Leonardo da Vinci inventions to be shown for first time at exhibition in Astana

Unique inventions by Leonardo da Vinci are being showcased in Astana for the first time. An international exhibition dedicated to the life, discoveries, and engineering legacy of the great Renaissance thinker has opened at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, reports the correspondent of «24KZ».

The presentation of the international exhibition «Leonardo da Vinci: Genius of the Renaissance» took place at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva, exhibition commissioner Olga Rigo, Director of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Rome Augusto Biagio, as well as members of the diplomatic corps.

Aida Balayeva noted that the exhibition is opening on International Museum Day — a celebration that unites people around the idea of preserving global cultural heritage, advancing science and art, and promoting intercultural dialogue. According to her, Kazakhstan currently has 286 museums operating successfully. Their collections contain more than 4.5 million exhibits, while annual attendance exceeds 6.5 million visitors.

The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized that hosting such international exhibitions plays an important role in the development of cultural tourism in Kazakhstan. Projects like this not only expand public access to world cultural heritage, but also strengthen the country’s potential as an open center where history, art, science, and modern educational practices come together.

Olga Rigo, exhibition commissioner:

- Today, Astana is becoming an important international platform for major cultural and multimedia projects. It is a modern city associated with development, technology, and progress. And it is especially symbolic to speak here about Leonardo da Vinci — a man who was centuries ahead of his time.

More than 40 full-scale models of Leonardo da Vinci’s mechanisms, recreated from his drawings and notes contained in the famous “Codices of Vinci,” were brought to Astana from museums in Rome and Florence. The exhibits include flying machines, engineering structures, military devices, and inventions whose ideas were centuries ahead of their time.

Augusto Biagio, Director of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Rome:

- It is a great honor for me to be in Astana and present an exhibition dedicated to the legacy of Leonardo da Vinci. As the great Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbayev once said, culture is the key to the development of both individuals and nations.

The exhibition occupies an area of approximately three thousand square meters. The space is divided into thematic zones — air, water, earth, and fire. Visitors can explore how Leonardo da Vinci studied the laws of nature, mechanics, and human anatomy, transforming his observations into engineering discoveries.

Special attention has been given to modern multimedia design. LED tunnels, digital projections, and holographic installations help literally «bring to life» Leonardo’s ideas and demonstrate how his inventions might have worked. A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to reproductions of the artist’s most famous masterpieces.

The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. without days off and will run until September 30.