Italian Former Ambassador Alberti Compiled His Kazakhstan Experiences in 'Ten Words' Book

Former Ambassador of Italy to Kazakhstan Marco Alberti presented his new book, 'Kazakistan in 10 Words' (Kazakistan'ı 10 Kelimeyle), reflecting his personal experiences and observations during his tenure, at an event in Astana. Serving between 2021 and 2024, Alberti emphasized that this work is not merely a geographical or historical guide, but a personal journey into the depths of Kazakh life and a reflection of his travels to various corners of the country during his diplomatic mission. Alberti stated that the book's basic philosophy is not just visiting places, but truly experiencing and living them, explaining the nuance between a tourist and a traveler by saying that a tourist forgets, but a traveler remembers. The structure of the text was crafted not chronologically, but around ten key words such as 'steppe', 'horse', 'sky', 'hospitality', and 'nomad' received from Kazakh colleagues and friends. He noted that these concepts are not just academic definitions, but representatives of the cultural and spiritual experiences Alberti lived in Kazakhstan, and therefore he made an effort to experience each concept in its place.

Alberti, explaining the inspiration he received from the local people in choosing these ten key words and how the process worked, said he asked the people around him for a single word describing their country, and that each of these words was the opening point of a section in the book. He stated that the concept of 'nomad' included in the book refers not only to Kazakhstan's historical roots but also coincides with the constantly changing lifestyle of a diplomat, and therefore carries symbolic meaning for his own life as well. To grasp the importance of concepts such as 'Yurt', 'horse', and 'steppe', he visited yurts, walked in the Kazakh steppes, and examined horse culture closely in regions like Burabay, making cultural touches. Adding that he wrote a large part of the book on airplanes during his travels across the country, on flights between Aktobe and Astana or Astana and Atyrau, he noted that this added movement and fluidity to the text. He stated that this approach transformed the book from a static memoir into a geographical and spiritual journey, reflecting the dynamism of his diplomatic mission.

Alberti defined the Kazakh steppe not just as a natural landscape but as a 'form of existence in nature', recounting that he stopped his vehicle outside Astana to enjoy the darkness and silence to experience the impact and silence this vast geography creates on the human soul. Despite the difficulty of finding such profound silence and darkness in modern Europe, he emphasized that Kazakhstan still preserves this purity in its vast landscapes, and this experience left deep marks on him. He reiterated that the book should not be perceived as a tourist guide, but rather that he wrote down what he saw and experienced so that others could live those experiences a little bit from their own perspective. The author's explanations strongly revealed that the book is not just an external observer's work, but a product of an emotional and contextual inner journey.

At the end of the presentation, Alberti invited the guests to have their personal copies of the book signed, expressing that as part of the nomadic culture, like the items he carries with him wherever he goes, he wanted to take these friendships and memories to his home. This moment at the event was seen as a sincere reflection of the emotional bonds formed during his three years in Kazakhstan and cultural diplomacy. The signing ceremony was not just a book launch, but symbolic of a farewell to the relationship Alberti built with Kazakhstan and the 'nomad' identity it created.

Viewed broadly, this book and presentation are considered an important cultural heritage demonstrating how much the dialogue and mutual understanding between two countries and cultures can enrich, going beyond a diplomatic mission. Alberti's effort to live the country not with the eye of a diplomat but with the spirit of a 'traveler' provided a more humane and artistic contribution to Kazakhstan's global perception. This work, adding a literary and personal dimension to Italy-Kazakhstan relations, was seen as a successful study aiming to convey not the geography, but the feelings of living in that geography to the reader.