On April 18–19, Aigine CRC held its first-ever “Hack the Heritage” hackathon. The term “hackathon” combines “hacking” (seeking fast and creative problem-solving) and “marathon.” For our team and 67 talented students from 8 educational institutions across Kyrgyzstan, these 23 hours became a true intellectual marathon aimed at reimagining our country’s cultural code.
Today, Kyrgyzstan’s tangible and intangible heritage faces serious challenges: from the physical destruction of monuments to the loss of knowledge regarding sacred practices and ancient time-keeping systems. Our goal was to find digital tools that would make this heritage understandable and accessible to the modern generation.
The work focused on three key areas:
• Sacred Sites: Finding solutions for the protection and documentation of sacred places, preserving pilgrimage rituals (niyet, tilek), and transmitting knowledge about the spiritual properties of these territories.
• Petroglyphs: Building a bridge between ancient rock carvings and modern people by simplifying the recording and interpretation of these drawings.
• Traditional Kyrgyz Calendar: An attempt to systematize knowledge about moon phases, the positioning of the Pleiades (togool), and seasonal cycles to integrate them into modern daily life.
17 teams presented prototypes (MVPs) that merged a deep respect for tradition with bold technological solutions (ranging from AI-scanning to 3D modeling). The jury evaluated projects based on creativity, practical application, and technological adaptability.
Our Leaders:
• 1st Place: Team “Noneeds” (AIU). The students presented a large-scale Heritage-Tech ecosystem. It includes a web platform featuring a map of sacred sites, a calendar, and a feature that allows users to draw their own petroglyphs, as well as Roblox gaming worlds where children can explore history through interactive quests.
• 2nd Place: Team “Shumkar” (J.Balasagyn KSU). This project is designed for the youngest audience (ages 5–10). It is an interactive fairy-tale game where a child helps the main character save petroglyphs and learn about ornaments through kind and simple missions.
For Aigine CRC, this experience serves as a new starting point. We saw that young people are ready to engage with the theme of heritage if given the right tools. We believe that digital solutions are not a replacement for traditions, but a reliable way of preserving them for the future.
