This room was recreated in the annex of the Embassy of Kazakhstan, and on 29 April, for the sixth time, a series of lectures took place, hosted by His Excellency Ambassador Nurlan Onzhanov. The theme of the evening was the saiga antelope – the pride and beauty of the Kazakh steppe.

The saiga antelope is a steppe antelope that lives predominantly in Kazakhstan. Herds that once numbered in the millions were severely decimated by poaching – particularly following the collapse of the Soviet Union – and disease, and it is only in recent years that large populations of almost 4 million animals have been restored. Noteworthy are the animals’ vast migrations across the steppe, which make monitoring them difficult. However, thanks to strict government regulations and the support of international organisations with experts in zoology and veterinary medicine, the population has been able to recover well. For the future, however, it will remain an important task to protect this special species and to create conditions for its continued survival and reproduction.