Marat Erkimbekovich Sasanov (07.02.1971) - Chairman of the "Priirtyshye" local history society, entrepreneur, inventor. He has made a significant contribution to the public life of the city. His inexhaustible energy and genuine love for his homeland make him a true leader and educator in the field of local history.

During Marat Sasanov's leadership of the "Priirtyshye" society, the organization achieved great success and results in Kazakhstan's non-governmental sector. It was recognized as the best non-governmental organization in the Abai region.

According to the results of 2023, the "Priirtyshye" local history society received the "SELECT" award in the nomination "Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage" within the framework of Kazakhstan's XI Civil Forum.

In this nomination, in 2024, "Priirtyshye" was named the best NGO in the country at the "Volunteer-2024" international award, strengthening its status as one of the leading volunteer associations in the field of culture.

The society actively continues its work in preserving memory for eternity, working with archival data, protecting historical and cultural monuments, as well as promoting local history in the Priirtyshye region.

Marat Erkimbekovich actively participates in organizing and conducting local history conferences, round tables, seminars, and exhibitions, and carries out research trips on the history and local history of his homeland throughout the region. He contributes to the development of cultural life.

Marat Erkimbekovich is the first discoverer of many archaeological sites in our region: the Semey geoglyph, Mukyr hunter, Bukasha wintering, etc. He is the author of scientific hypotheses regarding the peculiarities of the use of bronze mirrors and the origin of ancient runic writing, as well as the classification and purpose of "mustached" mounds characteristic of the Tashtyk archaeological culture.

In 2024, Marat Sasanov published a collection of essays about the expeditions conducted in the Semey region. In this work, he shares interesting information about the successes, observations, and personal discoveries he has gathered over many years, as well as innovative and sometimes astonishing methods of studying his homeland.

He is also actively working to protect the ancient architectural heritage of the city of Semey. Under his leadership, a registry of ancient houses was created, encompassing 60 buildings of architectural and historical value that reflect the life and culture of past centuries. Of these, 29 buildings were included in the preliminary list of protected monuments at the suggestion of the local history society.

He is a member of the first convocation of the Public Council of the Abai region, a member of the commission for the protection of historical and cultural heritage under the Department of Culture of the Abai region. He is a founder of the "KPD" association (Kazakhstan Search Movement), a member of the KSORC (Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots Organizations). He is a member of the "Miras" council for the development of civil society and culture under the "AMANAT" party.

He is one of the initiators of the development of the program for the preservation and promotion of the historical and cultural heritage of the Abai region and actively participates in its implementation. Within the framework of the program, the project "Local History Teams of Schools in the Abai Region" was implemented. As a result, more than 100 teams composed of students from cities and villages were formed. Young researchers study their homeland and the history of their small homeland, discovering local news under the auspices of the "Priirtyshye" local history society.