SPOMENIK ŽAMBILU ŽABAJEVU

The bust of Kazakh poet Zhambyl Zhabayev (1846–1945) was installed on 24 August 2016 in New Belgrade, on Mihajla Pupina Boulevard, near the Energoprojekt building. The bust was unveiled during the official visit of Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Serbia. The ceremony was attended by then President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolić, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, and Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali. The monument was a gift from Kazakhstan to Belgrade and was presented as a symbol of cultural and political cooperation between the two countries.

The installation of the bust of Kazakh poet Zhambyl Zhabayev in Belgrade prompted mixed reactions in the public. Criticism focused on the fact that the poet had no direct connection to the city, as well as on the political context of his work during the Soviet period. The monument is therefore often cited as an example of cultural diplomacy, but also as a case that raises questions about the criteria for erecting monuments and the ways in which international political relations shape public space.