A story that
united people

Even before the official unveiling, photos of the sculpture taken during installation went viral on social media and were featured in media outlets across Kazakhstan. From there, the human chain in Kazakhstan sparked a global chain reaction, turning into a worldwide media sensation.
Thousands of public pages and bloggers wrote about the sculpture, and hundreds of media outlets and TV channels covered it, including CBS, BBC, Globo—reaching audiences from the USA, Mexico, and Brazil to Spain, India, and Singapore. To date, publications about the sculpture have appeared in 91 countries worldwide, with a global reach exceeding 700 million, and a total of 53 million likes and comments. These numbers seem incredible, but a single video post alone garnered 53 million views, while another received 2,800,000 likes and 40,000 comments. All this was achieved with zero media budget: not a single cent was spent on promoting the news. This is the power of creativity. This is the first case in Kazakhstan to achieve such a global viral reach.
Moreover, the sculpture has become a powerful tool for country branding: it has raised awareness of Kazakhstan and strengthened its image. We saw tens of thousands of comments from people around the world saying, “I want to visit Kazakhstan, where such wonderful and compassionate people live!” Meanwhile, Kazakhstani citizens proudly comment, “This is our Kazakhstan! This is Almaty!!”
The sculpture has become not only a new attraction for Almaty residents and a symbol of the city but also a globally recognized destination that draws tourists and visitors to Kazakhstan.

Client: Anton Kim — Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Forte
Sino Alizoda — Creative Director, Forte
Aynur Zhamanova — Head of Marketing Production & Service, Forte
Malika Karadjanova — Head of PR and CSR, Forte
Marat Botin — Head of Digital Marketing, Forte
Kristina Alshevskaya — Art Director (CDO), Forte
Tomiris Meyrembayeva — Head of Content Management, Forte
Umitzhan Zholdybaeva — Senior PR Expert, Project Manager on behalf of Forte
Vladislav Ignatyev — Senior Designer

Agency: Progression CA
Chief Creative Officer DASM - Evgeny Kostylev
CEO of Creative Business DASM: Yulia Tushina
Managing Director (development phase): Alexander Kuznetsov
Managing Director (current): Natalia Pak
Creative Director: Dasha Bulakhtina
Art Director: Maria Leskina
Client Service Director: Yulia Butorina
Account Director: Zulfiya Dzhaparova
PR Director: Sofya Abdulzhanova

Sculptor: Erbosyn Meldibekov