On August 16, 2025, another city-wide clean-up was held in Shymkent. This time, the environmental event was organized as part of the "Clean Kazakhstan" republican campaign, and employees of the city's Department of Culture, Language Development and Archives and affiliated institutions, as well as young people, actively participated in it. During the clean-up, a number of parts of the city's territory were cleaned of garbage and green areas were maintained.

A distinctive feature of this event is the active involvement of representatives of the cultural sphere and young people. Usually, public utilities and local akimat employees are more involved in such work, but this time, art groups, archive workers, specialists from libraries and cultural centers also took up gloves and bags and contributed to the beautification of the city. This step shows that the role of the cultural sphere in society is not limited only to the formation of spiritual values, but also goes hand in hand with concrete actions, such as environmental protection.

Hundreds of people took part in the Sabbath, and several tons of household waste were removed. Particular attention was paid to parks and recreation areas in the city center. Since Shymkent is a metropolis that receives thousands of residents and guests every day, the cleanliness and order of public places is primarily a reflection of the city's culture. Therefore, the involvement of cultural workers in such matters with their own hands is a great example for the people.

Another important aspect of this year's Sabbath is the activity of young people. From young specialists working in archives and libraries to young artists engaged in creativity in cultural centers, they were not left out of this event. During the Sabbath, they not only collected garbage, but also distributed information leaflets explaining the importance of forming an ecological culture among residents. This turned the ecological Sabbath into a unique event, combining education and enlightenment work with a social campaign.

If we look at the experience of previous years, it is not the first time that cultural workers have participated in the sebbilik. For example, in 2023, on the eve of the Nauryz holiday, employees of the Department of Culture organized sebbilik in the territory of central parks and historical places, calling on city residents to take care of nature. And in 2024, a joint environmental campaign was held with the "Zhasyl el" group, and young artists from cultural centers not only participated in sebbilik on the streets of the city, but also organized small concerts and sang patriotic songs about nature protection. This trend continued in 2025, but this year's feature is that the scope of the campaign has expanded and includes all cultural institutions.

In comparison, in previous years, Saturdays were mostly organized in the spring and autumn months, before holidays. Now, ecological Saturdays are traditionally held every Saturday. This indicates that an ecological culture is being systematically formed in the city. For example, if in 2022, as a result of one-time Saturdays, approximately 10–15 tons of garbage were removed each Saturday, in 2024 this figure reached 20–25 tons. And in 2025, more than 40 tons of household waste were removed during each citywide Saturday. This proves that, in addition to the increased activity of residents, state institutions are also widely involved in the work.

The participation of representatives of the cultural sphere in such events also has a special impact on the city's residents. Seeing singers, librarians, and museum workers who perform on stage every day, walking side by side to collect garbage on Saturday, residents also expressed their support and voluntarily joined in. This is an important factor that strengthens public trust and cooperation. After all, the problem of ecology cannot be solved by the efforts of public utilities alone, it requires the involvement of the whole society.

The principle “A clean city is a comfortable environment” has become a widespread slogan in Shymkent today. The active participation of the Department of Culture in the Sabbath further strengthened this idea. Cleanliness and order are not only measures to improve living conditions, but also an indicator of the cultural level of city residents. In world practice, the main feature of developed cities is their cleanliness and the environmental responsibility of their residents.

The Saturday event on August 16 was another important milestone in the environmental movement of Shymkent. On this day, not only was garbage collected in the city, but the importance of environmental culture was also instilled in the minds of residents. Compared to previous Saturday events, this year's event was held at a higher level both in terms of scale and public resonance. The city authorities plan to continue such events in the future.

In conclusion, the Saturday clean-up, which was held with the active participation of representatives of the cultural sphere, showed the city residents a new example of ecological culture. This is not just a cleaning operation, but also a great education for society. Compared to the experience of previous years, this year's campaign was distinguished by its large scale and public support. It is clear that the future of Shymkent is aimed at creating a clean and comfortable environment. Regularly held Saturday clean-up events are becoming the main mechanism for achieving this goal.