a.m. (CNA).
It will be displayed in Kazakhstan’s sole Marian shrine.
The image, in the form of a triptych, is hoped to be blessed by Pope Francis during his Sept. 13-15 visit to the country in Central Asia, where more than 70 percent of the population is Muslim.
The artist, Dosbol Kasymov, told EWTN News on August 5 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, that he was inspired by his culture’s love and respect for mothers.
Mother is a “universal symbol” that unites humanity, stated Kasymov. “We were all brought into this world by our moms when we were born”
The enormous icon was commissioned by Archbishop Tomasz Peta, the head of Kazakhstan’s Catholic diocese, Maria Santissima in Astana. Its title is “The Mother of the Great Steppe.”
The Kazakh Steppe is a treeless, semiarid grassland that spans the northern portion of the country south of the Ural Mountains.
Peta told EWTN News a month ago that the portrait of the Kazakh Mary and Jesus is destined for the sole Marian shrine in Kazakhstan, Mary Queen of Peace, located in the town of Ozernoe, some 110 kilometers southeast of Nur-Sultan.
The picture represents the Virgin Mary clothed in traditional Kazakh attire. In her arms, Mary cradles her infant son, the Infant Jesus, who is dressed in the robe of an adult man as a sign of his impending death and the Roman tunic he will don on the route to the cross.
Kazakh artist Dosbol Kasymov discussed his icon “Mother of the Great Steppe” with EWTN News in anticipation of Pope Francis’ September 13–15 visit to Kazakhstan. Alexey Gotovsky/CNA.
Prior to Pope Francis’ visit to Kazakhstan, EWTN News chatted with the artist while the painting was still in process. Kasymov described the traditional Kazakh symbols that were included into the icon.
“Like other ornaments in the world, Kazakh decorations have their own symbols. The nimbus is constructed in the shape of a star. “On one side is a flower, on the other is a star, and on the other side is a section of the Kazakh carpet ‘Tuskeiz,’” he stated.
Kasymov stated that the halo of the Infant Jesus is in the shape of a shanyrak, the national symbol of Kazakhstan and a common cultural sign based on the shape of a cross.
The majority of ethnic Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims, the prevalent religion in the country. According to a 2009 national census, Russian Orthodox Christianity is the second most practiced religion, with more than 20% of the population. According to 2008 figures, the country has roughly 250,000 Catholics of the Latin rite and is also home to many immigrants.
The renowned painter stated that he believes his work will be embraced by the people of Kazakhstan “with affection, with warmth, because it is above all the picture of the mother.”
“In my opinion, Kazakhs are really tolerant; they readily embrace other cultures,” he stated.
Detail of the artist Dosbol Kasymov’s palette in his Almaty, Kazakhstan workshop. Alexey Gotovsky/CNA
On each side of the completed icon should be a panel displaying a Kazakh-ethnic angel playing traditional musical instruments.
The image will be put in a new prayer chapel at the Mary Queen of Peace Shrine in Ozernoe after being blessed by Pope Francis during his visit to Nur-Sultan for the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
Peta stated that the new church would be constructed in the shape of a yurt, the traditional round tent used by Central Asian nomads. A new John Paul II-dedicated pilgrim welcoming facility is also being constructed at the site.
This yurt will be a meeting place with Mary, and through Mary, with Jesus, Peta said of the new chapel, which is “for all people, regardless of faith or nationality.”
Kazakhstan is home to the Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine in Ozernoe. Alexey Gotovsky/CNA
Kasymov stated that he was presented with a tough decision when Peta requested that he design an icon of Mary and the Infant Jesus, given that he is neither Christian nor particularly religious.
“When I received the request to write this piece, I had my concerns,” he remarked. “However, after speaking with my relatives, brothers, and friends, they responded, ‘Of course you should write it, it’s part of our shared culture’”
“The Mother of the Great Steppe” under development on August 5, 2022 in the studio of artist Dosbol Kasymov. Alexey Gotovsky/CNA
Kasymov remarked that he is curious to see how his representation of Our Lady of the Steppe interacts with the other European depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“I also want to celebrate our beauty, and I want the beauty of our women and moms to be recognized,” he remarked.
He explained that Mary is depicted looking aside because “Kazakhs believe it improper or impolite for a lady to gaze squarely at her interlocutor’s face.”
“We say in Kazakh, ‘Tygylyp Karama,’” he remarked. “Do not stare straight ahead.” “A woman should not look straight at the viewer; instead, she should look into the distance.” It is a humble trait and part of politeness.”
The Virgin Mary’s gaze can also be understood as a sign that she is contemplating the future, that “she knows what will happen to her son,” as he explained.
A detail from Dosbol Kasymov’s artwork “Mother of the Great Steppe.” Alexey Gotovsky/CNA
The Christ Child, who is looking away from his mother, “has mixed emotions,” according to the artist. “It is as if, on the one hand, he does not want to separate from his mother, yet… somewhere in his depths, in his young subconscious, he also understands that he has a road, just as we all have our own paths.”
This report was contributed by Alexey Gotovsky.