Edge Magazine Spring 2013 Print Edition by Coast2Coast Communications

KAZAKHSTAN APRIL 2013

NO. 01

EXPO 2017 KAZAKHSTAN FOCUSES ON FUTURE ENERGY SOUNDS OF AN ANGEL

VIOLINIST COMBINES OLD AND NEW

CLICK HERE

E-COMMERCE COMES TO KAZAKHSTAN

MYTH BUSTERS

WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN

SAVING THE STEPPE KAZAKHSTAN’S ECO PROTECTION EFFORTS

WHAT’S HOT IN KZ:

NIGHTCLUBS, BARS, RESTAURANTS, ARTS & CULTURE AND MUCH MORE EDGEKZ.COM

Kazakhstan The Future Is Wide Open

Since its independence just 20 years ago, Kazakhstan has grown to be the success story of Central Asia. A country of awesome steppes, grand canyons and majestic mountains, Kazakhstan is becoming known as much for its progress, as it is for its wide open spaces. As the powerhouse of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s economy is thriving thanks to industries such as oil, clean energy, minerals, agriculture, finance and more. In Kazakhstan, the ninth largest country in the world, ethnic and religious harmony rule the land – a land once marred by nuclear disaster. Now a leader in nuclear responsibility, Kazakhstan has hosted many highly-productive international summits on the issue in its glittering new capital city, Astana.

A nation reborn, Kazakhstan is a place of open hearts and open minds. It’s a country open for business and investment. It’s a place where big ideas have room to grow – and the future is wide open.

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NAZARBAYEV CENTER www.nazarbaYevcenter.kz

2, Respublika Avenue Astana, Kazakhstan 010000

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WWW.EDGEKZ.coM APRIL 2013 | No. 1

Published by The Nazarbayev Center 2 Respublika Avenue Astana, Kazakhstan 010000 Produced by Coast to Coast Media, Ltd Editor-in-Chief Roman Vassilenko

Contents

Managing Editor Patrick Gilsenan Contributing Writers Martin Sieff Dmitry Lee Michelle Witte Mike Coleman Julia Rutz Contributing Photographers Marat Abilov Igor Logvin Research and Production Artur Abubakirov Rufiya Ospanova Dionis Chinivizov

FEATURES Saving the Steppe Kazakhstan’s Eco Protection Efforts

BUSinESS Expanding Markets: Efforts to Join the WTO

Koreans in Kazakhstan A Unique Journey

Hitting the Road Driving in Almaty & Astana

DESTinATionS Going Vertical: Mountain Climbing Kazakhstan

Art of the Tenge The Beauty of Kazakh Currency

cULTURE Welcoming the World: Astana to Host Expo 2017

Sounds of an Angel Violinist Zhamilya Serkebayeva

PRoFiLE Karipbek Kuyukov: Nuclear Activist & Artist

Integrating Prosperity Eurasian Economic Cooperation

PoLiTicS Kazakhstan 2050: A Nation’s Road Map to Success

Click Here E-Commerce Comes to Kazakhstan

Here Comes the Bride Weddings in a Multiethnic Society

Unknown Territory Four Myths About Kazakhstan

Fashion Designer Balnur Asanova

Art Director Alain Blunt Design by Addnoise Dimitra Darioti Evdokia Stivaktaki Consultants Jennifer Grinnell Paula Mahoney Thanks for assistance and photography Ministry of Foreign Affairs Astana City Administration For additional information info@edgekz.com © 2013 EdgeKz. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Edge Kazakhstan is registered by the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the registration number No 13300-Zh of 22 January 2013. Published quarterly. Print run: 5 000. Printed at “Prosper print” LLP, 51 Ak Zhol Street, Astana.

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SEcTionS

ASTana Index

Restaurants

Cafés

Bars

Nightclubs

Arts & Culture

Fitness & Banya

Hotels

Shopping

Almaty Index

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Listings

USEFUL INFORMATION

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Kazakhstan

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Astana

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Almaty

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Astana Map

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K KAZAK hst ’s hstAN ENvIroNmENtAL t tAL ProtEctIoN Efforts Text by mIKE coLEmAN

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com

Minister of Environmental Protection Nurlan Kapparov

rom the soaring, snow-capped mountain peaks of Almaty in the south to the picturesque glacier lakes nestled in the pine woods of Kokshetau in the north, Kazakhstan’s natural beauty is beyond dispute. Unfortunately, the sprawling Central Asian nation is also home to some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges, including the radioactive legacy of the Soviet-era Semipalatinsk nuclear testing facility and the alarming shrinkage of the economically and culturally significant Aral Sea. Forty years of heavy irrigation by rice and cotton farmers have taken their toll on the once-mighty Aral Sea in southwestern Kazakhstan, reducing it from one to three separate bodies of water. Over the past several decades, fish have disappeared, salinity has increased and large quantities of pesticides have been released into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, Semey (formerly Semipalatinsk) in the northeastern part of the country suffered devastating environmental degradation under the Soviet Union, which operated the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site amidst Kazakhstan’s vast steppes. From the first explosion in 1949 until the last in 1989, the Soviets conducted a total of 456 nuclear tests, including 340 underground and 116 atmospheric. The environmental implications were severe as nuclear fallout from the atmospheric tests and uncontrolled exposure of the workers led to high rates of cancer, childhood leukemia and birth defects in Semey and surrounding villages. The good news is that Kazakhstan has worked diligently and

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From the First explosion in 1949 until the last in 1989, the soviets conducted a total oF 456 nuclear tests, including 340 underground and 116 atmospheric aggressively to address these and many other environmental concerns. Since achieving independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Kazakh government has taken dramatic steps to mitigate the harmful effects of nuclear testing, the Aral Sea degradation and other environmental calamities. Nurlan Kapparov, Kazakhstan’s 41-year-old minister of environment protection, told EdgeKz that restoring Kazakhstan’s environmental health is a top priority of President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s administration. “In recent years, the government has taken significant steps to address social and economic problems that have emerged in the Aral Sea region as a result of environmental disaster,” Kapparov said, explaining how the country’s decision to reclaim and rejuvenate the northern part of the sea nearly five years ago has produced tangible results: rising water levels and the return of fish and other aquatic life.

Efforts to Clean Up Semipalatinsk Almost since declaring its independence in 1991, the Kazakhstan government has been intensely committed to monitoring and managing the decades of nuclear fallout from the Soviet test site at Semipalatinsk. The Kazakhs, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations in the republic, as well partners from United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and Canada have implemented a comprehensive program for the rehabilitation of the population and ecology of the region. Following an analysis of the effects of radiation on territories adjacent to the former Semipalatinsk test site, the UN Development Program together with UN Children’s Fund, the United Nations Population Fund and the UN Volunteers launched a three-year project called “Enhancing Human Security on the Former Test Site in Semipalatinsk.” The countries devoted $15 million to this effort. The government of Kazakhstan has also adopted a number of nationwide initiatives aimed at minimizing negative environmental or public health effects of the nuclear testing site. However, cancer rates are still high. According to unofficial data, 1.3 million people are considered victims of the four decades of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site. Above: Kazakhstan’s environmental protection programs extend to multiple regions of the country

Kapparov also said that since the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Kazakh scientists have worked closely with the international scientific community to monitor and assess the site. “The data suggests that a large part of the test site has no negative effect on the population living in the surrounding areas,” he said. However, Kapparov acknowledged that the radioactive debris isn’t stable; it is carried by winds to other areas of the region, presenting a continuing challenge. He said the Kazakh government has implemented several programs to address these challenges. “Implementation of these programs will allow for solving the problem of the Semipalatinsk test site dramatically, both in terms of radiation safety and in terms of socio-economic development of the region,” the minister said. Although the Aral Sea and Semey nuclear test site issues are likely the foremost environmental challenges Kazakhstan is working to address, they aren’t the only ones. The Kazakh government is also working to prevent desertification and land degradation, as well as conducting reforestation work and developing protected forest areas. In addition to mitigating past environmental damage, Kazakhstan is taking proactive steps to prevent future calamities. This Central Asian nation is a key member of the Green Bridge initiative that came out of the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio + 20, which gathered more than 100 heads of state and government and over 50,000 delegates from around the world. The program focuses on efficient use of natural resources, investments in ecosystem services, development of low-carbon en-

Today’s Semipalatinsk natural landscape

ergy sources and adaptation to climate change, sustainable urban development, promotion of green business and green technologies, and promotion of sustainable lifestyles and improvement of quality of life. “The Green Bridge initiative is a practical instrument for international transition to a green economy by promoting technological progress, improving the experience of environmental management and improvement of the legal, economic and institutional conditions for green investments and technologies,” Kapparov said. “All this will give an impetus to the development of a new, stable and more secure economy,” according to the minister.

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Forty years oF heavy irrigation by rice and cotton Farmers have taken their toll on the once-mighty aral sea in southwestern kazakhstan, reducing it From one to three separate bodies oF water

efforts to restore aral sea The Aral Sea—once the world’s largest lake – has shrunk by nearly 70 percent. But Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has vowed to reverse the alarming trend. In 2001, the Kazakh Government has defied fate, launched a vast rescue program for the Kazakh side of the Aral Sea, working in partnership with the World Bank. The program included construction of the 13 kilometer Kok-Aral dam, which divided the sea into two halves, north (Kazakh) and south (Uzbek). The rescue program also included development of the Syr Darya river banks to increase the volume of water being discharged into the northern part of the sea. The measure had an almost immediate impact. Soon after the program was completed in August 2005, tests revealed that the surface of the northern half of the lake had risen 13 percent from 2,850 square kilometers in 2003 to 3,250 square kilometers in 2006. During the same period, salinity dropped dramatically, resulting in the gradual return of marine life and several varieties of freshwater fish. The volume of fish catches—less than 1,500 tons just two years ago, is now 15,000 tons per year—a spectacular tenfold increase. As a result of the commitment of Kazakhstan and other international allies, a significant climatic evolution has taken place in and around the northern part of the Aral Sea. The inhabitants of the region—finally able to resume their former livelihoods—have noted a considerable improvement in environmental conditions of the region in recent years.

Above: Restoration programs have begun to restore dry sea beds and replenish both seaside landscapes and the Aral’s fish population

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business

Kazakhstan WTO Accession Providing a Gateway to the World Text by MARTIN SIEFF

2013 will likely be the year

Kazakhstan finally joins the World Trade Organization after a 17-year accession process. The road has been a long one. “Kazakhstan is at an advanced stage of its accession negotiations. My guess is that this could be doable this year,” WTO Direc-

tor General Pascal Lamy told reporters on the sidelines of the Gaidar Forum, an economic conference in Moscow, on Jan. 17. Kairat Umarov, Kazakhstan’s new ambassador to Washington, agrees with this analysis. “We are optimistic that Kazakhstan will soon become part of the World

Trade Organization. Those talks are continuing apace and we are confident that they will succeed and we will become a full partner in the global trade regime,” he told a meeting at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 13. Umarov told his au-

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dience that full WTO membership “would be a milestone for a young nation.” Kazakhstan first submitted its application for WTO membership back in 1996. Umarov explained why the negotiations, by their very nature, have taken so long. “The Working Party on Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO consists of 39 WTO member states with 27 European Union member states as one party,” he said. “Kazakhstan has signed protocols that capped off bilateral negotiations on goods markets with 30 WTO member-states including the United States and the European Union.” The United States and Russia both support Kazakhstan’s accession as soon as possible. Kazakhstan completed in 2010 its six-year, complex negotiation process with the Bush and Obama administrations. And in 2012, Russia, Kazakhstan’s

partner in the Eurasian Economic Community, the Common Economic Space and the Customs Union also completed its long accession process and finally became a full member of the WTO. Given the close trading and growing economic ties between the two nations, Russia’s success made it far easier for Kazakhstan to clear up many of the remaining details in its own accession process. Kazakhstan first applied to join the WTO less than five years after achieving independence from the Soviet Union. Since then, its economic progress has been significant. Yet despite its success, the hydrocarbon-rich Central Asian state is one of the few countries in the world that remains outside the international trading club. Membership is expected to launch a new wave of massive economic

Negotiating the Details Kazakhstan’s negotiators with the World Trade Organization know that the end of a 17-year process is not a time to rush the details. The country’s chief negotiator on the process, Minister for Economic Integration Zhanar Aitzhanova, is not willing to cut corners or put the country’s long-term interests at risk just to close the deal. “(A) WTO accession date is important for us, but (negotiating the most favorable) conditions for Kazakhstan is more significant,” Aitzhanova told a conference on economic integration in Astana on Oct. 15, 2012. Now, the long, slow and careful process is almost done. On Feb. 13, Kairat Umarov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the United States, addressed the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. and spelled out some of the details of the careful negotiations and deals that are liberalizing Kazakhstan’s economy and clearing the final issues for full entry into the WTO. “The gradual liberalization of key sectors of the economy is proceeding together with Kazakhstan’s bilateral negotiations on access to the services market,” the ambassador told his audience. “Kazakhstan will eliminate the 49 percent limitation on foreign participation in (the) telecommunications sector,” Umarov said. “In addition, the 49 percent foreign-capital restriction for joint ventures supplying architectural, urban-planning, construction and engineering services has been eliminated.” In a far-reaching concession, the ambassador said “legal entities of Kazakhstan with 100 percent foreign ownership will be allowed to provide these services.” Umarov pointed out that in the financial services sector, his country had already taken major steps towards liberalization. “Back in 2006, Kazakhstan eliminated the 50 percent limitation on foreign participation in the banking and

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Almaty, Kazakhstan’s business center, is an important part of Kazakhstan’s WTO efforts

insurance sectors,” he said. “Accession to the WTO has always been and remains a foreign policy priority for Kazakhstan,” the envoy said. “To make that happen Kazakhstan has implemented comprehensive reforms aimed at building sustainable market economy policies and institutions.” Umarov acknowledged that “one of the major challenges still being addressed by the government is how to balance implementation of Kazakhstan’s key economic priorities, economic diversification and the development of processing industries with the country’s commitments to WTO accession. “In particular, we are carefully reviewing the policies applied by WTO members to facilitate development of ‘services based’ industries, which supply new types of services and produce high valueadded goods in a WTO-consistent way,” he said. Umarov also added that Kazakhstan has submitted draft legislation that will assist the implementation of WTO agreements in such key areas as customs, technical barriers to trade and licensing and sanitary and phytosanitary (keeping plants free from pests and diseases) regulations.

Kazakhstan first applied to join the WTO less than five years after achieving independence from the Soviet Union growth by opening the Kazakh economy to far more foreign investors. Experts note that long accession negotiations are the rule, not the exception, for emerging market nations and former Soviet republics. Most of the nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have not entered the WTO yet, except for Armenia, which joined in 2003; Georgia in 2000; Kyrgyzstan in 1998 and Moldova in 2001. Nor is full WTO membership an automatic guarantee of rapid growth and prosperity. Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova have not achieved significant economic success as a result of their memberships. However, full membership is likely to mean far more for Kazakhstan precisely because it has already integrated successfully into the global community. Full WTO membership, if granted this year, will come right after Kazakhstan has launched its new Strategy 2050 to become one of the 30 most competitive nations in the world by 2050. As a result of Kazakhstan’s previous program, Strategy 2030, the country is already rated one of the 50 most competitive nations in the world in major listings. And the World Bank’s most recent Doing Business Report lists it 25th out of 185 nations for the ease with which new businesses can be established. Kazakhstan is also implementing a “New Silk Road” program to construct the largest and most modern road and railways passenger and cargo transportation system in Central Asia. This will make the country the key crossroads for trade between Western Europe and the great industrial economies of China and the rest of Northeast Asia. “The construction of so much major road and rail infrastructure there cements its natural geographical position and serves the interests of China and Europe as well

Strong Domestic Economy From the beginning of the 21st century, Kazakhstan’s growth was boosted by a global boom in commodity prices. The giant economy of China became the greatest engine for economy growth in Asia and vast quantities of Kazakhstan’s oil, gas and uranium began to be exported to the world’s most populous nation to provide a secure and close energy resource for its continued growth. Today, Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia. It has built a stable and prosperous economy that is rapidly catching up with the developed world. During 21 years as an independent nation, Kazakhstan has made significant progress in implementing complex political, economic and social reforms to establish a democratic state with a market economy. Despite the temporary disruption of the 2008-9 global economic crisis, over the past decade, the country’s GDP growth rates, for example, have been among the highest in the world. By 2016, Kazakhstan’s GDP per capita is expected to reach $15,000, compared with the current level of $11,300, and Kazakhstan will be classified as a “high-income economy” by the World Bank. The nation that is looking forward to joining the WTO this year is, therefore, a vastly different one from the still-poor country struggling to break free of its old communist associations when the WTO accession process began in the mid 1990s. Kazakhstan is now a vibrant, powerful participant in the global economy even before it joins the world trade body. WTO membership, therefore, offers far greater opportunities today than anyone in the Central Asian nation could have imagined 17 years ago.

as those of Kazakhstan itself,” Charles W. Freeman, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and China, told EdgeKz. Kazakhstan, therefore, is far more prepared to take full advantage of joining the WTO than it could have done had it joined the organization 10 or 15 years ago. Within only the past five years, Kazakhstan has become one of the world’s leading food producing and exporting nations on a level comparable with Argentina, Canada and Australia. It has done so by adopting the advanced ecological practices of renewable and sustainable farming. “Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO should be welcomed by all,” Freeman told EdgeKz. “The world needs all the meat and grain that Kazakhstan can produce. Its emergence as a major food producing nation is a boon to augmenting total global food resources.” The long, tortuous nature of the WTO accession process Kazakhstan has experienced is not unique. It took 15 years for China to finally become a member in 2001.

Russia applied in 1993 and after 19 years of stop-start negotiations finally entered the WTO last year. Before the WTO was created, nations could join the previous global trade-promoting international organization, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades (GATT) more quickly. However, the WTO covers more policy areas than the GATT and negotiations to join it are, therefore, longer and more complicated. Also, the process to join the WTO is more political. The issues governments need to negotiate and reform during the accession process are at the heart of domestic politics. Geopolitical considerations may also be involved. Finally, countries wanting to join the WTO are often in the process of transition from being a command economy to becoming a market economy. That transition requires a fundamental reorganization of economic and political structures. The task for Kazakhstan was an enormous one. But it’s been successfully completed.

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The Nation’s Chief Negotiator kazakhSta t N’S chieF Negotiator ta

on the WTO accession process is the right person in the right job at the right time. This description perfectly fits Zhanar Aitzhanova, Kazakhstan’s formidably accomplished, Harvard-educated chief negotiator to join the World Trade Organization. The 47-year-old Aitzhanova previously served as Minister for Economic Development and Trade before being appointed Minister for Economic Integration in 2011 and taking on the enormous job of handling the complex series of bilateral and multilateral negotiations needed to clear the way for Kazakhstan’s entry into the WTO. Aitzhanova proved to be the perfect choice for the job and is an example of the new generation of rising, sophisticated and meritocratic leaders who are navigating Kazakhstan’s many opportunities to engage with the global economy in the new century. Like so many Kazakhs of her generation, Aitzhanova’s life has spanned two very different worlds. She was born

AITZHANOvA IS HElPING POSITION KAZAKHSTAN AS THE KEy PlAyEr IN THE EUrASIAN ECONOMy 14 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

into an obscure corner of the Soviet Union, forgotten by most of the world for centuries. When she was only 26, she witnessed the chaotic disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism and boldly seized the opportunities available for herself and her country in a suddenly open, free new world. Now, still in the early prime of life, she holds one of the highest political positions a woman has held in the history of her country. And she is playing a central role in piloting it to a central place in the emerging global economy of Eurasia, where Kazakhstan occupies the crucial position of transportation, trade and communications hub of two continents—Europe and Asia. Fluent in English and German as well as Russian, Aitzhanova is equally at home in Moscow, New York, Vienna and Washington. From 1982 to 1988, the young Aitzhanova studied and then completed her graduate studies in the Department of History at Kazakh State University, Almaty. In 1996-97, she studied Economics and Finance at the Joint Vienna Institute in Austria and in 2003 took a Master’s in Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She then served in the United Nations Development Program from 1996 to 2002 and for three years as the UNDP’s Program Manager, Cluster I, Central Asia, Regional Bureau for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States, based in New York. This gave her unparalleled experience and insight into the trade and business dynamics of Central Asia and the entire post-Soviet space in the new world

Minister for Economic Integration Zhanar Aitzhanova

following the collapse of communism. It also made her the natural choice to become her country’s chief negotiator in the WTO accession process, serving also as Vice-Minister of Industry and Trade from 2003 to 2010. In March 2010, she became Minister of Economic Development and Trade and earned widespread commendation for her contributions in helping restore robust growth following the disruptions of the 2008-9 global financial crisis. Little more than a year later, she took up her current position with increased powers to see the WTO accession to a successful conclusion. Charming, articulate and witty in person, she has a remarkable mind and has won acclaim around the world as a great trade negotiator. Behind her relaxed charm and attractive personality, she has a reputation as a tireless workaholic who will spend endless hours to master her briefing papers and negotiating issues. She is now a familiar presence at the annual World Economic Forums in Davos, Switzerland. Her grasp of the meanings, details and nuances of myriad trade issues is unparalleled. She has become a leading trade adviser to President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov. She shares their vision of a prosperous and secure Kazakhstan thriv thriving under a regime of free trade and a welcoming climate for business as the cosmopolitan business hub of Eurasia.

Koreans in Kazakhstan A Journey to the Heart of Eurasia Text by DMITRY Lee

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pproximately 105,000 Koreans live in Kazakhstan, making them the eighth largest ethnic group in the country. How they got there, the sufferings they endured on their journey and their modern success stories form an epic saga. The first Koreans migrated from their native country into the Russian Far East in the 1860s to escape grinding poverty. They found a vast, empty frontier wilderness and helped to tame it. By the 1890s, when the Trans-Siberian Railroad was built, there were more Koreans than Russians living in the regions west and north of Vladivostok to the Amur River. Life was often hard: the growing Korean community survived through the Russian Civil War, Japanese occupation and the years of famine that followed. Then, in 1937, Soviet ruler Josef Stalin was fearful that the Korean community might support Japan against the Soviet Union in times of war. There was no truth to his imaginings and no evidence to support them. But Stalin still had the entire community, then numbering 140,000 people, forcibly deported thousands of miles west to the steppes of central and northern Kazakhstan. The deportations were carried out under the most brutal conditions. The Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs, known as the NKVD secret police, herded the entire community, men, women and children into railway cattle cars and left them there for weeks. They had no toilets and they were washed only with high pressure water hoses once a week during the long journey. Many thousands died, especially young children. When they reached their destination, all the prisoners were unceremoniously thrown out of the trains on to the middle of the open, barren steppe just as one of the most ferocious winter climates in the world was beginning. Had it not been for the hospitality and bravery of thousands of local Kazakh villagers along the

Gertan / Shutterstock.com

2013 World Silver Medalist and 2011 Asian Winter Games Champion Denis Ten

Paintings by Vyacheslav Khvan depicting Koreans’ mass deportation in the late 1930s by then Soviet leader Joseph Stalin onto the Kazakh steppe as described to him by his now 93-year-old mother, Raisa Khvan, who was part of those deportations

railway line, almost all of them would have died. That was how the Korean community came to the lands of Kazakhstan. Today, the children and grandchildren still remember with gratitude the hospitality and love that was shown to them in those frightful times. “The Kazakh people have helped us survive, endure and find ourselves. They gave us hope for the future. We have never forgotten those who helped us during those difficult years,” Roman Kim, president of the Association of Koreans in Kazakhstan, told EdgeKz. The welcome those scores of thousands of people received despite the grinding poverty of the country in those days was rooted in the values and culture of the Kazakh people. For thousands of years, their clans were legendary among the tribes of the steppe for their hospitality to strangers and those in need. In a strange way, the new Korean refugees were coming home. Thousands of years ago, their ancestors came from the lands of what is now western Kazakhstan and were closely related to its peoples. Even today, separated by nearly 3,000 miles, the Kazakh and Korean peoples share many similarities in their languages and traditions. Today’s Korean community in Kazakhstan has come a long way from the sufferings their ancestors endured 75 years ago. Since independence, they have played a prominent role in Cen-

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The KazaKh people have helped uS Survive, endure and find ourSelveS. They gave uS hope for The fuTure. We have never forgoTTen ThoSe Who helped uS during ThoSe difficulT yearS— roman Kim, president of the association of Koreans in Kazakhstan tral Asia’s most prosperous, multiethnic and tolerant society. The Korean community in modern Kazakhstan is well-educated, cosmopolitan and upwardly mobile. Its members play leading roles in the country’s business, government and cultural affairs. They have succeeded in careers ranging from lawyers to movie stuntmen.

Success Stories Vladimir Kim, 52, is the community’s most spectacular success story. Kim is the chairman of Kazakhmys, the country’s largest mining corporation. Forbes magazine has listed him as the richest man in the country and one of the 250 richest people in the world with a net worth of $4.7 billion. A generation ago, young Victor Tsoy, also of Korean descent, who was born in Leningrad but whose grandfather was also exiled to Kazakhstan, became one of the most famous rock music and movie stars in the Soviet Union. He was the James Dean of the Soviet Union and what is now the territory of Kazakhstan and his music strongly influenced the perestroika reform era that led to a new era of freedom and the end of the Soviet Union. When he was killed in a tragic car crash at the age of only 28 in 1990, 120,000 people attended his funeral in Leningrad, today’s St. Petersburg. Though fully integrated into Kazakhstan’s language and culture, other successful people of Kazakhstan in the Korean community are proud of both heritages. Alexey Ni, coach of Kazakhstan’s national weightlifting team, became a national hero after his athletes won four gold medals in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Millions of people watched on television as he jumped and hugged his athletes as they won their medals. “I always tell people that I was born in Kazakhstan and that my roots are Korean. But most foreigners think I am Kazakh as we look almost the same,” Ni told EdgeKz. “We really are one nation in Kazakhstan,” Ni continued. “My family still tells the stories of how they arrived in this country. They were thrown out of the cattle cars at the Kyzyl Orda station in central Kazakhstan. Those who were sick and dying were thrown out at Ushtobe in the Almaty region. No one would have survived if it wasn’t for all the Kazakh families who took us into their homes and shared their last crumbs of bread. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be alive today. That’s why my grandfather always told me, ‘This is your motherland.’... I’ve been invited by South Korea and Russia to train their national teams, but I turned them down,” Ni said. “I wanted to stay at home. Kazakhstan took us in. We owe this country so much.” Kirill Lee, a 47-year-old painter, musician and marketing expert from Almaty, is another example of the new generation of talented creative professionals of the new Kazakhstan. “I never thought about going to live anywhere else,” he told EdgeKz. Author and artist Alexander Tsoy, 44, from Almaty, is also a leading figure in Kazakhstan’s new online, wired-up generation.

He has become a leading blogger. “Kazakhstan is my home. It always has been,” he told EdgeKz. “We don’t face any prejudice. Koreans are loved here. People even call us ‘the Fourth Juz’, or Fourth Clan. Through history there were always three great juzes, or clans. Now the Korean community has been informally adopted as the fourth.” Tsoy has many friends in South Korea, reflecting the close cultural, diplomatic and business ties between the two countries. But he’s well aware of the contrasts as well. “We are very different from South Koreans today,” he said “We have a very different mentality and way of thinking. We were born in the Soviet Union and this left a huge mark on our identities. The new Korean generation is more liberal. But we’re learning to understand each other better. The Internet offers us in both countries the prospect of unlimited communications.” Korean descendent Irina Tyan is a similarly successful young woman. The 37-year-old economist from Astana is also a successful businesswoman and athlete and owns the BillYard billiards club in Astana, which has won many national championships. She has played as a member of the Russian national billiards team. But for her too, it is Kazakhstan, not Russia or South Korea, that she calls home. “I was born and raised here,” Tyan told EdgeKz. “I love everything about Almaty and Astana – the streets, the mounIrina Tyan owns Astana’s BillYard billiards Club

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Left: Alexey Ni, winner of the Supreme Award of the Republic of Korea Above: Vyacheslav Khvan, son of a Korean mother relocated during Stalin’s forced deportations, receiving an award from President Nursultan Nazarbayev Left to right: Kun-Do Founder Igor Tsay, Almaty artist, musician and marketing expert Kirill Lee; author, blogger and musician Alexander Tsoy

tains the air. Everything I love is in Kazakhstan. I am also proud to be Korean in the fourth generation on this land. This country has given a lot to me and my close ones.” Igor Tsay also demonstrates the degree to which members of Kazakhstan’s Korean community are taking advantages of Kazakhstan’s opportunities. At only 25, he has crammed in more career changes and achievements than most people three times his age. Tsay is trained as an international lawyer, but has also succeeded as a movie producer, director, choreographer and stuntman. He founded his own studio in Almaty, Kun Do, to train movie stuntmen and has played a major role in choreographing and directing the action scenes in major international movies such as “Wanted” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” “When I was 18, I founded an action studio for movie fight scenes in Almaty and tried to convince the students that we would get recognition from Hollywood and would make them start talking about Kazakhstan’s stuntmen. People thought it was an impossible dream. But we succeeded,” Tsay told EdgeKz. “Now, the more I work with Hollywood and international projects, the more I feel that the world is really small and borders are made to be crossed. We have so much to offer each other,” he continued. “But roots are important too. My family had to go through great sufferings over the past century, but they achieved so much. My great uncle became a famous horse breeder in this country. This is a great country. It makes you realize there are no limits to what you can do.”

A Survivor’s Tale Raisa Khvan is a first generation Kazakhstani. Born in 1920, the 93-year-old Khvan was a teenager when she experienced the full horrors of the mass deportation of 140,000 Koreans from the Soviet Far East to the steppes of Kazakhstan in 1937. “I was born in 1920 on the border of China and North Korea,” she told EdgeKz. “My father Unden Khvan was a communist activist.” The hardships of Khvan’s family began before she was born, she said. “In 1919, my father tried to escape from the Japanese occupation of Korea because he gathered some guerrilla troops to fight their forces. So the Japanese tortured my mother. My father fled across the border to the Far East region of the Soviet Union and my mother joined him with me when I was three years old. Those were terrible times, you can’t even possibly understand what we went through: hunger, desperation,” Khvan said. “My father joined the Communist Party and was an active member. My mother didn’t speak Russian, so she couldn’t get a job. My father had good Communist Party posts, but no money and so we lived in hunger.” Two years before the mass deportations, Khvan’s father was arrested by the black-uniformed secret police, the NKVD, who were known as the “black ravens.” “They took my father at night and interrogated my mother and myself. Later, my mother discovered that he was exiled to the city of Khabarovsk, and he had been accused of treachery and spying for Japanese in spite of be-

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ing a secretary for the Communist Party. And so we were labeled as a family of an enemy of the state.” In the autumn of 1937, things got even worse. The entire community was arrested and deported. “They came for us in the middle of the night and gave us little time to get our belongings, basic things like clothing, blankets, so we took everything we could and in complete chaos, we were taken to a train station,” Khvan said. “But it was no passenger train. They packed us in cargo cars. All families were forced into the cars and the doors were shut. We rode for weeks. Every week they would wash us with water hoses like we were cattle. A lot of children died. Then finally, the doors opened. We were in Kazakhstan, but at first we didn’t know where we were. We saw Kazakhs for the first time. They were staring at us and we were staring at them. My mother said, ‘They look like us.’ We were dumped in the granaries and vegetable storage silos.” About 170,000 Koreans were deported to the five Central Asian Soviet republics and just dumped on the open steppes. A lot of them caught typhoid and lived in dugouts. About 40,000 people died during the ordeal. “The settlements didn’t have names, they had numbers,” Khvan continued. “We were assigned to number 31. We lived there for a few months and then we moved to Tselinograd, which became Astana 60 years later. In the winter, it was one of the coldest places in the world, and we had nothing. But I always believed that someone above was watching over us because I have no idea how we survived that winter. Adult men held blankets over the sides of the truck to save the children from the freezing cold.” Even today, temperatures in the Astana region can reach 50 degrees below zero Celsius in winter. “In 1938, the Soviets started shutting down all Korean and Kazakh schools. So we had to learn Russian and study in Russian,” Khvan said. “The Soviets did everything to make sure that our Korean national identity would be erased from our memories. But the Kazakh people always welcomed us. I made a lot of Kazakh friends in Tselinograd even as a girl. The people there were re-

We were in Kazakhstan, but at first we didn’t know where we were. We saw Kazakhs for the first time. They were staring at us and we were staring at them— Raisa Khvan, part of mass deportations to Kazakhstan in the 1930s

ally friendly to us. At that time, the Soviets prohibited Koreans from moving freely so we couldn’t move to Almaty. But eventually things got easier”. Khvan went back to school and served as a nurse through World War II.

Family Reunification and Success After Stalin died in 1953, Unden Khvan was finally reunited with his wife and children in 1956. The government offered him an apartment, but he refused it, insisting other people needed it more. Today, the Khvan family flourishes and its descendants can be found in every corner of the Earth. Marina Lee, Raisa’s granddaughter, lives in Hawaii, where she is a school teacher. Yana Lee lives in Israel and is an engineer. Raisa’s younger brother Karl Khvan, 86, lives in Almaty. May Khvan, 83, lives in Almaty and continues to train speed skaters. He held the Kazakh flag at the opening of the 2011 Asian Winter Games. Raisa’s son Artamon Lee, 73, lives in Astana and continues to coach at a chess school. Her son Vyacheslav Khvan, 65, is a director, professor and physicist at a private college in Astana.

Korean Community Achievers Vladimir Kim (1960- ) Businessman. The richest man in Kazakhstan. Chairman of the Board of KazakhMys, a rare earth mining company. He has served in President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s political council. Vladimir Ni (1933-2010) Prominent politician and adviser to President Nazarbayev. Denis Ten (1993-) Figure Skater. 2013 world silver medalist, 2011 Asian Winter Games champion and three-time Kazakhstan champion. Nelly Kim (1957-) Artistic gymnast, five-time Olympic champion, world champion, repeated champion of Europe and the Soviet Union. Viktor Ni (1968-) – Weightlifting coach. May Khvan (1930-) – Speed skating coach. Victor Tsoy (1962-1990) – Rock musician and actor. Left: Raisa Khvan and her husband (photo 1939) Right: Raisa Khvan today

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destination

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Big Almaty Gorge

Going Vertical Mountain Climbing the Land of Big Skies Text by Michelle Witte

The image of Kazakhstan may be of a flat, windswept steppe, but

the country known for its horizons has plenty of vertical adventure as well. Kazakhstan’s major mountain ranges, including the extensive Tien Shan Mountains, offer climbers and mountaineers new, challenging routes, often in pristine natural environments. Mountains in Kazakhstan have high-altitude lakes and waterfalls, glaciers, pine and green leaf forests, and, of course, stark, snowy peaks. And while there are established trails in many areas and some bolted climbing routes, many ranges have rarely-visited, high and sometimes unclimbed peaks to challenge professional climbers and mountaineers. All of the climbers and groups we spoke to cautioned against doing any major excursions alone. Because of the rugged terrain, the possibility of bad weather and the language barriers for non-Kazakh or non-Russian speakers, it is highly recommended that climbers and mountaineers hire local guides or join group expeditions. It’s also a good idea to tell a local rescue team before you go into the mountains, says mountaineer Dastan Abdrakhmanov, 21, from Almaty. If you want to let someone else handle the details, there are lots of organizations and individuals that arrange hiking and climbing trips. They’ll tell you what you need, organize your route, and provide you with a guide. Food and any necessary permits are often included in the trip price. There’s also a mountaineering school at Tuyuk Su, near Almaty. Abdrakhmanov recommends this school for beginning climbers who want to learn. “The Tuyuk Su alpinist camp is the best place to get started in mountaineering,” he says. “The average cost for training courses is 5,000 tenge ($33), and it is a reasonable price. The equipment will also cost you about 5,000-6,000 tenge ($33-$40). In my opinion, this is the best option, taking into account that you are only one hour away from Almaty.” Kazakhstan uses the Russian grading system to grade the difficulty of climbing routes. This system is similar to the French system and takes into account altitude and exposure, as well as other factors. There are resources available online to help show the conversions between different international grading systems.

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Soviet’s Peak (4300 m) in Kazakhstan’s Tien Shan Mountains

tween the two sometimes difficult. Individual peaks are often referred to as being in the Zailisky Alatau and/or the Northern Tien Shan.

Day trips

Around Almaty Tien Shan

The Tien Shan Range, which forms much of Kazakhstan’s southeastern border, is the home of the famous Khan Tengri, the highest peak in Kazakhstan. Khan Tengri, also called Blood Mountain and the Lord of Heaven, draws dedicated climbers to its 7,010-meter summit throughout the summer climbing season. It’s the world’s northernmost 7,000-meter peak and considered by some to be the most beautiful mountain in the world because of its symmetry and the red glow it has at sunset.

The Central Tien Shan range is very high and most trips to peaks there will require more than one day. As the mountains get lower in the northern end of the range, in the Zailisky Alatau Mountains, there are more peaks scalable in a single day. Khan Tengri (also often spelled “Hantengri”) isn’t the only Tien Shan peak worth visiting, though. For professionals and experienced climbers who want a challenge, there’s Marble Wall Peak (6,400 meters) and Hidden Peak (6,873 meters). There’s also Shipilov Peak, which is still unclimbed, according to Kazbek Valiyev of Khan Tengri Expeditions. Most of these peaks will take several days to ascend. The season for visiting these high mountains is short; July and August are the best months. The Tien Shan Range spreads and merges into the Zailisky Alatau Moutains in the north, making differentiating be-

Multi-day expeditions Khan Tengri, Marble Wall, and Komsomol Peak all require a time commitment. Komsomol Peak (4,375 meters) is a twoday trip, usually crossing the Bogdanovich Glacier and spending the night on a moraine of the glacier. Expeditions to Khan Tengri or Marble Wall can take 20-25 days and require a lot of experience. Many trips to these peaks use helicopters to fly over some areas. Khan Tengri Tours organizes excursions with views of Khan Tengri. Some expeditions in this area will require special permits because the peaks form the borders of

Khan Tengri Khan Tengri in the Tien Shan Mountain Range is Kazakhstan’s highest and most famous peak. “Blood Mountain” or “The Lord of Heaven” in Kazakh looms red at sunset and, as the world’s northernmost 7,000-meter peak, presents a serious challenge to climbers. It was first conquered in 1931 by a team from Ukraine, who reached the top by what is now the standard southern route. Over time, other routes were opened, but the approach from the south remains the most accessible; the rest are very difficult climbs. It’s not unusual for only about one in three climbers who attempt Khan Tengri to make the summit. But some do—and some like it fast. The Khan Tengri Mountain Festival, held each August, challenges climbers to race from Base Camp (at 4,200 meters) to the summit (7,010 meters) and back. (To put this in perspective, there are peaks between Base Camp and the summit, so climbers have to ascent and descend more than 6,000 meters to accomplish the feat. Most visitors to the mountains make the summit of Khan Tengri from Base Camp part of an eight- to ten-day trip, making multiple stops.)

Evening in a high altitude camp on the north face of the Khan Tengri peak (5500 m)

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Kazakhstan’s Climbers several countries. Tour organizers should be able to arrange any necessary permits.

Zailisky Alatau

Also near Almaty are the granite Zailisky Alatau Mountains, the forerunners of the Northern Tien Shan. These mountains are smaller than the massive Tien Shan Range they flank; the highest point is Talgar Peak (5,017 meters). The variety and color of this mountain range earned them the name “Alatau,” meaning multicolored. (“Zailisky,” Russian for “beyond the Ili [River],” came later and is sometimes omitted.) The central area of this mountain range is the site of many glaciers. According to Kasbek Valiyev, the first Kazakh to climb Mount Everest, there is even good winter climbing in these mountains. This area is particularly welcoming for beginners and mountaineers who want to walk or hike rather than climb, though there are challenges for all levels. Well-known coach Artem Skopin, 36, from Almaty, calls these limestone and marble mountains “The heart of Kazakhstan’s mountain climbing. There are 120 routes for young and experienced alpinists here.” Routes in the Alatau Mountains range from levels one to four of the Russian climbing system. Some maps and descriptions are available in English online at the www.mountain.ru website. Be

Kazakhstan’s mountains attract climbers from around the world

The wandering spirit of the people of Kazakhstan has led them not only across the steppe, but scrambling up and down their mountains. They have achieved some of the world’s most difficult mountaineering feats: Kasbek Valiyev was the first Kazakh to climb Mount Everest, and now Kazakhstan’s Maksut Zhumayev, Vasili Pivtsov and Denis Urubko are among the only 30 people to have climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter-plus peaks. Zhumayev and Urubko reached the summits without oxygen, two of only 13 climbers in the world to have managed that. Other Kazakh climbers have reached some of the Earth’s highest points. Anatoli Boukreev made 18 successful ascents of peaks over 8,000 meters and was mentioned in Climbing Magazine for his “unreal” solo speed ascent of Denali in Alaska, which he completed in 10.5 hours.

warned, destinations in this area go by many names. The Big and Small Almaty Ravines, for example, also go by variations of Bolshoy and Malaya, using the Russian words for big and small.

Day trips “The most popular destination for alpinists of all levels is Amangeldy Peak,” says Skopin. Abdrakhmanov agrees: “In Almaty, the favorite peaks are Amangeldy, Pioneer, Uchitel, Molodejniy, Manshuk Mametovoi and Octyabrist.” Amangeldy and Octyabrist have bolted routes that go most of the way up, though to get to the very tops of the peaks you’ll need your own equipment. (Octyabrist has a 4A route designation; Amangeldy’s is 1B). Amangeldy Peak and Pioneer Peak are both great for day hikes and have routes rated as 1B difficulty levels. “The Small Almaty ravine is a good, developed area for tourists—here you can find Shymbulak Ski Resort, a high-altitude hotel, the Tuyuk Su Gates, the Tuyuk Su training school. The peaks are not far away from tourist resort area,” says Abdrakhmanov. The Tuyuk Su Gates is an area of towering rock cliffs that many of Kazakhstan’s famous climbers train on. They’re the entrance to the valley that leads to the Tuyuk Su glacier and the starting point for many treks into the region’s higher altitudes. Skopin also recommends

the Tuyuk Su area for anyone who doesn’t want to stray too far from civilization. “Here there’s wifi and cellular service,” he points out. The Shymbulak Ski Resort is in the Zailisky Alatau Mountains, about an hour from Tuyuk Su. Shymbulak Peak is rated 1A. There are lots of trails around the area of the resort, and of course, after your hike you can head to the resort for a drink or a snack. Fancy a stroll instead? “If you want to go for a walk, without climbing, you can visit Kok Zhailay,” says Skopin. Kok-Zhailay is a huge alpine meadow between two gorges, near the famous Medeu Ice Rink. Hikers will also want to visit Big Almaty Gorge, containing Big Almaty Peak and the pure, icy Big Almaty Lake, all about 25 kilometers from Almaty city. (There is a hotel near the lake for hikers who want to make it an overnight trip.)

Multi-day expeditions “We prefer the Turgen area in the Northern Tien Shan—the Turgen Gorge is wide and clear and some infrastructure is available there. Four years ago, we made a summer camping site in the upper reaches of Turgen, so we use it now as a starting point for the treks,” says Asya Burambayeva, 29, of the Trekking Club in Almaty. The Trekking Club organizes trips in the Tien Shan and Alatau Moun-

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Far and near left: Waterfall and climber in the Altai Mountains

season short, though. Mid-July into September is best. Silk Road Adventures, among others, arranges multi-day treks in the Altai Range.

Bouldering Bouldering in Bektau-Ata

tains. For experienced climbers, Burambayeva recommends Trekking Club’s six-day trek in the Turgen area, which reaches heights of 3,850 meters and includes lots of technical climbing. This trek passes Kairak Waterfall and several glaciers and includes overnights near the glaciers. For non-technical hikers, she recommends their three-day hike in the area, which follows the Turgen Gorge along the river. Talgar, the northwestern part of the Zailisky Alatau, is another site for extended trips. “There are long and difficult routes in Talgar region,” says Abdrakhmanov. Talgar Peak is the highest in the Alatau at 5,017 meters. Trips to this peak cross glaciers and may pass Issyk Lake; the many routes to the top are classified from 3A to 6A.

Southern Kazakhstan/ Around Shymkent Ugam Range and Sayram mountain

“The Ugam Range very near Shymkent is popular for different levels of climbers, too. There are peaks 3,800 – 4,200 meters high with many routes from levels 1-4 in local classification,” says Valiyev. The mountains are about 70 kilometers from Shymkent city. Its location in Kazakhstan’s deep south means that the climbing seasons is longer here than in the rest of the country—the mountains are open in May. The mountains in this region are covered in archa and juniper forests, and trees more than 500 years old are com-

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mon. This area sees fewer visitors than the mountains near Almaty. “Sayram Su is a wild destination,” says Abdrakhmanov of the 4,000-meter mountain near Shymkent “but one with the most picturesque views for climbers.”

Eastern Kazakhstan/ Around Ust Kamengorsk Altai mountains

Less visited are the gorgeous Altai Mountains in Kazakhstan’s northeast. Beluhka Mountain, 4,506 meters, is the range’s highest peak and sits on Kazakhstan’s border with Russia. There are many other 4,000-meter peaks in the area. A large swath of the Altai, called “Golden Mountains of Altai,” has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Untrammeled paths, stunning views, and rich animal life make the Altai Mountains a wonderful mountaineering destination. Their northern location cuts the ideal hiking

Bektau-Ata is Kazakhstan’s hidden bouldering gem. The nearest city to Bektau-Ata is Balkash, but the mountains are 70 kilometers or so from the city, on the AstanaAlmaty highway. The mountainous area is less than ten kilometers in size, but it has an unearthly beauty—the rock is folded in smooth layers to form rippling mountains and undulating rock landscapes. The area is a paradise—if you don’t mind the almost total lack of infrastructure. There are almost no established routes or grades, but the granite boulders come in infinite sizes and formations. In addition to the cool rocks, Bektau-Ata has lots of rare plant species, eight of which are in Kazakhstan’s Red Book. Tour organizations arrange overnight camping trips in Bektau-Ata, but the area is also perfect for day trips. During summer holidays, some parts of Bektau-Ata can be crowded, but during the spring and fall the area is very quiet. There is also bouldering near the Tamgaly Tas petroglyphs about 120 kilometers north of Almaty. There are some bolted climbing routes behind the petroglyphs as well. It’s a popular climbing site in the spring and summer.

Tour organizers

The following companies organize trips to the destinations in this article, though they are certainly not the only options. Khan Tengri Expeditions (http://www.kantengri.kz/index1.html) Silk Road Adventures (http://www.silkroadadventures.info/en/) Trekking Club (www.trekkingclub.kz) InFORMATIOn AnD MAPS Mountain.RU (www.mountain.ru/eng) Talgar Peak: http://www.mountain.ru/eng/climb/2005/talgar/ Zailisky Alatau routes: http://www.mountain.ru/article/article_display1.php?article_id=1774

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Hitting the

Road Driving in Astana and Almaty Text by DMITRY LEE

Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares connecting Astanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Left and Right banks

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One of the first impressions travelers have of a new place or city are its roads; and more specifically its traffic. Whether those impressions are of the clean lines and pristine vistas of the German autobahn or the rickshaw-filled traffic jams of a bustling Indian city, what visitors encounter on local roads and how they get around a new place help define their experiences and opinions.

T T

he same is true of travelers to Kazakhstan and its major cities. Getting around Almaty and Astana by car doesn’t require nerves of steel like in some international business and government centers, but there are a few things you should know. So below you’ll find a primer on driving in Kazakhstan by EdgeKz writer and daily Astana commuter Dmitry Li.

Driving in Astana and Almaty “In Kazakhstan, having a car goes deep into our roots. A man always had to have a horse; today, the horse is replaced with a car,” Arman, a 29-year-old Astana taxi driver, told EdgeKz. That may be true as Kazakhs are known to have been explorers seeking out new lands across the vast Asian steppe. But despite that culture of transportation, Astana isn’t immune from the traffic headaches of other major cities. “On the road, other drivers have no respect for each other. Most drivers are very impatient. Some don’t yield and some don’t respect the pedestrian crossings. As a solution, we have very high fines, but people still don’t respect traffic laws. So traffic is chaotic and cars move with no respect for traffic lanes in complete disorder, which creates more jams,” Arman continued. That might be a bit of an overstatement by a cab driver who has been cut off one too many times. While it’s true Astana can have its share of slow traffic and rude drivers, relative to other international cities, it’s a pretty pleasant and easy city to navigate by car. What locals refer to as traffic jams usually last only about 15-20 minutes and are centered around the morning and evening rush hours. Astana is also a new city developed largely over the last 15 years as the nation’s new capital. So many of its major thoroughfares in and out of the city are wide and modern. Astana is a planned city designed by the late, renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. So driving around Astana has an orderly feel to it. Development has also exploded over the last decade ahead of population growth, so you’ll find plenty of free and available parking spaces. Getting behind the wheel in Almaty, on the other hand, is a little different. Almaty is Kazakhstan’s former capital and largest

Doing the Paperwork Getting a license

So you’re in Kazakhstan short term and you want to drive? No sweat! All you have to do is find a local notary office (just look for the sign that says НОТАРИУС: notary – they’re everywhere and most have translation services) and ask them to translate your driver’s license and notarize it. You’ll get a legal translation of your license into Russian or Kazakh. This will be valid until the expiration date of your actual driver’s license. This is the easiest way to get a valid driver’s license while in Kazakhstan. The process gets a lot more complicated, however, if your license expires while in Kazakhstan, if you need to get a new one or if you are taking up permanent residence and want a new license. In that case, you’ll need to present your driving school certificate from your home country showing you passed their written and driving tests. You’ll also have to have a medical examination to complete medical form #83. To complete that form in Astana, go to the clinic located at 7A Zhansugurov Street. Their phone number is +7 (7172) 547 748. You’ll then take the completed documents and medical forms to the Department of Traffic Police in Astana at 35 Promzona Street (phone +7 (7172) 53 22 53) where you’ll need to take and pass Kazakhstan’s traffic exams. See the information links below for information regarding new licenses in Almaty. Your new license will last as long as your right of residence or, if you are claiming Kazakhstan citizenship, it will be good for 10 years. Another option if you have a residence in Kazakhstan is to go to a driving school where you’ll be granted a license after finishing the school’s course.

Getting insurance

Getting a license can sometimes be a hassle, but insurance in Kazakhstan is much easier to come by. Insurance is easy to buy at any insurance office and costs only $100-$150 per year, regardless of your age or type of vehicle.

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urban center with around 1.5 million residents. It’s a beautiful city with tree-lined streets and ringed by snow-capped mountain peaks. But it’s also an old and, in some parts, ancient city that developed over centuries without the clean, orderly lines of Astana. The traffic in Almaty, therefore, is much heavier than in Astana, especially during rush hours. But drivers also tend to be a bit more courteous than in the new capital. For example, if you signal with your hands to another driver in Almaty that you want to be let into traffic or to change lanes, they will usually let you. Roads in Almaty are also older and have more potholes, so you need to keep a close eye on the road.

Everyone’s A Taxi Driver If you’re not comfortable driving in a new city, one of the easiest ways to get around Astana and Almaty is by taxi. And luckily, you’ll have no trouble finding one anywhere in Kazakhstan because all drivers and their cars are allowed to serve as temporary taxis. What is considered hitchhiking in the United States and much of Europe is actually a well-established system in Kazakhstan left over from the Soviet days in which anyone in need of a taxi can just stand by the side of the road, wave down a passing car, and negotiate the price through the window. Stick your hand out at waist level and a few cars will stop, roll down their windows and ask: “Where to?” You then negotiate a price and hop in. “I have been doing it since high school.” says Gulzhan, a 33-year-old Astana grocery store owner. “It’s completely safe! Just follow the rule of never getting in a cab with two or more men inside it.” You’ll also want to remember that very few people

In Kazakhstan, having a car goes deep into our roots. A man always had to have a horse; today, the horse is replaced with a car Astana’s buses are clean and modern. The #10 bus follows a popular downtown route

speak English in Kazakhstan, even in the major cities. So unless you speak Kazakh or Russian, you’ll want to get a local friend to help you with the price negotiations and directions.

Taking the Bus Both Almaty and Astana have excellent and well-established public bus systems. Trips usually cost around 30 cents and most of the public buses in Astana are modern and clean. Almaty’s buses, however, are a lot older and more crowded than Astana’s. But both cities offer bus maps, which are easy to follow for visitors and can be found online as part of the interactive maps of Astana (http://icity.kz/) and Almaty (http://zaproezd.kz/). In the new capital, the city’s bus system was also designed with convenient roadside “pockets,” as they’re called in Kazakhstan, to allow buses to move completely off the road while picking up and dropping off passengers. It’s one of the reasons traffic is relatively light in Astana. Almaty has no such pockets, however, so you’ll often find yourself behind a bus waiting while it drops off and picks up passengers. “(Bus drivers) stop as they want to let passengers off and cut us [regular drivers] off because they race to get as many passengers as possible to make more money,” Almaty driver Olzhas Mynbayev told EdgeKz.

A Few Rules of the Road Though gas is cheap and rides are easy to come by throughout Kazakhstan, there are still things you’ll want to be aware of as a visitor driving in Kazakhstan. For example, in Kazakhstan you can only drive your own car. To borrow a friend’s, colleague’s or even your mother’s car to run to the store, you’ll need a power of at-

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Far left: Traffic in Astana’s downtown government district Top left and above: Taxi services are available; however, it’s common for regular drivers to stop to pick you up Immediate left: Astana offers plenty of free and accessible parking

torney that says the owner authorizes you to drive the vehicle (although members of Parliament are now debating whether or not to lift this requirement altogether). These authorizations can be done in a matter of minutes and notaries aren’t hard to find, but the paperwork costs around $20-$25 and it’s an inconvenience. If you want to buy a car while here, you’ll also want to keep in mind a few things. Used cars are readily available, but vehicles here retain their value well. So used cars aren’t as cheap as you would expect. “Second hand cars [in Kazakhstan] retain a lot more value than those in Britain. Don’t expect to save as much by not buying new. This is bad when you’re buying, but obviously not as bad when it comes time to sell your car,” Chris Merriman, an IT specialist from the United Kingdom told EdgeKz. Also, the Kazakhstan state tax on imported vehicles is very high, so most locals choose to either buy second-hand cars or domesticallyproduced cars that are more affordable and cost less to service.

tion in Astana, call the service center at Techno Park on Republic Avenue (phone +7 (7172) 48 72 87 or +7 (701) 530 15 38). In Almaty you can go to the service center at 178A Zhansugurov Street (phone: +7 (727) 397 34 46 or +7 (701) 959 61 13). For more information, go to www.mvd.gov.kz. Select English, then go to Committees and Departments at the top left of the page. Scroll down to “MAIN – Committees and Departments” and click on the first link. (You may have to click the English page option again.) On the left, you’ll find information pertaining to driving and licenses in Kazakhstan.

Odds and Ends Driving culture in Kazakhstan has its quirks. Hazard lights are often used as a ‘thank you’ or to indicate someone is backing out and to pay attention. And the most basic rule: drivers in Kazakhstan drive on the right side of the road.

Accidents Happen If you’re involved in an accident, you’ll want to leave the car in place rather than move it, so the accident can be investigated first. Your insurance company will need to come out and take photos of the accident scene before you move the vehicle. If you move the car before they do, the company might not pay your claim.

Inspections If you buy a new or used car you’ll also need to get it inspected. You’ll need to go to an authorized service center and bring your vehicle registration, insurance and proof of tax payment or extract of relief of tax payment (if applicable). For more informa-

Car Rentals Caspian Rent A Car, Astana or Almaty

Phone: +7 (727) 261 33 60, +7 (777) 355-66-55 Email: bookings@rent-a-car.kz http://rent-a-car.kz/

Auto Express, Almaty

Phone: +7 (727) 327 70 79, +7 (701) 729 29 82 Email: info@autoexp.kz

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culture

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EXPO 2017

The World Comes to Kazakhstan Text by MARTIN SIEFF

One of the largest international expos of the decade is coming to

the capital of Kazakhstan. On Nov. 22, 2012, the 156 member nations of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) met in Paris and decided by an overwhelming majority vote of 103 countries that EXPO 2017 would be held in Astana. “I want to inform you that we have just achieved another big victory for our country,” a beaming President Nursultan Nazarbayev told a special press conference in Paris when he announced the news. “This is the greatest achievement at the international level of Kazakhstan’s independence.” EXPO 2017 is a recognized expo, also referred to as an international specialized expo, and is part of the World’s Fair system. Recognized expos are smaller versions of the Universal expos commonly referred to as World’s Fairs. Recognized expos center around a particular theme and are held between World’s Fairs, which occur every five years. Kazakhstan has chosen the theme “Future Energy” to promote and discover sustainable, global energy solutions. Hosting a recognized expo, like hosting a World’s Fair, World Cup, or the Olympics, is a major coup for any nation. The events bring hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and immeasurable international exposure to the culture and economy of the host nation. Countries launch major multi-year lobbying efforts to convince the International Exhibitions Bureau that their nation captures the zeitgeist and is best suited to represent the world and the chosen theme. Kazakhstan launched such an effort and was eventually chosen over the Belgian city of Liege, which received 45 votes.

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Astana Mayor Imangali Tasmagambetov is playing a large role in the planning and implementation of EXPO 2017

Benjamin Loring, deputy director of Ceres, the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., sees Kazakhstan’s success in winning the competition to host EXPO 2017 as the logical next step in the process of integrating that nation and the rest of Central Asia into the global community and economic market place after long eras of being cut off as part of the Rus-

sian Empire and the Soviet Union. “This region of the world has been very poorly understood outside its immediate environs in the past,” Loring told EdgeKz. “However, the last 20 years have seen a gradual opening of the region to the global economy and to the world community. This will be one more step in that process.” EXPO 2017 will last three months, include representatives from approximate-

Many visitors during Expo 2017 will see for the first time Astana’s unique and world-class skyline

32 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

ly 100 countries and is expected to draw three to five million visitors, which would make it the largest international gathering of its kind Central Asia has seen. It will be held during Astana’s 20th anniversary as the nation’s capital and celebrate the emergence of independent Kazakhstan and the wider region as the energy and communications hub of Europe, Asia and the Middle East since the collapse of communism. “Traditionally, expo exhibitions have been held in Northeast Asia, Europe and North America,” BIE Secretary General Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales said. “Holding an exhibition in the new (Central Asian) region, which is the bridge between East and West, in a young country, which has developed very good relations with European, Middle Eastern countries, former Soviet republics, as well as with all countries of the Central Asian region is an additional advantage, which also strengthens the position of Astana.” In the 222 years since the first international industrial exhibition was held in Prague in 1791, no World’s Fair, or recognized exhibition, has been held in

Central Asia. The only one to be held in the territory of today’s 12 nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States that were formerly part of the old Soviet Union took place in Nizhny Novgorod in Russia in 1875. And never has the host city been chosen by such a large majority of votes. “Expo would not have had any great significance if it were to be held in Liege,” British financial analyst Martin Hutchinson, a contributor to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Asiaweek, and

author of the PrudentBear.com financial columns, told EdgeKz. “That city, like the rest of Belgium, has been at the heart of Western European trade and communicacommunica tions routes for many centuries. However, Kazakhstan has spent the past 20 years emerging on to the global scene after its past history in the Soviet Union.” President Nazarbayev’s own comments reinforce that sentiment. “This will be a turning point for Kazakhstan: It will start a whole new chapter in economic development,” the president said. “I want

EXPO’s Visions of Hope The EXPO 2017 global gathering in Astana will showcase developments from around the world in the field of green, renewable and sustainable energy. But the leaders of Kazakhstan also see this future energy theme as forwarding their national goals of long-term sustainable economic development. Over the next five years, Astana will function as a magnet to attract significant investment to construct exposition venues and expand the city’s infrastructure. These projects will generate new jobs, stimulate domestic tourism, and mobilize Kazakhstan’s economic and social resources. Venues built for the exposition will serve as fruitful longer-term investments by positioning Kazakhstan and its capital as an attractive center for future large international expositions and information presentation platforms. Serik Amirov, deputy chairman of the International Economic Cooperation Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also believes expos function as instruments for forging and strengthening partnerships between the host country and participating states. Judged in this light, EXPO 2017 will strengthen Kazakhstan’s ties with its neighbors in Central Asia. Hutchinson also told EdgeKz that the approval to host EXPO 2017 has come at a perfect time for Kazakhstan in terms of building international relationships. “It must be seen in the context of Kazakhstan’s coming accession to the World Trade Organization,” Hutchinson said. “Kazakhstan will find that hosting the expo will be especially valuable for increasing the awareness of the global community about Kazakhstan. This is particularly important because of the country’s and region’s history of geographical remoteness from the major eco-

to emphasize the importance of the fact that for the next five years the whole world will be talking about Kazakhstan,” the president said, adding that expos offer the opportunity to showcase and advance the latest technological, scientific and cultural achievements. EXPO 2017’s Future Energy theme will promote efforts to find sustainable energy solutions to meet growing global demand. Kazakhstan’s choice of the topic reflects the recognition by the country’s leaders and policymakers that even its

Many of Kazakhstan’s school children helped in the effort to win approval to host EXPO 2017

nomic centers of Asia, Europe and North America in the past.” Olzhas Toguzbayev, deputy director of the Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also recently noted the significance of EXPO 2017 in the context of Astana’s emerging role as a regular host city for major international forums and summits. He pointed out that Kazakhstan’s 2010 chairmanship of the 56-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) brought Astana significant political dividends and hosting an international exposition on the scale of an expo would also generate tremendous economic benefits and establish Kazakhstan as a major hub in Central Asia. Therefore, Kazakhstan officials hope that by helping stimulate international discussion on sustainable green energy and economies, it will also stimulate both within their own country.

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Deputy Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov believes Astana’s unique Eurasian geographic location will contribute to the expo’s success

vast reserves of natural energy resources are ultimately finite and that eventually the country, and the rest of the world, will have to make the transition to alternative energy sources and greener economies. Minister for Economic Integration Zhanar Aitzhanova, who has led Kazakhstan’s negotiating team to enter the World Trade Organization, sees EXPO 2017 and its green energy theme as pointing the world towards new directions of growth and development for the coming century. “Today, the world needs new, environmentally safe pathways for development. Kazakhstan has already set its course towards a green economy. We consider that a discussion about future energy is one of the most universal discussions of our time, which is precisely why we have chosen it as the central theme for EXPO 2017,” she said. Even beyond energy, the expo will expand Kazakhstan’s global cooperation with industrialized, developing and less developed countries. Gov Government leaders are focusing especially on developing nations around the world south of the equator and looking forward to a new era of expanded development programs with them. The event will also be a boon for Astana, which has had a successful track record over the last three years of hosting major international events, including the December 2010 56-nation summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Asian Winter Games in January-February 2011. Both

34 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

were the first major gatherings of their kind in Central Asia. They also provided Astana’s municipal government, police and services the experience and confidence to tackle hosting EXPO 2017. Astana Mayor Imangali Tasmagambetov believes the spirit and energy of his shining new capital will ensure the success of the expo. “Astana is the place where the energy of the youth sets the rhythm of the city,” he said. Deputy Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov added that Astana’s unique location should also significantly boost the likelihood of a successful and well-attended event. “A total of 2.5 billion people live in close proximity to our country. It’s only a three-hour flight from the capital city of India, a five-hour flight from the capital of China and a three-hour flight to Moscow. We have established excellent connections. We have repeatedly held global events, including the Asian Winter Games and the OSCE summit,” he said. The expo will turn Astana into a showcase for the latest global developments in the energy sector and will transform it into a hub for developing alternative energy solutions across Central Asia.

The recognition, income and interest the expo is expected to generate will also be felt beyond Astana, says President Nazarbayev. “For us, the expo has to become a mega-project which will benefit each and every region,” the president told a recent gathering in Astana of mayors and govergover nors from around the country. “This will give a powerful impetus to the innovative development of the country.” The national pavilions that will be built to house the expo will be retained for future use, including as a laboratory science park for the introduction of new technologies in Kazakhstan, he said. EXPO 2017 will provide Kazakhstan a unique opportunity to showcase the achievements it has made and the culture it has developed since gaining independence from the Soviet Union. “EXPO 2017 will promote Kazakhstan all over the world. The exhibition defines the agenda for world economic development,” said Nazarbayev. And judging from its efforts to win the expo and its plans for hosting it, the country plans to take full advantage of that opportunity.

EXPO 2017 will focus on renewable and alternative energy

Constructing the EXPO ASTANA’ STANA S MuNIcIpA STANA’ p l gOvERNMENT, pA ERNMENT ERNMENT,

mayor and planners face an immense challenge: Over the next four years, they must prepare for the largest international event ever hosted in the heartland of Eurasia, which is expected to draw five million visitors over three months. The government of Kazakhstan has allocated 250 million euros ($325.25 million) to construct the EXPO 2017 site and build a new generation of mass transit and roads to serve it. The government also expects to attract $1.3 billion in foreign investments for the new buildings, roads and transit systems, including a new city railway system. “This includes the costs of constructing the exhibition pavilions and new hotels for visitors,” said EXPO 2017 National Coordinator and Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rapil Zhoshybayev. “This will be mainly paid out of new investments. And it is in line with the average amount spent on holding other expos around the world.” The EXPO itself will be held on 113 hectares (279.23 acres) of land at the end of Millennium Alley in the new southwest district of the city. The Millennium Alley area “combines numerous facilities of political and cultural significance for the city. Thus, constructing the exhibition complex at the Millennium Alley will be a logical way to continue the urban development of the city,” said Zhoshybayev. “If you start with the Khan Shatyr (shopping complex) and go further along the Alley, you will come to the Akorda Presidential Palace, the Peace Pyramid and the Independence Palace. The expo site will be located on this axis, close to the city’s new center.” Astana also plans to install streaming cameras throughout the expo site to

broadcast the event worldwide. “Astana will become the first digital expo with video cameras and WiFi everywhere so that every corner of the world with access to the Internet can see this historic event,” said Aidar Kazybayev, chairman of the Trade Committee of the Ministry of Economic Development. Kazybayev says planning work on the EXPO was launched in January and is well underway. “We are looking for strong examples of innovation,” he said. “We are working through Astana EXPO 2017, a government corporation that has been set up to direct and coordinate the preparations (to construct the expo site).” Kazybayev added that the corporation is also negotiating with potential investors and Bureau of International Expositions Secretary General Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales for expo funding. Kazybayev said those independent investors would be the main financiers of the event, but the government would also contribute to the costs of the expo from its state budget. And all of this effort will not go to waste after the expo is over. “Part of the exhibition facilities and platforms may be used as scientific laboratories, scientific centres and research institutes after the exhibition is held. We want to use the buildings erected as the expo village and the hotels in the future as (governmentowned) apartment buildings. This will help resolve social issues and develop our capital,” Zhoshybayev said. Part of those facilities will be used as a new Nazarbayev University research center, which could be used to further the innovations presented at the expo. “There is a suggestion to open a science museum… I think there will be a lot of know-how and ideas at the exhibition,” Zhoshybayev said.

Above: Preliminary drawings for potential EXPO 2017 facilities

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IA RUTZ

L Text by JU

36 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

ne of the first things visitors to Kazakhstan notice is the gorgeous collection of paintings and illustrations of the country that are on display. There are portraits of famous people of Kazakhstan and intricate drawings of the nation’s landmarks and wildlife; the whole thing is a beautiful blur of the country’s rich past and surging present. But you don’t have to drive to an exhibit to see this collection. All you

have to do is open your wallet. Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and set about adopting its own symbols and currency. In 1993, the country’s first set of bills were adopted. Kazakhstan was one of the last countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to adopt its own currency. But the wait was worth it, both for political reasons and for the design of the new money. The designs were intricate, colorful and told the story of new and old Kazakhstan. So with the help of EdgeKz and the information here, you can open your wallet and learn a little of the beauty and history of this unique country.

200 Tenge The front of this orange and green note is oriented vertically and is dominated by an image of Astana’s Baiterek Monu Monument, the symbol of the capital. The monument represents an ancient Ka Kazakh belief about the origin and struc structure of the universe. Baiterek is the tree of life, the refuge of the sacred bird, Sam Samruk. Samruk takes refuge in the tree’s high crown to lay a golden egg: the sun. The structure of the tower symbolizes the three pillars of creation: the under underground, terrestrial and celestial worlds. The Baiterek Monument was opened in 2002 and has become a major landmark and tourist destination. “Today, Baiterek is strongly associated not only with the

capital but also the whole country, representing Kazakh people preserving their historical roots and heading toward the future,” says Nurgul Aksanbayevna, a currency expert at the National Bank of Kazakhstan. In the middle of the banknote is a fragment of the sheet music of Kazakhstan’s national anthem, which was last changed in 2006. “My Kazakhstan,” a well-known song from 1956 with lyrics amended by President Nursultan Nazarbayev was chosen to replace the previous version of the anthem. (The president is considered a co-author with the original writer, Zhumeken Nazhimedenov.) Beneath the music is another symbol of the president – an open palm with his signature. The palm symbolizes faith, sincerity and justice. All banknotes in this series have the same design on the front, though they come in different colors. Flip the note over for an outline of the nation’s borders with an illustration of waving steppe grass contained inside it. In front of this are drawings of the Ministries of Transport and Communication and Defense. “The idea was to put images of the main governmental buildings on each banknote,” says Aksanbayevna. The winged snow leopard statue in the foreground sits on the bridge over the Yessil River in Astana. The winged snow leopard is one of the main mythological figures of the nomadic tribes who lived on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. It has become the symbol of independent Kazakhstan; it represents the modern nation’s strength and power.

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500 Tenge The back of this blue and gray note shows the same map outline as on the 200 tenge note, but this time the borders of the map contain a drawing of seagulls flying across the Caspian Sea, which forms part of the country’s western border. “Kazakhstan is known for a variety of landscapes and the idea of representing different views on the backside of each banknote is to show the viewer how unique the nature of Kazakhstan is,” says Aksanbayevna. The gulls represent Aktau, Kazakhstan’s only seaport, but also the freedom and independence of the country. In the bottom right corner are the Ministry of Finance and Astana’s akimat or city hall.

1,000 Tenge This yellow and brown note shows the President Culture Center, a complex established at President Nazarbayev’s initiative, which includes a museum, library and exhibition halls. (Since 2012, this building has housed the Nazarbayev Center). Within the borders of the country this time is a picture of the limestone mountains from the far eastern region of Mangystau (which is translated as ‘Thousand Mountains’).

2,000 Tenge This green-hued note depicts the Big Almaty Lake inside the usual outline map. At the bottom right is Almaty’s Abai Opera House. Established in 1934, Abai Opera House is the pride of Kazakhstan’s musical culture and typical of the architecture of Almaty.

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5,000 Tenge

(2006 version)

This red and brown note has the same outline map, this time filled in with steppe grasses in front of mountains that eventually rise to a sharp, snowy peak. Center-right is the Independence Monument from Republic Square in Almaty. In the monument, Altyn Adam, the Golden Man, stands on and drives the winged leopard. This symbolizes a firm government on the Kazakh territory. The Golden Man is an archeological and cultural treasure discovered in an ancient burial mound in Issyk, near Almaty, where sovereigns of ancient tribes were buried. Behind the monument, on the far right, rises the Kazakhstan Hotel. The building was erected in 1970 and became a famous landmark in Almaty and a symbol of the city.

neW W

10,000 Tenge

5,000 Tenge

(2011)

The front of this pink- and red-hued note is also oriented vertically. The main image on the face side is the Kazak Eli Monument, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the capital and the historical destiny of the Kazakh people. The marble base represents purity of thought and the durability of friendly relations between the peoples of Kazakhstan. The sculpture flies upward from its base, representing the future of the country. Samruk, the bird of happiness, sits atop the column observing the country and its heritage. Images of flying pigeons, symbolizing peace and harmony, and winged snow leopards, the symbol of a strong and independent country, are at the bottom of the banknote. Behind the Kazak Eli Monument are the Pyramid of Peace, also called the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, and the Palace of Independence. The people of Kazakhstan believe that the Pyramid of Peace expresses the country’s true spirit, a place where many cultures and traditions coexist in harmony. The back of the note shows the Independence Monument and the Kazakhstan Hotel, as the 2006 5,000 tenge note does. The same map of the country shows a field of wild tulips in front of a jagged mountain range outside of Almaty.

(2006 version)

The front is the same as the others in this series. The back of this purple and blue note has a drawing of the vast Charyn Canyon, located in the southern and eastern parts of the country, inside the nation’s borders. Front and center is the Akorda Palace of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Akorda is the president’s residence; it sits on the left bank of the Yessil River in Astana.

neW W

10,000 Tenge

(2011)

The front is the same as on the new 5,000 tenge note issued in 2011, but without the image of winged snow leopards. The back shows Akorda Palace, the president’s residence.

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1,000

Tenge nOTe

COmmemOraT ra ing KazaKhsTan’s raT T Tan’s Chairmanship Of The he Organiza OrganizaTiOn Of The islamiC COnferenCe (2011) Both sides of this blue, green and yellow note show the mausoleum of Hodja Akhmed Yassavi. The mausoleum in the southern city of Turkestan, is one of the largest and best-preserved constructions of the 14th century. It was built by the order of Timur (Tamerlane), the ruler of CenCen tral Asia. After his death, construction of the building was halted and never completed. It is closely associated with Timur and with the diffusion of Islam in the region with the help of Sufi orders. Since the independence of Kazakhstan in 1991, the mausoleum has become a symbol of national identity. As it is connected with a leading force for the expansion of Islam in Central Asia, this mausoleum was chosen to be a symbol of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 2011.

1,000 Tenge nOTe

COmmemOraT ra ing KazaKhsTan’s raT T Tan’s Chairmanship Of The he Organiza OrganizaTiOn fOr seCuriTy and COOperaT pera iOn peraT in eurOpe in 2010, issued in 2010 The front of this teal and pink note shows the iconic BaitBait erek Monument and stylized flying pigeons in different patterns. The back shows more pigeons taking the air, symbolizing peace and harmony, and a large painting of Akorda Palace, the president’s residence in Astana. The blue and yellow flag of Kazakhstan runs vertically just left of center.

2,000

Tenge nOTe

COmmemOraT ra ing The sevenTh raT asian WinTer games, issued in 2011 Kazakhstan’s National Bank issued new 2,000 tenge banknotes to commemorate the Seventh Asian Winter Games. The front is the same as other recent notes. On the back, a ski-jumper achieves lift-off in front of a backback drop showing snowy Khan Tengri Peak. A new ski-jumpski-jump ing facility was constructed in Almaty especially for these games. On the far right is the symbol of the Seventh Asian Winter Games. Editor’s Note: All notes depicted here are from 2006 onward.

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Strings of an

Angel

VioliniSt

ZhAmilyA Serk e b Ay eVA Text by DMITRY LEE

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.coM 41

hamilya Serkebayeva is more than just one of the most acclaimed classical violinists in Kazakhstan. She bridges the gap between classical and rock, and even shows her skills at lounge music. “Music in Kazakhstan, like everywhere else today, is perceived by what the audience sees, and not what it hears, unfortunately,” composer and musical producer Alexander Shevchenko told EdgeKz. “It has become a source of income at private parties and events and that’s sad.” However, Zhamilya stands out from everyone else. “She is probably the only violinist in Kazakhstan who can represent our country at the top international level,” Shevchenko said. Stunningly attractive, Zhamilya has already won the highest honors in her own country and around the world. She is an Honored Artist of Kazakhstan and won the Monte Carlo International Festival’s First Violin award in 2004. The cosmopolitan, globetrotting Zhamilya is even a member of the New York Jazz Association. She is famed for successfully mixing jazz, funk rock and lounge music with traditional Kazakh music. Her style on stage combines a virtuoso violin technique with free improvisation. Just add limitless creativity, charm and stunning supermodel beauty and you have a violin superstar with a popular touch.

Introduction to the Violin

Zhamilya comes from a family of musicians: It’s in her blood. “My father loves music,” she told EdgeKz in an interview. “Our whole family is musical. My father is a conductor, my uncle is a singer and since my childhood, my dad dedicated me to music, to see how I would do.” Her father was right. At the age of seven, Zhamilya went to the Kulyash Baisseitova Special Music School for Gifted Children in Almaty where she spent up to six hours a day playing the violin. It paid off. “In eighth grade, my skills outperformed all my peers and all teachers saw it. So I was treated differently and I felt proud of myself. I was encouraged to do even better, that’s when I got that desire, the will to become a professional musician. I was so dedicated by then that I couldn’t even imagine my life without the violin. I played more and more. Even after regular school, I came home and kept playing,” she said. “For Zhamilya, the violin always took first place,” Shevchenko said. “She is a two hundred percent a musician, a professional musician, a third or fourth generation musician. It is in her family tree. She cannot be anything else but a musician. So the violin has always played the top role in her life.” Zhamilya’s professional career began slowly, one step at a time. A breakthrough came when she performed at a classical concert with the acclaimed American conductor Yun-Sung Chang in 1991 when he travelled to Almaty to teach at the musical conservatory there. After graduating from the musical conservatory, Zhamilya embarked on a personal journey of creative growth. In the economically difficult years after Kazakhstan established its national independence at the end of 1991, jobs for a classical violinist were almost impossible to find. But Zhamilya

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Zhamilya’s musical inheritance UncLE: Ermek Serkebayev - A prominent Soviet Kazakh opera singer (baritone) and teacher. People’s Artist of the Soviet Union (1959), winner of the State Prize of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1972) and the Soviet Union (1977). Hero of Socialist Labor (1986). FaThER: Murat Serkebayev - Violinist, conductor. Chamber Orchestra of Radio and Television of the Republic of Kazakhstan, People’s Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan. coUSInS: Baigali Serkebayev - Musician, member of the popular Moscow-based band A-Studio. almas Yermekovich Serkebayev - Composer, Honored Artist of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, winner of the State Prize of Kazakhstan, in 1998 he and his family moved to the United States. adapted and found new ways to express herself and new music to explore. She gave a series of concerts jointly with Kazakhstan’s rock band Forest Gump in 1997. Her work was pioneering and broke the barriers of traditional music genres. She mixed her virtuoso violin style with the guitar distortions and rhythmic drum beats of mainstream rock. Nothing like it had ever been heard in the country before. “My genre changed with time,” Zhamilya said. She also continued her purely classical performances and they started to win her international acclaim. In 2004, she was awarded the coveted First Violin award at the Monte Carlo Festival. Yet through all the fame that came her way, the young artist always remained herself. “She is still a fragile, very feminine and charming woman, a great cook and devoted friend. And most importantly she is not stuck up like other stars,” Shevchenko said.

bAlAncing life And AcclAim

Zhamilya told EdgeKz she has always been determined to live a balanced life and stay close to her loved ones. “In my life, my career never required ultimatums: It never demanded the sacrifice of my family or friends. I always had the time for both my home and my career. I do have to make some trips. I’ve performed in concerts all around the world, but they don’t happen that often so I do get to spend time with my loved ones,” she said. “I love giving and sharing my love with my close ones. And no one among my friends would say that I am a bad mother,” she added. Zhamilya has a 13-year-old son, Shamil, whom she treasures as much as her music. “We didn’t force him to go into music right away as everyone else in the family did,” she said. “He’s great at

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With limitless creativity, charm and stunning supermodel beauty, SerkebayevA is a violin superstar with a popul ar touch

math and physics and he likes to learn English. He had no interest in music until recently. But now he has learned to play the guitar, and plays it often. One of his favorite bands is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. At first, I was upset to think that he wasn’t interested in music, but now I see that it’s in his blood too.” What does it take to become a virtuoso violinist? There is a lot more involved than being committed to the long hours of practice. Zhamilya has her own ideas. “I would like to tell young beginners that they should listen to lots of different kinds of music, and that includes rock, jazz and hip hop,” she said. “But it has to be professionally well done and it has to be felt deeply. It has to be music that leaves something in our hearts. Then later these young talents will be able to express themselves in their own way. “Of course, young musical students need to play a lot,” she said. “And always remember that the foundation of any music is the classical. No matter what kind of musician one wants to be, he or she needs to start from a classical base. And most important, any really good musician has to develop as a person. Therefore, study! Education helps.” Zhamilya is also convinced that every creative artist has to find their own way and their own unique forms of expression. “I want to say that my violin repertoire is unique,” she said. “I am not a classical violinist, I have my own repertoire. It is Kazakh traditional music. I use Kazakh traditional music and make it speak in a Western language that is understandable for both Kazakhs and foreigners. It is modern Kazakh music mixed with jazz, some classical tones, lounge, punk and everything else.” “There should be no limitations in music,” Zhamilya insists. “Since I live in the modern world and I love Kazakh traditional music, I am thankful that I live in Kazakhstan and have this great opportunity to combine the two.” Zhamilya has a new surprise coming for her many fans in Kazakhstan and around the world. “Another dream of mine that is about to come true is my own vocal album. I have my own songs that I’ve written and want to sing and, of course, I will emphasize the violin,” she said.

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Despite her love of Kazakhstan, Zhamilya’s international career has taken off too. “It sounds strange, but foreigners like her music better than locals in Kazakhstan, I think. When I watch them listen to her, I see they’re in a trance. They seem to understand her music so well, not only her music but her cultural message,” Shevchenko said. Passionate about her music, her son, her family and her friends, Zhamilya, says Shevchenko, has given much of herself to others. “I would like to wish her personal happiness. It is a gift from above,” her friend Shevchenko told EdgeKz. “I wish her to have a strong family … and I am always sure she will always find herself at home, appreciated and loved in any corner of this planet.”

Discography: 2007 Shores of My Love CD I Good Morning Give Me Some More Sunny Kapriz (Caprice) Libertango 17 Mgnovenij Vesni (17 Moments of Spring) Vostok (East) A Hard Day’s Night Misl Souvenirs Toy

Shores of My Love CD II

Preludija (Fis-Moll) Kamagaj Hungarian’s Melodies Glaza (Eyes) Chto S Toboj? (What’s with You?) Here, There and Everywhere Francuzskoe Poppuri Strastnoe Tango (Passionate Tango) Gavoronok (Lark) Karatorgaj Konil Ashar

Eurasian

intEgration

SuccESS THRouGH cooPERATIoN Text by mARTIN SIEFF 45

A Kazakhstan’s economic integration with the Eurasian community is opening up new markets for consumer goods

re the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), the Common Economic Space (CES) and the Customs Union (CU) of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus a retreat to the past? Or do they form a bold step into the future? Does Eurasian economic integration mean regression for Russia, Kazakhstan and their neighbors into the protectionism and tightly state-regulated systems of the Soviet era? Or is integration part of a more broadly thinking paradigm to create a prosperous new Eurasia open to global investment and trade? Kazakhstan’s leaders and economists have no doubt. They see an integrated Eurasian economic community as central to making Kazakhstan the trade, investment and communications hub of Eurasia. Under Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy, the country has developed positive relations with Russia to the north, China and the other major industrial nations of Asia to the east, Turkey, Iran and the nations of the Arab world to the south-west and the 27-nation European Union (especially Germany and France) and the United States to the west. The country has also attracted $160 billion in foreign direct investment and is expanding its stock market. Almaty, the country’s largest city, is establishing itself as Central Asia’s business hub and Kazakhstan is on the brink of accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Kazakhstan is also ranked on major indexes among the world’s 50 most competitive nations and seeks to become one of the 30 most competitive nations by 2050. Seen in this context, Kazakhstan’s efforts since 2010 to create the new Customs Union, Common Economic Space and Eurasian Economic Community with its partners Russia and Belarus are clearly efforts to broaden Kazakhstan’s economic outreach rather than close it off from the global community. On Feb. 7, the CES opened the first fully integrated currency market between the three nations. Kazakhstan’s leading economists see these moves as a way to stimulate domestic and international investment in a wide range of industries from oil refineries and auto-making to light industry and food processing. Aygul Tulembayeva, a former professor of economics at AlFarabi Kazakh National University (KaNU) in Almaty, has noted that the Customs Union offers Kazakhstan an excellent opportunity to produce a balanced economy across multiple sectors. Prior to the customs union, Tulembayeva says, Kazakhstan was flooded with imported goods from China and elsewhere, which damaged the country’s trade balance and hindered the creation of domestic jobs. Eurasian economic integration will help reverse that and stimulate sectors beyond oil and gas.

IntegratIon CapItalIzes on DomestIC anD regIonal suCCess

Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus have formed a Customs Union to further open regional markets. The Union is part of Kazakhstan’s broader policy of economic integration in the Eurasian region

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For Kazakhstan, the combination of full membership in the WTO and being a founding member of the EurAsEC makes the Central Asian nation of only 16 million people a natural base for Asian and European corporations seeking to access the Russian market of nearly 150 million people. Far from being a regression back into the controlled economy and repressive atmosphere of the Soviet Union, integration capitalizes on the progress Kazakhstan and Russian have made over the last 21 years.

Kazakhstan’s economic successes, primarily in the energy sector, have been well chronicled. But Russia has also emerged as a global energy power since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is the world’s largest combined exporter of oil and gas and is likely to remain one of the world’s three main oil exporting nations. Russian civic society has also made strides in recent years and almost one third of the Russian population, some 45 million people, now have personal Internet access. The collapse in Russian living standards following the fall of communism in the early 1990s has been halted and largely reversed. All of this means that in Russia, which joined the WTO in August 2012, Kazakhstan has a dynamic partner with a growing domestic market for the new generation of businesses and industries that are launching in Kazakhstan. Since Russia remains one of the two main languages of Kazakhstan (along with Kazakh), and since the government is encouraging the teaching and use of English as well, being a founding member of the CES and the CU as well a member of the EurAsEC places the Central Asian nation in the position of being the business and investment bridge between East, West, North and South. As both a mostly Muslim nation and a former socialist republic in the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan is also ideally located to provide a funnel for investment between Saudi Arabia and the wealthy Gulf emirates to the south and Russia to the north. Kairat Umarov, Kazakhstan’s new ambassador to the United States, also told an audience at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) of Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13 that his country viewed the Customs Union as a practical realization of the Kazakhstan president’s vision of integrating Eurasian countries in a manner similar to the European Union. “It is well known that a so-called ‘single economic space’ is an integral step toward the high level of economic integration,” Umarov said. He added that Astana saw its increasing participation in the CU and its upcoming accession into the WTO as mutually complementary and not contradictory processes. “Neither in negotiations on the WTO, nor in negotiations on the Customs Union, did Kazakhstan ever renounce its interests and the country considers both processes to be complementary rather than mutually exclusive,” the ambassador said. “Therefore, Eurasian integration and WTO accession have always moved forward in parallel.” Kazakhstan sees free trade and the fostering of external economic contacts across its frontiers as the best way to end its historic dilemma of being a landlocked nation cut off and isolated for centuries in the heart of the Eurasian land mass, Umarov said. “Kazakhstan is the largest land-locked country in the world and

Regional Integration Has Worked Elsewhere It is hoped that the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space will be for Kazakhstan what membership in the European Economic Community (EEC) proved to be for the tiny nation of the Netherlands in 1957: The crucial strategic and economic step to ensure long-term prosperity. The EEC, founded by the Treaty of Rome, did not stay as an elite club of six Western European nations. It has since grown into one of the largest trading blocs on the planet with a combined population of half a billion people in 27 nations. Already, there are signs that the Customs Union, the CES and the EurAsEC will grow in a comparable manner. Neighboring nations such as Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine, the second most populous of the 12 former Soviet republics in the Commonwealth of Independent States, are already exploring the possibility of joining the CU and the CES. Amsterdam (below) and the Netherlands in general benefited from an earlier form of regional integration in the 1950s

Kazakhstan’s annual trade volume with Customs Union partners Russia and Belarus increased almost 80 percent from 2009 to 2012 APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com 47

Integrating with regional partners has also allowed Kazakhstan to respond to the disruptions resulting from the 2008-09 global economic crisis much of its foreign trade depends on the routes that go through neighboring states,” he said. Umarov told his audience that membership in the CU would make Kazakhstan a more effective force to foster increased global trade within the WTO. The “establishment of the single economic space created a unified commodity market with a total GDP of about two trillion dollars and a population of 170 million people. Such a large market within a unified customs territory would make Kazakhstan even more attractive to foreign investors who have already considered Kazakhstan one of the most attractive markets in our part of the world,” he said.

Integration’s Success

The Customs Union “has become increasingly robust over the last 24 months or so. Unlike other, much more haphazard post-Soviet integration projects, the ECU (Eurasian Customs Union) is being implemented and firmly institutionalized,” Kataryna Wolczuk, a senior lecturer at the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham told Robert Coulson in an article published by Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) on Jan. 8. “It is based on law. Very comprehensive. So the legal basis is much better, very improved. And also it is (actually) being implemented.” Since the launch of the Customs Union on Jan. 1, 2010, trade between the three countries has been growing and each country Viktor Khristenko, chairman of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, has noted significant trade growth among the Customs Union nations (Northfoto / Shutterstock.com)

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has enjoyed an expansion of trade with its CU partners. Kazakhstan’s annual volume of trade with Russia and Belarus increased almost 80 percent in the four-year period from 2009 to 2012. Starting from 2009, total trade among the three countries increased by more than 25 percent in 2010 and by 67 percent in 2011, compared with 2009. Viktor Khristenko, chairman of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission said the CU’s rate of growth in trade between its three member states so far has been twice as big as the increase in the volume of its foreign trade. In the first nine months of 2012 the GDP growth in the member nations of the Customs Union was 4.5 percent. Olga Shumylo-Tapiola, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Brussels-based think tank Carnegie Europe, wrote in a paper for Carnegie published on Oct. 3, 2012 that the success of the new Eurasian Customs Union was substantial and solid, and that the new body was here to stay. “Though hurdles remain, member states are eliminating non-tariff barriers to trade within the union, moving toward a common external tariff, and fine-tuning a joint customs code. … (T)he Customs Union’s influence on the world stage and in Europe’s neighborhood is likely to increase …,” Shumylo-Tapiola wrote. British analysts Rilka Dragneva of the University of Manchester and Kataryna Wolczuk of the University of Birmingham agree with this assessment. “The Eurasian Customs Union (ECU), the latest initiative, appears more viable (than other post-Soviet integration efforts) because of its better institutional framework, proven commitment to implementation and introduction of a system of rules harmonized with international norms and the WTO regime,” they wrote for Chatham House, the Royal Institute for International Affairs, in London in August 2012. Integrating with regional partners has also allowed Kazakhstan to respond to the disruptions resulting from the 2008-09 global economic crisis. “The crisis has thinned down the flow of FDIs (foreign direct investments), decreased trade turnover, led to the introduction of protectionist mechanisms by some trade partners and seriously damaged the economies of neighboring states. This harsh reality, therefore, demanded a more active and joint approach to further integrate and modernize the regional economy,” Ambassador Umarov told his Feb. 13 audience. “Creation of the Customs Union will allow for more efficient use of the limited financial resources due to the global economic crisis.” Far from being a regression to Soviet-era stagnation and protectionism, integration with Kazakhstan’s Eurasian neighbors will help expand the country’s emerging global economic role.

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profile

Karipbek paintings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; above: First Explosion opposite page: Bouqet

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Karipbek Kuyukov

Artist, Activist and Champion of the Human Spirit Text by Martin Sieff

Karipbek Kuyukov is a remarkable artist not only because his works

range from the majesty of ancient Kazakh nomads, to the beauty of the country’s landscape, to the horrors inflicted on Kazakhstan by 40 years of Soviet nuclear weapons testing, but because Kuyukov is also a victim of those tests and was born without arms. What he has achieved as an artist he has accomplished with brushes between his teeth and toes and through the power of a spirit that would not be tamed by physical limitations. “Every single person has a right to decide the future they want for themselves, their families and their nation,” says the 44-year-old who has become one of Kazakhstan’s most unusual and popular artists. Kuyukov was born roughly 60 miles from the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site where his parents were exposed to some of the 456 nuclear tests the Soviets carried out in eastern Kazakhstan. Those tests accounted for almost one quarter of all nuclear explosions from 1949 to 1989 and affected more than 1.5 million people. Kuyukov has spent his life since not only as an artist, but as a tireless international activist fighting to abolish nuclear weapons. Few artists have been able to achieve so much in the face of such a physical obstacle. One such figure is legendary Irish writer and artist Christy Brown who painted, wrote and typed with the toes of his left foot. Brown became beloved and world famous. Yet Kuyukov, for all the love and esteem in which he is held in his native country, remains largely unknown outside it.

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Left: Atom Project Honorary Ambassador Karipbek Kuyukov with Hollywood legend Martin Sheen at the March Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons Conference in Oslo, Norway Right: From left, Nazarbayev Center Deputy Director Roman Vassilenko, Honorary Ambassador Kuyukov, the then Nazarbayev Center Director Kanat Saudabayev and Mayor Thore Vestby from the City of Frogn, Norway, an active member of the Mayors for Peace organization Below: Karipbek with anti-nuclear weapons protestors at the March Oslo nuclear conference

His Works Kuyukov’s works fall into three categories— oil landscapes, nuclear weapons explosions and their victims and ink recreations of Kazakh history and traditional life. Kuyukov’s landscapes depict Kazakhstan’s lakes, steppes and mountains as a primeval Garden of Eden: pure, serene and grand. Those who view his works are drawn into the fields of Shangri-La or Shambhala, the fabled Buddhist city of eternal life, which was reputed to be in the Altai Mountains of what is today eastern Kazakhstan. His landscapes depict Kazakhstan as the country’s nomadic ancestors must have experienced it as they traversed the uncharted wonders of their native steppes before the abominations of nuclear tests deformed and disfigured the land and her human offspring. Those tests are the subject of Kuyukov’s second series of paintings. These works, also color paintings, aren’t con-

cerned with beauty. They depict tiny or passive human bodies watching as large, symmetrical mushroom clouds rise and blossom in expanding circles of light on the horizon. These are the nuclear explosions that for 40 years brought horror and suffering to eastern Kazakhstan. This is how the region’s foremost artist of his generation recreates them in his mind’s eye. Human beings play a dark and tragic role in Kuyukov’s depictions of nuclear weapons explosions and their consequences. In this series of works, small singular people look out, usually from comfortable, brightly decorated nomadic homes or yurts on the steppe, at the symmetrical and stately, but cold and remote eruptions of smoke and fire on the horizon. Kuyukov does not display the atomic fury as close or overwhelmingly violent and the terror of its victims is shown with subtlety. We see in the passive and cringing postures of the eyewitnesses a glimpse of the suffering those explosions

will inflict on them and their children and grandchildren. In these works, Kuyukov is drawn to the elderly, to pregnant women and to innocent babies sleeping, seemingly safe and secure in their cribs, as the victims of this human plague. Kuyukov’s third artistic style differs in technique from the colorful depictions of his other works. With complex, meticulous ink brushstrokes, he recreates the grandeur, beauty and—to modern Western eyes—alien nature of the unique culture and life of his ancestors on the ancient steppe. Here, in contrast to his works on the atomic tests, Kuyukov’s individuals are full-sized, active and complex. They are regal and attired in all the finery of status, wealth and office that their lives, tribal status and achievements have given them. Elderly faces are wizened; those of dynamic heroes in the prime of life are rugged, experienced and knowing. These individuals are the products and upholders of a rich and meaningful way of life. In person, Kuyukov is a passionate and eloquent campaigner for an end to all nuclear testing. But when it comes to art, he allows his images to speak for themselves. And those images offer the people of Kazakhstan a unique celebration of the beauty of their landscape and culture, as well as an unflinching testimony to the horrors that nuclear weapons testing has inflicted upon them.

Inspiration and Destiny For Kuyukov, his birthplace was his destiny. “I was born in the village of Yegyndybulak, which is located 100 kilometers (60 miles) away from Semipalatinsk, the former Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons test site,” he told EdgeKz. “This land is sacred to me not only because it is my motherland, but also because my forefathers were born here and lived there. For me, it is the most beautiful land in Kazakhstan.” The beauty of the land of his native re-

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In His Own Words An Interview with Karipbek Kuyukov Kuyukov is a 44-year-old artist and anti-nuclear weapons activist. He was born with no arms as a result of his parents’ exposure to Soviet nuclear weapons testing. He has devoted his art and life to fighting against nuclear weapons. Q: Who were the main artistic influences on you? A: The first painting experience I had was from one man when I was studying in Leningrad. He wasn’t a well-known artist. He had such a harsh destiny; he lost his hands in an accident. Then he started to paint. You have to understand that in my case, I was born without hands and I learned how to adapt using my feet. This man was a healthy person before the accident, so it was very difficult for him to do elementary things at the beginning. He couldn’t prepare paint, mix colors on the palette, but he never gave up. He used different devices to ease the painting process and I just sat next to him and watched. Sometimes I helped him get more paint out of a tube and cleaned paint brushes. These were my first lessons. It was very interesting for me to see the final result of his work. Q: How would you describe the dominant themes in your paintings? A: The power and great, open expanse of Kazakhstan. But I also lived in Russia for a long time, and you can find the most beautiful birch trees there. Q: How has your artistic style evolved during your career? A: I don’t have one particular artistic style. I’m creating the way I want. This is a spontaneous process. This is all in my mind. Q: The landscapes you paint have a natural purity and clarity to them. Do you see them as a return to Kazakhstan’s past before it was polluted by the nuclear tests? A: Yes, it is true. I’m not sure that there are still such pure places in Kazakhstan. After the opening of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, nature changed dramatically. Q: How do you choose a subject for your landscape paintings? Do you choose a location in advance? A: It depends. It is physically hard to paint from nature. But I used to when I was younger. I have a landscape painting of Mount Balkantau, which I created sitting on the roof of a barn so that people couldn’t see me. If somebody’s watching me when I’m painting, it disturbs me. Q: When you did your landscape of San Francisco, you chose an unusual perspective. The painting looks from east to west across the bay. What inspired you to take that perspective? A: It stands for the reunion, the meeting and the reconciliation (of East and West). Q: How much time does it take you to produce one of your landscapes? A: It depends on the size of the painting: A month, approximately.

Q: The texture of coloring of the skies and waters in your paintings is extraordinary. What are your techniques for achieving this? A: I don’t have an art education. I am a self-taught person. Q: You have also produced remarkable studies of individuals in traditional Kazakh costumes. Can you describe why you chose these subjects? And why did you use different artistic techniques in them? A: Honestly, my mother asked me why I was not painting our Kazakh traditions. That gave me the impulse to start. Q: You are one of your country’s leading campaigners for a nuclear-weapons-free world. Does this crusade inspire your art? How does it influence your art? A: Yes, of course. I want to show that I’m against nuclear weapons testing. It’s also important for me to demonstrate the sufferings of the nation during the four decades of the existence of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. And I’m also illustrating the stories about nuclear weapons testing I’ve heard from my parents. Q: You have now exhibited your works in cities around the world: What are some of the more memorable responses you have received from the public in response to them? A: People usually admire the way I’ve created works of art. They look astonished. But I think it is also because of my world view, the way I put down my thoughts and feelings on the canvas. Q: You have produced works showing nuclear test explosions with human beings. How would you describe the symbolism and messages that you wish to convey in these works? A: I heard many times from my mother the story of how I was born. How horrified the doctors were. They didn’t want to tell her about me. She was screaming and calling on them to give her child back. Doctors called my father and proposed to give me an injection and then tell my mother that I died. It wasn’t the first time she would have lost a child. She lost an earlier son when he was only seven months old and a daughter at the age of one. My father told me that he paid no attention to the fact that I had no arms; the most crucial fact was that I was breathing. He prepared my mother and told her that I was their son. I don’t even want to imagine what my parents felt when they saw me for the first time. My goal is to ensure that such stories never happen again. Q: What are your plans for your future artistic projects? A: I don’t like preparing plans for the future. Life goes on. I will celebrate my 45th birthday this year and it’s starting to be complicated for me to create the way I did it before. But my aim is to hold on to my life as long as I’m breathing.

Karipbek painting: California Bridge

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Karipbek paintings: Right: Self portrait Far right: A Mother’s Pain

gion is Kuyukov’s clear inspiration in his landscapes. But he also recognizes the frightful radiation legacy of the 40 years of Soviet nuclear tests that caused him to be born without arms and that loom large in his series of paintings on that theme. “Years ago during the testing, my parents bore witness to those bright and vast mushroom clouds as they filled the sky,” he says. “When I was born, I was born without arms, and it was a shock to my mother. Later, when I was old enough to understand, my father would tell me how he would drive along the steppe roads and would be stopped by military soldiers for trespassing on the forbidden territory

– even though this was the shortest way from one place to another.” No one was warned about the danger of the monster explosions that shook the earth and filled the sky, Kuyukov recalls. “My parents would climb on the hill to better see the nuclear mushrooms, although they were instructed to lie down on the ground and cover themselves,” he said. “I remember the armoires shaking and the rattling of dishes. I remember announcements on the radio, which would inform us about additional ‘peaceful nuclear explosions’.” It is impossible to think of a more unlikely field for someone born with

“We Have a Choice” For Karipbek Kuyukov, it wasn’t enough to triumph over the physical challenges that nuclear explosions inflicted on his body. He sought other causes to serve his family, his people and his country. And he found them. For decades, the physically diminutive Kuyukov has stood as a powerful figure in the cause of educating the human race about the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and their testing— and the urgent need to abolish both. He has travelled the world as an activist championing the cause of abolishing nuclear weapons. He has worked tirelessly helping other activists draw attention to their communities’ efforts, as well as seeking nuclear abolition on an international scale. He is currently the honorary ambassador of The Atom Project, an international initiative launched by President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to seek a permanent end to nuclear weapons testing and the elimination of all Kuyukov now tells his story around the world on behalf of The Atom Project nuclear arsenals.

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Kuyukov’s physical challenges to pursue than the field of art. But he has always felt the need to create. “In addition to my school studies, I took up art. I have loved to draw since my early childhood,” he says. “I do not know why, but my soul was striving toward creating something beautiful. I did this without arms, but with my feet, legs and mouth.” The scale of Kuyukov’s achievement is remarkable, but he considers it simply his spiritual destiny and one that will always triumph over the barriers thrown in his way. “I have become an artist because an artist’s soul cannot be diminished by a physical limitation.”

“We have a choice,” Kuyukov insists. “We can be passive and let the heads of states solve the issue or we can unite and defend our citizenship and human rights.” Kuyukov says his sense of urgency and commitment to this cause are rooted not only in his own experience, but also in the suffering he has seen in others. “I have been to many countries where people have suffered from living under the shadow of nuclear tests or nuclear explosions,” he says. “I’ve seen the tears falling from the eyes of mothers from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I’ve even participated in meetings and protests at the Nevada test site in the United States. I have worked with many friends in publicizing and helping with the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. I’ve seen sick mothers and children who were hidden by their mothers (because of their physical deformities). I have seen the effects of the great calamities that have damaged our planet.” And he is convinced that one person, no matter how small or physically frail, can transform the world. “I do not want a repeat of these events at any place or time, anywhere on the planet. I am happy to live at a time when the voice of one person can be heard and supported by millions living in the most distant places on Earth. Our voices can become one powerful voice. And all as one, we can call for the permanent end to nuclear weapons testing.” And Kuyukov, through his art and his actions, has chosen to spend his life doing just that.

politics

Strategy Kazakhstan 2050: Kazakhstan’s Plan for Success Text by Martin Sieff

Kazakhstan has launched an

ambitious national program to make the country one of the 30 most competitive nations in the world by 2050. President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced the plan on Dec. 14 in his annual state of the nation address and laid out wide-rang-

ing reforms in all spheres of the nation’s life. The plan, Strategy Kazakhstan 2050, calls for better governance, welfare and tax system improvements, support for small- and medium-sized businesses and increased infrastructure development. Kazakhstan has already made notable

progress since emerging from the collapsing Soviet Union 21 years ago. The 2013 annual Doing Business Report of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) ranks Kazakhstan 49th of 185 countries surveyed and the country has attracted more than $160 billion in foreign

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Top: Kazakhstan 2050 hopes to expand sectors, such as construction and manufacturing Above: Kazakhstan’s Parliament has approved legislation to make the country more business-friendly

direct investment (FDI) since gaining independence. That is 80 percent of all FDI into the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Kazakhstan is also considered one of the most business- and investmentfriendly of the 12 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). And Kazakhstan has already achieved its Strategy 2030 goal of becoming one of the world’s 50 most developed countries. “They only have less than 20 places to rise to crack the top 30,” international financial analyst Martin Hutchison told EdgeKz. “They could certainly do it well within the time frame they’ve set for themselves.” That goal and the efforts to meet it are ambitious, multifaceted and cover a broad spectrum of Kazakh life and business, according to Richard Weitz, an analyst for the Jamestown Foundation in Washington D.C. “The key economic targets for the next 38 years are to define new mar-

kets, establish partnerships to promote new sources of economic growth, achieve a favorable climate for foreign investment, promote sustainable private sector business development, make small- and medium-sized enterprises the dominant form of business, develop Kazakhstan’s economic infrastructure, diversify exports beyond oil and gas, promote technological innovation, encourage ecologically responsible policies, develop agriculture and ensure adequate water supplies,” Weitz wrote in Jamestown Foundation’s Eurasia Daily Monitor. To accomplish those goals, Kazakhstan will need to integrate its economy with global and regional environments by capitalizing on its transit potential and bolstering information technology capabilities. One such effort already underway is the construction of the Western Europe-Western China transportation corridor, a series

of intercontinental highways and large capacity railway lines and terminals that will make Kazakhstan the transportation hub of Europe and Asia. These networks will link two of the greatest industrial regions and rapidly growing parts of the planet, the European Union and China. As an oil-rich country and a reliable international partner, Kazakhstan also plans to lift its existing subsoil use moratorium in an effort to become “a regional magnet for investment.” In return, Kazakhstan will be able to attract advanced technologies and investment for its industrial development. The creation of the new Customs Union with Russia and Belarus is also already providing a major stimulus for investment in and the rapid growth of domestic industries, especially in such fields as food processing and furniture making. President Nazarbayev has also asked the government to lift licenses and permits not directly affecting safety in the first half of 2013. This is expected to stimulate new business growth and build upon Kazakhstan’s ranking as one of the 25 easiest nations out of 185 surveyed in which to start a new business, according to the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. Nazarbayev has also outlined a set of important democratic reforms to decentralize power, increase government accountability, expand Parliamentary powers and fight corruption. Starting this year, for example, 2,533 village and town akims (mayors), 91 percent of all mayors, will be elected. To further foster democratic standards, Nazarbayev has also urged the modernization of the nation’s legal system to ensure it is “in sync with the dynamically developing international legal environment.” As part of these reforms, four new codes, including criminal, criminal procedure, penitentiary and administrative, will be drafted with the focus on further humanization and decriminalization of economic offenses. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov called Nazarbayev’s speech “a powerful large-scale document for the future.” He said “Kazakhstan 2050 is a call to the younger generation of the people of Kazakhstan to continue along the highway of our development, focusing on the establishment of a self-sufficient, modern, secular and democratic state with stable institutions and a strong economy.”

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Hutchinson agreed with this assessment. “Kazakhstan is doing well and it has plenty of opportunities to rise rapidly a lot further up the main international indices for best business and investment climates around the world. These lists and indices are very important,” the British analyst said. “Major multinational corporations around the world take them very seriously and are guided by them in their strategic decisions about where to invest and build major production facilities for the long term.” Kazakhstan would be best served by recognizing where it is already strong and focusing reform efforts in sectors where it is poorly ranked in international economic and business reports, Hutchinson said. Kazakhstan should also look to successful role model nations that have already completed a transition to the type of free market industrial economy that Kazakhstan is now undertaking. Its close ties with such countries as South Korea and Singapore in Asia and Turkey in the Middle East show that its policymakers are already thinking in these terms. Among the most important areas in need of reform in order for Kazakhstan to achieve its Kazakhstan 2050 goals, said Hutchinson, are fighting corruption, improving the construction permitting process and improving the ease of trading across borders. “The fight against corruption is an obvious one... But while the government realizes that, by its nature, changing the mores of society in doing business and building the kind of national standards and inspection systems to ensure transparency and meet the demands of global banks and investors is an ongoing, slow and steady task.” Hutchinson added, however, that results can be achieved more quickly by reforming the current bureaucratic system to make it easier to initiate construction projects, which will create new jobs and have a broad impact on the economy. Currently, Kazakhstan ranks only 155 out of the 185 nations on the World Bank/ IFC report for ease of obtaining constructing permits. It ranked nearly at the bottom, at 182 for ease of cross-border trade. “These are the two weakest points in what is overall an extremely impressive rating,” Hutchinson said. “Improve these two and Kazakhstan will shoot up the World Bank rankings and also improve on other ma-

Kazakhstan has outlined a set of important reforms to decentralize power, increase government accountability and fight corruption jor lists on ease of doing business.” The government of Kazakhstan feels the same way. In early February, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov chaired a cabinet meeting devoted primarily to new legal and administrative reforms to improve the country’s competitiveness within the next year. Streamlining the construction permit process was among the top priorities, as was the effort to improve better conditions for cross-border trade. Indeed, rapid progress should also come in the area of cross-border trade. The Parliament of Kazakhstan has just approved its first new border security master law in 20 years. The law will make it possible for citizens of Kazakhstan to enter and leave the country using only their regular IDs. It has the dual goals of improving security against international terrorism and transnational crime while making it easier for imports to enter the country and be transported across its borders. Kazakhstan is also now close to finally joining the World Trade Organization and hopes to use the opportunity to boost international trade. Kazakhstan’s membership in the Customs Union with Russia and Belarus and its work creating a Common Economic Space with those countries also make it an attractive base for companies wanting to enter the Russian market while operating out of Kazakhstan’s more business-friendly climate. The challenge of outperforming so many countries, most of them older, and with larger populations, to become one of the top 30 competitive nations on earth by 2050 is a formidable one. But the benefits it

Oil and gas will continue to be drivers of the Kazakh economy over the coming decades

would provide to the people of Kazakhstan for generations to come are incalculable. German politician Lothar Theodor Lemper, president of the Otto Benecke Foundation, believes it can be achieved. “Constant development has (already) made Kazakhstan a respected and exemplary model (for other nations to follow),” he recently said. But most of all, Lemper added, “Kazakhstan compares favorably with other states due to its spirit of optimism.”

Legal and Business Licensing Reforms Kazakhstan already ranks among the top 25 countries for its laws encouraging the creation of new businesses. But under the Kazakhstan 2050, the nation’s entire legal system is undergoing a sweeping restructuring to create the most favorable legal climate for private business in Central Asia. “Kazakhstan is committed to creating and maintaining the best investment climate in our region. Investments in Kazakhstan are safe and protected by the rule of law,” Kairat Umarov, the country’s new ambassador to the United States, told a John Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies forum in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13. In 2012, President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed 62 new laws and another 61 draft laws are currently under consideration by Parliament. And the government is keeping up that breakneck pace. “This year, the government will submit 53 draft laws for the consideration of Parliament,” Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov told a

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The Western Europe-Western China transportation corridor through Kazakhstan will link European and Asian commerce

cabinet meeting in January. And on Jan. 23, President Nazarbayev outlined a series of new policy proposals to streamline the government system and reduce bureaucracy. These build on current streamlining successes, including a 30 percent reduction from 47,000 to 37,000 in number of akimats, or municipal administrations, over the past six years. This progress “is the result of major efforts the government has made to improve the business climate,” Economy and Budget Planning Minister Yerbolat Dossayev told the cabinet. “Kazakhstan has climbed 30 places on the World Bank’s Enterprises’ Register from 55th to 25th due to the simplified procedure we have introduced for setting up new businesses and ending the requirement that a fixed capital sum must be guaranteed

for three months after the registration.” Kazakhstan now ranks 55th on the World Bank’s “resolution of insolvency issues” listing thanks to recent reforms. These include accelerated rehabilitation proceedings, expanding the powers of the liquidator and requiring improved qualifications for this role. “The requirements on provision of information on bankruptcy have also been changed, as have the requirements on the expansion of creditors’ rights,” Dossayev said. Prime Minister Akhmetov also instructed the government that sweeping measures are needed to streamline and modernize Kazakhstan’s construction industry. “The construction sphere as a whole needs systematic measures,” he said. Finance Minister Bolat Zhamishev told the cabinet that the government is also streamlining its procedures for regulating imports and exports and expected these reforms to boost international trade. Zhamishev said the volume of Kazakhstan’s international trade depended on the activity of 14 government agencies covering more than 50 official procedures. Over the next two years, all these procedures will be computerized and all licenses and official authorizations could then be applied for and approved online, he said. This new system will allow foreign companies to significantly reduce

Industrial Development: Beyond Oil and Gas Kazakhstan is already the fastest growing industrial and high-tech economy in Central Asia. Kazakhstan 2050 looks to build on that success and create a secure and prosperous economic future. In his annual address to the nation on Dec. 14, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said the new strategy will create a powerful national industrial sector that does not depend on oil and gas resources to generate jobs and wealth. On Dec. 25, 11 days after unveiling the new national strategy, the president announced a new wave of major investment projects around the nation. He inaugurated work on a high-speed 4G LTE (fourth-generation long-term evolution) network in Astana and Almaty, which will launch a new era of telecommunications in the country and discussed recent successes implementing the 2010-14 State Program for Accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development (PAIID). He also said work had begun on building three chemical industrial plants

their costs in obtaining licenses and permits to do business in Kazakhstan. “In 2012, the (finance) ministry developed a new electronic information system for exports that has already been tested in the regions of Kostanay and Karaganda,” Zhamishev said. “In the second half of 2013, the ministry will begin a trial run of its electronic system to register imports too. This will reduce the costs associated with international trade.” The government is also working to modernize the country’s patent reform process to promote domestic inventors. It recognizes that intellectual property law is essential to promote national competitiveness and fulfil the Kazakhstan 2050. In 2013, the government will also introduce a new edition of the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Criminal Executive Code and the Code of Administrative Offences to Parliament.

Trading with the World The country’s new Kazakhstan 2050 strategy is driven by a passion to embrace the global community from which the country was cut off for so long. The next significant step in this process will be joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). WTO accession has been a goal for more than a decade and a half and the coun-

and a metallurgical complex, including the Kazazot Company’s program to expand production of ammonia, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate in the Mangystau region. The new plant will cost 5.610 billion tenge ($37.29 million) and will boost national ammonia and ammonium nitrate production by 50 percent. It will satisfy the country’s full demand for nitrate fertilizers while producing more for export. ArcelorMittal Temirtau in the Karaganda region has also built a new factory complex to make industrial gases financed by the Linda Group in Germany. It will increase the production of oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The Sareko Company in the Akmola region is building a 4.43 billion tenge ($30 million) factory to make hightech products from rare earth metals with an annual production capacity of 1,540 tons. President Nazarbayev also announced the building of the Vostokmashzavod steel car castings factory in eastern Kazakhstan, the Shu shunting locomotives factory in the Zhambyl region, the Kazakhtsement dry method cement plant in East Kazakhstan, the Zenchenko K wind power plant in North Kazakhstan and the Korday-Shu Company’s high pressure gas pipeline in the Zhambyl region.

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try is close to reaching that milestone. Already, “95 percent of existing laws are in compliance with WTO norms. To sum up, there is momentum to finalize all the outstanding issues. We plan to become a full-fledged WTO member this year,” Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United States Kairat Umarov told the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced Studies Forum in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13. Operating under the umbrella of the WTO makes strategic sense, according to American analyst Ryan Olson of the Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation. “These nations can now take advantage of lower tariffs on trade with Russia and China and will, as transit countries, benefit directly from increasing trade volume between the two countries,” he wrote in his blog. Kazakhstan’s eagerness to join the WTO, as well as the enthusiasm to join of its neighbors Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, “is not surprising,” Olson wrote. “Sandwiched between two trading giants—Russia and China—they form a collective trading bridge across Central Asia.” However, Kazakhstan looks set to benefit more from WTO accession than either of its neighbors because of its larger and more prosperous economy, and its documented hospitality to private enterprise and foreign investment. The Heri-

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries are part of a newly formed Customs Union and are close economic partners

tage Foundation’s 2013 Index of Economic Freedom lists Kazakhstan as the only nation in Central Asia that ranks above the world average. Kazakhstan was also a founding member of the Customs Union and Common Economic Space (CES) with Russia and Belarus. This makes it an attractive base for multinational corporations that want to expand into the Russian market of 150 million people. The creation of the CES “is the highest level of integration, which provides for free movement of capital and labor,” Meruert Abusseitova, director of the R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies at the Ministry of Education and Science, wrote in China’s Global Times newspaper on November 21, 2012. “The prospects for regional integration in the post-Soviet

In 2012, 162 new industrial factories opened around the country. “In the Aktobe region, in 2010-11, 51 new industrial projects worth 183.8 billion tenge ($1.22 billion) were commissioned and more than 4,000 new jobs were created. In 2012, 13 projects worth 4.5 billion tenge ($29.93 million) were launched and 451 new jobs were created,” Aktobe Mayor Erhan Umarov announced on Dec. 25. Ardager Akzhigitov, chief of the Kyzylorda Region Business and Industry Management Agency, said more than 20 major factories opened there in 2011-12. The Munaymash Company has also built a new factory making machinery for use in the oil industry in Petropavlovsk. “We have implemented a unique and innovative project in our enterprise, which has no parallels in the Commonwealth of Independent States,” said Munaymash Chairman Sergey Grigorenko. “The new factory will improve its product quality to international standards, expand the range of products for export, reduce production costs by 20 percent and cut energy costs.” Almaty is the country’s biggest city and main financial center. Some 43 factories costing 319.4 billion tenge ($2.12 billion) are being built in the region. In 2012, 14 projects worth $19.5 billion were

space are determined not so much by the adoption of political decisions, but by the real interests of social and business organizations in integrated cooperation,” she continued. “In this regard, the CES model should rationally combine the features of corporate integration on the level of business structures, and state features that are based on international agreements defining the principles and mechanisms of integrated cooperation.” Ambassador Umarov summed up the international outreach efforts when he said that “Kazakhstan looks forward to enhancing its trade relations with the world and with the region. We would like to see Kazakhstan as a trade and logistics hub, just as it was during the Great Silk Road.”

opened there. And Halillula Gran Aka, director of Kaztorgtrans, said a major flour production factory making 39,000 tons of flour per year has opened in the Kostanay region. “The total cost of the project is over 450 million tenge ($2.99 million). We plan to export flour to Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan,” he said. Thanks to these new factories, the nation’s 2050 visions are already well on the way to coming true. As Winston Churchill said, “Facts are better than dreams.”

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New Government Team to Manage Reforms Kazakhstan has launched a bold new stratstrategy to bring industry, jobs and increased prosperity to its outlying regions and make it one of the 30 most competitive nations in the world by 2050. Along with new policies and new legislations, President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov have brought in a talented new team of go-getting, experienced technocrats to carry them out. Bakhytzhan Sagintayev had already proven a success as regional governor in Pavlodar, minister of economic development and trade and deputy chairman of the ruling Nur Otan Party. Now the 49-year-old Sagintayev has been named first deputy prime minister. As Prime Minister Akhmetov’s right hand man, Sagintayev has been tasked with creating a new of ministry of regional development to funnel investment and growth around the country. President Nazarbayev announced the new ministry on Jan. 16. Economics and Trade Minister Yerbolat Dossayev and Environmental Protection Minister Nurlan Kapparov have also been given increased powers and a vote of confidence from the president. Both are experienced managers with impressive backgrounds in government and in business. Dossayev used to be a senior executive with the Lancaster Group, an Almaty-based investment company specializing in the trade of oil, gas and metals. Kapparov is his old business partner and has a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Dossayev’s Economics and Trade Ministry is also being restructured as the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning. “The ministry will also focus on en-

couraging local entrepreneurship. Several internal committees are being created that help outline the new ministry’s aims. These include a committee on construction, housing, and utilities; a committee on entrepreneurial development; and a committee on land resources,” analyst Eli Keene wrote in Al Farabi News on Feb. 21. President Nazarbayev “also decided to transfer the government’s budget planning functions from the ministry of finance to the new ministry of economy,” Georgiy Voloshin, of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. wrote in Asia Times Online on Feb. 8. “This structure will hence be responsible for the shortand long-term strategic management of budgetary funds in line with Nazarbayev’s idea of keeping the national budget permanently balanced and focusing state attention on large-scale investment projects rather than on smaller ones, which would be better implemented by privately owned companies,” Voloshin wrote. The president has also named Marat Tazhin as his new secretary of state. Previously, Tazhin repeatedly served as deputy head of the Presidential Administration and secretary of the Security Council. Voloshin described him as “a leading strategist of the presidential team” and predicted he would act as Nazarbayev’s point man in ensuring the necessary policies to develop the Kazakhstan 2050 program are implemented. Two other government heavy-hitters have also been given important new functions in Akhmetov’s team: Deputy Prime Minister Krymbek Kusherbayev has been made governor of the Kyzyl Orda region, which Voloshin wrote, has “great poten-

Among the officials who will help implement Kazakhstan 2050 are: Top left, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov; top right, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Bakhytzhan Sagintayev middle left, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev; middle right, Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov Bottom left, Minister of Environmental Protecton Nurlan Kapparov; bottom right, Minister of Economy and Budget Planning Erbolat Dossayev

tial, including a major oil production, but… is in the doldrums.” Mukhtar KulMuhammed also returns to his old post as minister of culture and information, where he will direct, among other things, the introduction of the Western, or Latin, alphabet for the Kazakh language. Voloshin said the new appointments and government restructuring marked “Kazakhstan’s shift toward more rigorous public spending together with budget planning and forecasting, as well as the establishment of a ministry dealing exclusively with the issues of regional and local development.” In other words, they reflect the continuing commitment of the government to ensure that the benefits of growth and industrialization are shared among all of the country’s more than 16 million people.

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CliC Cli Ck

Here E-commErcE comEs to KaZaKhstan Text by mIKE coLEman

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Kazakhstan’s national rail carrier, reported selling 21,000 tickets online during the first three months of 2011

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azakhstan’s vibrant economic growth continues to outpace that of most other nations—indeed, the sprawling Central Asian leader ranks among the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world. While much of that growth is fueled by Kazakhstan’s vast oil and gas resources, the smaller, less traditional e-commerce sector is showing significant economic potential as well. Internet use is steadily rising in the rapidly modernizing nation, and more and more Kazakhstan citizens are jumping into the exciting new realm of online commerce. In 2000, less than one-half of one percent of all Kazakhs had regular access to the Internet. Today, more than 50 percent of the population is surfing the web and logging on with increasing frequency to business websites offering a wide array of goods, services and entertainment options. CNP Processing, an international business research firm, reports that Internet advertising revenues generated from Kazakhstan-based businesses accounted for $1 million in 2007, about $3 million in 2007 and more than $5 million in 2010. Meanwhile, e-commerce reached more than $300 million in sales overall in 2012 and that number is expected to continue rising. E-commerce growth in Kazakhstan, while not explosive, has been steady— and for good reason. Kazakhstan’s steadily rising incomes, low population density and vast land mass make it an ideal candidate for a robust Internet-generated, mail-order business sector. Outside businesses are taking notice. Lamoda, a Russian company that sells trendy, highquality clothes online, opened for business online in Kazakhstan a year ago, in March 2012. Within six months, U.S. investment giant JP Morgan reportedly pumped at least $50 million into Lamoda to help grow its online business in Kazakhstan and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries. Alexios Shaw, Lamoda’s point man in Kazakhstan, told Business New Europe that his company sees vast potential in the country due to a lack of competition in the online retail market and a growing ap-

chocolife .me

Almaty Company Finds Online Success When it comes to selling goods and services over the internet in Kazakhstan, almaty-based chocolife is the undisputed leader. chocolife, found on the internet at www.chocolife.me, provides deeply discounted tickets to entertainment events, services and products. the company contracts with traditional businesses to provide their goods and services at a fraction of the regular price, delighting consumers who are just becoming aware of the power of the internet. although the vendor sells their product through chocolife at a discount, they still benefit because the collective purchases—hundreds or even thousands of people buying through chocolife at one time—result in high sales and widespread public exposure for businesses who associate with chocolife, which helps to win new customers. chocolife was launched in april 2011 and by the end of 2012, the ambitious company had racked up more than $1 billion in sales. the company boasts more than a half million subscribers who receive daily updates on new deals available to them exclusively through the internet. about 1,500 of those subscribers purchase deals from chocolife everyday. ramil mukhoryapov, director of chocolife, told edgeKz that his company is among very few specialists in the e-commerce market in Kazakhstan, so naturally it is a learning experience. “We have to learn from our own mistakes: how to do a day-to-day delivery in Kazakh-

stan (taking into consideration the purchase transaction and packaging), how to deal with returns and how to do thousands of deliveries a day,” mukhoryapov apov said. ““additional complications are caused due to long distances in Kazakhstan and a low-density of population.” although e-commerce - using the internet to buy goods and services - is a relatively new concept in Kazakhstan, mukhoryapov said Kazakhs are adapting quickly. after all, who doesn’t like a great deal? and the purchases should increase as more and more homes become connected to the internet. “there is a real readiness to do purchases via the internet and it will be increasing together with an increase in penetration of the internet and the speed the online shops do their work,” he explained. mukhoryapov said the Kazakh government seems to realize the value of e-commerce and wants to maximize its potential for the nation’s economy. the Kazakh parliament has already adopted one law legitimizing “e-money,” or internet financial transactions, and is working on another to reduce value added tax rates for companies who do business online. “it is important to stress that the state makes no difficulties or barriers for e-commerce development as there is no strict regulation of the internet,” mukhoryapov said. he also suggested some things the government and loan industry could do to help boost e-commerce in Kazakhstan. “the introduction of online crediting tools would help to boost demand,” he said. “this requires changes in the policies of loans processing. this would allow a person to get a loan right at their home by signing the necessary bank documents using digital signatures. if the state could assist in the implementation of such laws it would facilitate the introduction of online bank lending.”

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Many of Kazakhstan's cafes and coffee houses now offer WiFi Internet access

petite for upscale, international brands that are non-existent or hard to find. “Retail is waking up with international players such as Saks Fifth Avenue entering in the market, but Internet retail is primitive,” Shaw was quoted as saying. “Low competition was an obvious reason why the market was attractive for us. E-commerce also has a natural advantage in a country like Kazakhstan, provided you have on-the-ground infrastructure or a good delivery partner.” Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Kazakhstan’s national rail carrier, provides a good example of the growing demand for e-commerce in the country. The carrier reported selling 21,000 tickets online during the first three months of 2011. It sold 260,000 tickets online in the same period one year later. However, that still falls far short of the government’s goal of selling 40 percent of all rail tickets online. The Kazakh government, realizing the potential for job creation, has been working steadily to improve the efficiency of the nascent Internet economy. In 2004, the Kazakh Parliament began to move toward more Internet deregulation, which has led to a dramatic increase in competition among Internet service providers and fueled a corresponding rise in Internet usage.

e-commerce reached more than $300 million in sales overall in 2012 and that number is expected to continue rising 64 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

At the same time, overseas telecommunications suppliers have begun to recognize significant business potential in Kazakhstan’s heretofore untapped market. Telecommunications powerhouses such as Motorola, Lucent, Siemens, Alcatel, Nokia, Daewoo and Nortel Networks are now operating in Kazakhstan, and some have sought and secured long-term partnerships with local telecom companies to sell their smart phones, modems and other devices. Some of Kazakhstan’s largest Internet portals, including Namba.kz, Gameworld.kz, Kiwi.kz and Nur.kz, are reportedly working to establish a professional association devoted to helping develop Kazakhstan’s e-commerce potential. Experts say despite significant growth in Kazakhstan’s e-commerce sector over the past decade, the market is still small in terms of both turnover and the number of participants. One major potential obstacle to the growth of e-commerce in Kazakhstan is the prevalence of pirated entertainment such as music, films and games. At a 2012 press conference in Almaty, Shavkat Sabirov, vice president of the Internet Association of Kazakhstan, suggested the government impose punitive measures against portals that tolerate the posting of pirated content by affiliated websites. Sabirov proposed that offending portals be subjected to a “three-snaps” policy, meaning any portal found in violation of the pirated content policy be given two warnings and a third offense would result in revocation of the portal’s license. Not everyone in the Kazakh e-commerce sector advocates such an aggressive approach. Stanislav Ignatov, director of the Kiwi.kz web portal, a video hosting platform, said the policy prescription would stifle growth in Kazakhstan’s burgeoning e-commerce industry, especially if neighboring states don’t implement similar policies. “If we start eliminating one and all web sites with some pirated content, Kazakhstan’s sector of the Internet will die,” Ignatov said at the same news conference. A thousand years ago, the Silk Road was an important trade route between Europe and Asia. Despite the obstacles to growth, many observers of Kazakhstan’s emerging e-commerce sector envision the emergence of a similar, albeit more modern, thread of commerce linked by the click of a computer mouse.

Here Comes the Bride Melding Wedding TradiTions in a MulT ul ieThnic culT ul ure Text by Julia RutZ

azakhstan is a nation of old and new, of contrasts and harmony. Its more than 100 ethnicities and multiple religions live together melding traditional rituals with modern-day interpretations. Marriage in modern Kazakhstan is a bouquet of modern paperwork, traditional food, and ancient acts, and every culture in this country has its own special blend. Over recent years, old and fading traditions have been dusted off and brought to prominence again as many of the country’s ethnic groups reclaim their old customs. The nation is experiencing something of a rebirth of traditions. Many brides and grooms have started incorporating old prac-

tices into their wedding rituals. Ancient customs often occur side by side with more modern elements as brides change in and out of traditional outfits and Western white gowns or listen to their pretend “ransoms” being organized before heading off to dance to a DJ’s mix at their receptions. While many practices are the same—decorated banquet halls, sightseeing tours, group photos—in a country with so many dif different peoples, you never know what a wedding invitation will bring. You might see roads covered with white tissue, a staged “kidnapping” and ransom, smashing glass, huge pies and a surprising amount of thrown food.

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by Alexandr Shebanov

Kazakh Weddings

by Alexandr Kononenko

Saule Bitenova, head of an events agency in Astana, says, “People in Kazakhstan don’t celebrate a truly Kazakh wedding, but attempt to use many ancestral rituals during the ceremony, combining them with attributes of the classic secular wedding.” The rituals begin as soon as a woman accepts an offer of marriage. Upon her official acceptance, the parents of the groom put earrings on the bride; from this moment, they are officially engaged. Then the bride must symbolically leave her parents’ house in a lavish ceremony and major feast called “uzatu toy.” The path from the bride’s parents’ house to the car which will take her to the wedding is covered with white tissue, symbolizing her happy future. It is also important that the bride be taken away before noon. Most modern Kazakh girls prefer to wear a traditional wedding dress for this ceremony and change into a white dress for the official wedding. The wedding day starts in the morning, usually on Friday, with a procession of cars led by a limousine carrying the bride and the groom to the place where their marriage will be made official. In the presence of an official, they confirm their decision to become husband and wife, exchange rings and sign the registry book. This practice comes from Soviet times and is obligatory for all. Some young couples go after that to their mosque to get approval from the mullah. It is also common to drive around the city and take pictures with memorable views of the city in the background to commemorate the event.

In the evening, the wedding procession arrives at a restaurant rented for the occasion where the rest of the guests are waiting for the newlyweds. After the guests of honor have arrived, the ceremony begins with one more traditional ritual called “betashar.” The bride enters with her face covered while the guests sing traditional songs like “Zhar-zhar” and “Betashar,” accompanied by the dombra, a traditional Kazakh two-string instrument. During the singing, the mother of the groom reveals the bride’s face. After that, to show that the wedding has begun, the newlyweds present small gifts to their guests in a custom called “toy bastar,” or “let’s start the celebration.” The new couple is congratulated by their guests, starting with the most respected, usually the grandparents. Then the group plays various games, eats traditional food and drinks and sings and dances deep into the night.

Russian Weddings in Kazakhstan

Traditional Russian weddings in Kazakhstan usually start with a ceremonial “ransom” and may lead to a kidnapping. The rituals begin on a Saturday when the groom and his close friends come to the bride’s house and pay a “ransom,” or small payment to the representatives of the bride. The “ransom” exchange is played for laughs and is a nod to tradition rather than a real financial transaction. After the groom pays the ransom to rescue the bride, the official marriage takes place. “The ceremony is the same for everybody, but an addition for traditional Russian weddings is that the newlyweds are welcomed at the entry to the department of public services (where the wedding is administered) with bread and salt to eat,” says Irina Aikenova, the administrator of an agency in Astana that helps arrange weddings. “Whoever’s bite is the biggest, will be the master of the family.” Nowadays many couples also choose to have a church ceremo-

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Seeking approval from a coupe’s mullah is an important part of Kazakh and Tatar wedding traditions

Food Fight

Lots of western couples are showered with rice—or more often now, bird seed—as they leave the site of their weddings, but do you know why? In many traditions, this practice is about wishing the couple fertility. In the German tradition, rice is thrown and every grain of rice that sticks to the bride’s hair represents a child. At traditional Korean weddings, the mother of the groom throws dates at the bride. The number of dates the bride catches in her dress represents the children the couple will have. Armenian couples have candies thrown at their heads, representing the sweet future the couple will have.

Shattering glass

ny, which usually lasts about two hours. It is customary for the young couple to then go on a tour of the historic sites of the city and take pictures. In the evening comes a boisterous gala feast that can last two or three days. There is singing, dancing, toasting and a lot of food and drink. During the feast, the groom has to keep an eye on his bride—his friends might try to “steal” her and if they do, he’ll have to ransom her again!

Don’t bring out the good china. Many cultures in Kazakhstan break dishes as part of wedding celebrations. Jewish grooms stomp on a wine glass wrapped in white cloth. Armenian couples walk over plates on their way into their wedding feasts, breaking them for luck. And German wedding guests bring dishes to break—the new couple then sweeps out the broken pieces, ensuring that nothing else in their house will break.

Tatar Weddings in Kazakhstan

Tatars are one of the larger ethnic groups in Kazakhstan and one that closely maintains its traditions. “The succession of generagenera tions plays an important role for us,” says Vice-Chairman of the Tan Tatar-Bashkir Cultural Center Yannat Nizamutdinova. “That is why Tatar youth prefer to celebrate weddings in accordance with the traditions of their ancestors.” Most young couples choose to seek approval from a mullah before they marry. The mullah asks the groom and the bride if they really want to marry and both have to answer yes three times. The rest of the ceremony is largely secular, but can last up to three days. Tartars believe the best days for marriage are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Like Kazakhs, Tartar grooms must take their bride from her parents’ house before the wedding. When she gets out of the veve hicle to walk toward the groom’s house, her new home, a white pillow is placed on her path. The bride must step on the pillow with her right foot to ensure a happy life in her new home. When she reaches the house, the mother of the groom offers the newnew lyweds bread, honey and salt. The bread and the salt symbolize wealth, and the honey is so that the bride will be polite and gentle. The bride brings her dowry, which is usually guarded by a man with a lash who defends it while neighbors and friends jokingly

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by Alexandr Shebanov

Taking photos with city landmarks is a popular part of many wedding traditions in Kazakhstan

of the groom’s friends who have to perform a series of steps while balancing a bottle of wine on their heads. The loser of this dance is supposed to leave the wedding.

Armenian Weddings in Kazakhstan

try to steal something from it. To show that she’ll be a good wife, the bride must change the curtains and the bedclothes as soon as she enters the groom’s house.

Jewish Weddings in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s Jewish population has also retained its wedding traditions. Ideally, a Jewish wedding is held on a Tuesday. To start the process, the groom comes to his bride who waits for him with her face covered. Friends from the groom’s party urge him to prove that this is really his bride by revealing her face. This is all played for laughter. After her face is shown and the bride is proven to be the correct person, she and the groom go together and stand under a white baldachin, called a “hupa.” Here, the bride circles the groom seven times, led by her mother. Sometimes a marriage contract, in which the groom describes what he will give the bride, is drawn up. Then a rabbi explains to the newlyweds the meaning of the marriage and gives the couple one glass of wine to sip, first the groom, then the bride. “This ceremony demonstrates that the husband and wife are united,” explains Vice-Chairman of the Alef Jewish Cultural Center Nikolay Gorbunov. “Sometimes the bride gives the glass of wine to her unmarried sisters or friends to drink also, so that they might marry next time.” The empty glass is then covered with white tissue or cloth and put on the ground for the groom to step on and smash, recalling the destroyed temple in Jerusalem. A ring is placed on the bride’s index finger. The bride and groom are wished good luck and then taken, with the rest of the guests, to another house where the ceremony continues. One of the most fun rituals of this part of the ceremony is the dance

Kazakhstan’s Armenian diaspora celebrates weddings on Fridays or Saturdays. The preparation begins with an official betrothal. According to tradition, the groom comes to his potential bride’s house and if her parents are not opposed to the union, the young couple is “allowed” to talk in private for a short time. Afterward, if the girl gives her consent to the marriage, the groom places a ring on her finger and the couple is considered to be officially engaged. The groom leaves and returns with his friends and relatives bringing gifts arranged on a tray. He usually brings a lot of fruits, sweets, clothes and gold jewelry. After the gifts are presented to the bride’s family and friends, the groom leaves. On the wedding day, the groom comes again to the bride’s house with gifts. But this time, the bride also presents the groom’s friends and relatives with huge pies on plates. Women from the groom’s side help dress the bride, singing traditional songs. Then the groom comes into the room, gives her a kiss and they go to the church together. “It is important to pass around the church seven times for good luck,” says Galina Kondratuk, vice chairman of the Van Armenian Cultural Center. Before entering the church, the mother of the groom puts pita bread on the shoulders of the newlyweds, offers them some honey and tosses sweets on their heads. “This custom wishes a wealthy and sweet life for the young couple.” After the ceremony, when the couple enters the restaurant where the feast will be held, they must step on plates and crush

Over recent years, old and fading traditions have been dusted off and brought to prominence again as many of the country’s ethnic groups reclaim their old customs

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15/04/2013 5:59 ΜΜ

by Vadim Gorn

by Baibulin Nursultan

above left: Tatar weddings are famous for their lively feasts. middle: The formal entrance of the bride is an important moment in many ceremonies. Right: The revealing of the bride’s face is often accompanied by singing and dancing

them for good luck. Then, the Armenian bride cannot join the feast until she is given a present, usually a gold ring. “The bride’s dance at the wedding is always a costly custom because all guests have to give some money to the bride,” says Kondratuk. On Feb. 13 before 3 p.m. of the first year of a couple’s marriage, they must also make a small fire, circle it seven times and jump over the fire two times. Only after they do that is the wedding ceremony considered to be finished. Feb. 13 is considered Lovers’ Day in Armenian culture.

German Weddings in Kazakhstan

The German diaspora in Kazakhstan celebrates their Westernstyle weddings on Saturday. A unique German pre-wedding custom is the creation of a special wedding newspaper by family and friends, which is filled with pictures and stories about the young couple. On the day of their wedding, the couple must first have a civil ceremony, which only family members and close friends attend. In the evening, the newlyweds organize an informal gathering. Members of the Wiedergeburt German Ethno-Cultural Center say that “according to tradition, it brings good luck for guests to bring old porcelain dishes to break. The groom and the bride sweep out the broken pieces, so that nothing will ever be broken in their house again.” Some couples prefer to have a religious wedding ceremony as well. These usually take place the day after the civil wedding. The bride wears a white dress, usually without a train. Instead of a veil, a flowery headband with ribbons is usually worn. As the young couple is already married, they enter the church together, sometimes accompanied by attendants and flower girls. After the ceremony, as the married couple goes down the steps of the church, they are showered with rice. As the rice symbolizes fertility, it is believed that every grain of rice that sticks in the bride’s hair represents a future child. In the afternoon, a big wedding party takes place, which may last two days. Guests play different games, sing and dance. Like her Russian counterpart, a German bride is liable to be ceremonially kidnapped by the groom’s friends. The groom has to find her and pay a ransom for her. Germans in Kazakhstan also draw personalized caricactures of guests on the second day of the party depicting the craziness of the previous day.

house. Members of the bride’s family offer money to the group in exchange for the gifts. A traditional groom is also expected to bring a goose to the bride’s mother as a symbol of his devotion to the bride. The wedding celebration is usually held in a restaurant where there is singing, dancing and music, especially drums. Some young couples wear decorative, colorful traditional outfits. Blue and red symbolize the yin and yang, the female and male, representing balance, and are very important wedding colors. When the bride and the groom see each other for the first time during the ceremony, she bows twice and he bows once in return. The bridal party’s table is arranged with the bride and groom on one side and their families on the other. Two wooden geese are used to decorate the table because geese mate for life and symbolize fidelity. Fruit dates are another necessary component of the wedding banquet. They are thrown by the mother-in-law toward the bride for her to catch in her dress. It’s believed that the number of dates the bride catches is equivalent to the number of children the couple will have. During the ceremony, both the bride and the groom pour tea or wine for their parents and other family members and guests impart words of wisdom to the couple. Finally, the groom is supposed to give the bride a piggy back ride twice around the table to demonstrate that he is able to support her and signify their journey to their new home. So whether it’s traditional clothing, fake kidnappings, symbolic gifts or just good parties, Kazakhstan’s multiethnic and multireligious society is preserving and enhancing its many wedding rituals.

Korean Weddings in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has a large Korean population, which has distinct wedding customs. Traditionally, the wedding starts from the betrothal, when friends of the groom’s party bring gifts to the bride’s

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UnKnoWn TeRRIToRY WhAT YoU DIDn’T T Kno KnoW W Abo AboUT KAZAK K hsTA T n TA Text by JULIA RUTZ

he country of Kazakhstan is not small. In fact, it’s territorially the ninth largest nation in the world. And its strategic geographic location between East and West, along with its vast energy and mineral resources have made it a key player on the world stage. It was even once the fourth largest nuclear power in the world before unilaterally disarming after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. Yet, despite its size—roughly that of Western Europe — and geopolitical importance, Kazakhstan remains one of the most unknown and misperceived countries. Relatively few people in the West, other than smart business people, government officials and travelers, have visited Kazakhstan. And even though the movie Borat was filmed largely in Romania, its impact on shaping a distorted international image of Kazakhstan was significant. Many assume that because Kazakhstan was once a Soviet republic, that it still must have an old-style Soviet economy. Or that because the name of the country ends with a “stan,” that Kazakhstan is similar in culture, landscape and politics to countries such as Afghanistan. However, for those who spend even a day exploring its cutting-edge cities or lush, diverse landscape, those myths quickly disappear. But if you haven’t made it there yet, then read on to find out the realities behind the myths.

Myth No 1:

KAZAKhsTAn K KAZAK AZAK Is A sTRIcT MUsLIM nATIon M ReALITY: Re ALITY Kazakhstan is a secular, mulALITY: mul tireligious and multiethnic society where Christianity and Judaism flourish along alongside the Muslim faith. It celebrates free freedom of religion for all. Far from being repressive and intolintol erant, Kazakhstan is among the world’s most multicultural and multinational countries. The nation is home to more than 120 nationalities and 40 faiths. It pursues a policy of equal treatment of all cultures and religions and allows no pref preferential treatment. Kazakhs and Russians are Kazakhstan’s largest ethnic groups, but long-established communities of Ukrainians, Germans, Poles, Koreans, Ta Tatars and Chechens also live side by side and flourish there. To be a citizen of Ka Kazakhstan is to be tolerant, welcoming and inclusive. Hospitality and getting along with others have been core cultural values since Kazakh nomads and traders roamed the great steppe. Dozens of ethnic communities fosfos ter unique heritages and cultural lives through a host of ethnic cultural centers and associations. And each May 1, Ka Kazakhstan celebrates People’s Unity Day. The celebration highlights the country’s diverse array of traditional dances and songs. With adherents of more than 40 religions, Kazakhstan is truly the cross crossroads of civilizations. Kazakhstan’s largest religion is Islam, which has been prac practiced peacefully and tolerantly for more than a thousand years across the Kazakh

steppe. However, the national culture is not defined as Islamic, Pavel Koktyshev, CEO of the Institute for Development and Economic Affairs (IDEA) and co-founder of the country’s Club of Young Entrepreneurs, told EdgeKz. “In comparison to other Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan is not a one-religion country,” he said. “There are a lot of religious communities of many different faiths that are recognized and thrive freely. That’s why the religious situation in Kazakhstan is stable and all the religious groups here can express themselves in security and freedom.” The county’s culture is also very different from the one you would find in other “stans” known for strict Islamic societies. Stroll the streets of modern Kazakhstan and you’re more likely to see clothing reflective of a Paris runway than an Islamic text. Women in Kazakhstan, unlike some Muslim countries, also drive, vote, run government ministries and head up major corporations. The nation’s food and drinks also follow an international flavor. When the workday is done or the weekend comes, Kazakhstanis can be found sharing toasts over quality German beer, Irish stouts or an array of traditional vodkas. Nightlife thrives and is one of the enjoyable aspects of life in Kazakhstan. And a good pork sausage can be found in most supermarkets and on most appetizer menus, along with Thai, Italian, Korean, French and a whole host of other international cuisines.

Myth No. 2:

KAZAKhsTAn Is pooR AnD LARgeLY AgRARIAn ReALITY: ALITY If there is anything KazakhALITY: stan is not, it’s poor. The country is a major oil producer and exporter. It’s already a top 20 gas supplier, the world’s largest uranium producer and exporter and recently started exporting significant amounts of agriculture and rare earth metals necessary for the production of smart phones and other electronics. And though these resourses are still often in their development stage and work needs to be done to increase the size of the country’s middle class, Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product per capita is 12 times higher today than it was when the country gained independence 21 years ago. The country has also worked hard to create a business-friendly environment, which has

Left: July 6th Astana Day celebration in Astana’s central square APRIL 2013 No. 1 eDgeKZ.coM 71

Above left: Kazakhstan is a top-20 oil and gas exporter Above Right: Tourism is one of the country’s burgeoning industries

resulted in approximately $160 billion in foreign direct investment since 1991. The Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy predicts that by 2020 Kazakhstan will be one of the top five oil producing and exporting countries in the world. Kazakhstan also recently signed a deal with China to provide the fuel for China’s new generation of nuclear power plants into the middle of this century. And the country is blessed with dense bands of gold in its mountains. Kazakhstan was forced to operate under a communist political and economic system for nearly three quarters of a century, but has transitioned to a thriving market economy since gaining independence. In fact, in 2012 the country initiated a major People’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) program among the country’s major state corporations to help involve the public in the country’s resource wealth. All of this isn’t to deny that Kazakhstan and its vast land mass don’t enjoy a strong agricultural sector. It has invested heavily in improving the quality of its beef and has become the go-to agricultural supplier for the region. But its economy goes way beyond the agrarian roots of the country’s ancestors. The nation’s economic future also looks positive. Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently unveiled Strategy 2050 to make Kazakhstan one of the 30 most competitive economies in the world and one of the most favorable environments for doing business deep into this century. The country has also just launched a wave of reform programs to make it easier for foreign business people

72 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

to invest in this country and is in the process of streamlining its visa procedures, customs clearance and transit arrangements. Kazakhstan also recently formed a Customs Union with Russia and Belarus, greatly expanding its market and is in the accession process for the World Trade Organization. All of this success has created an economic optimism among the Kazakh public found in few nations in the world. A new wave of entrepreneurs are opening businesses, helping to manage the country’s vast resources and creating the economic opportunities of tomorrow.

Myth No. 3:

Kazakhstan Is Not Modern Reality: Kazakhstan’s ancient history is unique and proud. Images of explorers on horseback pushing out into a great unknown grassland; nomads sleeping in yurts, moving with the seasons and the weather. It’s a history of caravans plodding along the Great Silk Road, selling wares from animal drawn carriages and sleeping under the vast Kazakh sky. It’s a lovely history. But it’s just that: History. Today’s Kazakhstan is filled with fivestar hotels, smart phones and cutting edge architecture by the world’s top architects. Modern Kazakh art and design have become hot exports and the vast steppe is now traversed by high-speed internet connections rather than horses. More than half of the population (52 percent) enjoy personal internet access and so-

cial media is the latest craze. Thousands of young Kazakhs have started their own blogs. Tens of thousands have their own Facebook pages. And if you don’t speak Kazakh, plenty of the country’s young people will text you in English. “In Kazakhstan, you find open-minded and welleducated people. They are open to the world and want to develop themselves,” Winfried Berndt, project manager of the Goethe Institute in Kosovo, told EdgeKz. “This country has made a good impression on me. The memories are still very vivid in my mind. I remember interesting spontaneous people, stylishly dressed, beautiful women, the majestic, snowcapped mountains around Almaty and many other things that will stay with me.” Almaty, with a population of 1.5 million, is the business capital not just of Kazakhstan but of all Central Asia. It is also home to the largest film and TV producing studios and industry between Moscow and Mumbai. Its elegant, tree-lined boulevards evoke images of Paris and its snowcapped peaks remind one of Zurich, not a barren, backward city. Kazakhstan’s modernity is most on display in its new capital city Astana. There, visitors discover what are quickly becoming iconic buildings by top architects, such as Britain’s Lord Norman Foster and Italy’s Manfredi Nicoletti. The famed late Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa was the architect for the overall design of the city. An evening stroll along the wide promenade lining the banks of Astana’s Yessil River, which winds through the heart of the city, will reveal a

Everywhere we went, we found people to be so friendly and determined to make our stay as pleasant as possible. They made it easy for us to fall in love with Kazakhstan and I enjoyed every moment of our trip kaleidoscope of colored lights streaming from the city’s skyscrapers. International fusion restaurants led by executive chefs imported from Europe and beyond and ultra-sleek nightclubs dot Astana’s cultural cityscape and serve a demanding international clientele. And quaint bistros and cafes line the boulevards of both Astana and Almaty. Kazakhstan’s modernity is also reflected in its arts community. The country’s major cities offer thriving theater, dance and visual arts centers. Historic opera and ballet houses attracting top talent from around the world are available in Almaty and Astana and Kazakhstan’s modern visual artists are rapidly melding the country’s traditional history with its modern present.

Myth No. 4:

Kazakhstan Is an Insular Place Unwelcome to Visitors Reality: Of all the misperceptions of Kazakhstan, this might be the biggest. Hospitality has been the life’s blood and mother’s milk of the Kazakh peoples since time immemorial. Through the ages, Kazakhs have been legendary for their hospitality to strangers. After all, Kazakh ancestors ran the biggest chunk of the Silk Road from China to Europe. And they’re rebuilding it today. When Soviet ruler Josef Stalin deported millions of people to Kazakhstan in cattle cars in the 1930’s and 1940’s, they were just dumped out onto the open steppes in the extreme climates of blazing summer and the worst winters on earth. They would have almost all died had the local Kazakh villagers not rescued them and brought them to safety and shelter. Those wonderful traditions are alive and well today. After so many decades locked away from the rest of the world in the communist empire, Kazakhstan rejoined the global community with eagerness and enthusiasm after the Soviet Union collapsed. Tens of thousands of Kazakh young people go to study in America and

Europe, Japan and China every year. And in return, Kazakhstan welcomes the world with pleasure and pride. Kazakhstan has already hosted one of the most successful Asian Winter Games in history and is looking forward to welcoming the world to EXPO 2017, a major international EXPO in Astana under the theme of “Future Energy.” Building warm, strong friendships with all of Kazakhstan’s neighbors has been the foundation of the country’s national security strategy for more than two decades. Since the first days of independence, it’s had a multi-vector foreign policy and has built itself into a bridge connecting Asia and Europe, Christians and Muslims, North and South, East and West. On a more individual basis, the country is also very welcoming to tourists. Walking around the country’s cities, tourists are often stopped by friendly locals looking to practice a host of foreign languages or exchange travel stories. Though the country’s friendly attitude toward international visitors so far outstrips the development of tourist infrastructure in many places, visitors are still treated to

ancient, haunting magic from the era of the Silk Road and the great khanates, glorious mountains and forests, lakes and deserts and some of the most spectacular wild life anywhere in Eurasia. Though known for its vast steppe, Kazakhstan also offers skiing, mountaineering, water sports and nature expeditions. “Last year, I traveled with a group of ornithologists for two weeks in Kazakhstan,” German biologist Inge Rabe told EdgeKz. “We visited the Tengiz lakes and Semirechie (Zhety Su in Kazakh, which means Seven Rivers). Everyone in our group was impressed by the wonderful landscapes and the amazing natural and wild beauty of Kazakhstan. Everywhere we went, we found people to be so friendly and determined to make our stay as pleasant as possible. They made it easy for us to fall in love with Kazakhstan and I enjoyed every moment of our trip.” So no matter what your impression of Kazakhstan used to be, now you know that this one-time Soviet outpost is now a thriving, modern and welcoming nation in the heart of Eurasia.

Kazakhstan’s major cities offer a wide array of nightlife options

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com 73

Designer Balnur Asanova

Baln u aS

esigner Balnur Asanova’s work at Symbat Fashion D Academy combines past, present and future.

In Kazakhstan, there’s always a new balance being struck in design between old motifs and new shapes, old materials and new colors, old traditions and new ways of living. The academy, and Asanova’s collections, bring those elements of ancient Kazakh culture into the modern world. That doesn’t mean that the prizewinning designer’s collections are dated; far from it. She knows she pushes the envelope sometimes. “Colorfulness is very important. I use different colors in one collection. Some might say it’s too much, but in my opinion, a wide range of colors is our special feature, what makes us unique. In my last collection, I was obsessed with purple.”

n ur anOV an OVa OV a 75

Balnur Color, art and travel are the designer’s biggest inspirations. “I seek inspiration in my world view,” she says. “Traveling ... brings new emotions and energy to create. Another source of inspiration for me is painting. I am an artist, so different art exhibitions usually have a great influence on me. I might dedicate a collection to certain artist or certain piece of art.”

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APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com 77

Balnur Asanova studied art in Almaty before going on to costume design at the Zhurgenov National Academy of Arts. Even now, Asanova makes time to create and exhibit dolls, write articles about beauty and design books. But clothes are a constant—in the past ten years, her collections have been shown in Russia, China, across Europe and in the United States. She’s presented at Fashion Weeks around the globe, including those in Berlin, New York City and Dubai, among others. “It’s our good fortune that Kazakhstan is at the crossroads of European and

78 EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

ASANOVA Asian cultures,” Asanova says. “It opens good perspectives for our designers. ... The prediction, made by famous designers 10 years ago, has come true: Asian motifs have become popular because the world needs change.” Combining art forms, combining eras, combining cultures—Kazakhstan is rich with inspiration for this designer of convergences. You can see her work at Symbat VIP Boutique, 65A Zhibek Zholy Avenue, Almaty. For more information, call +7 (727) 273 14 41, visit www.symbat.kz, or e-mail info@symbat.kz.

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com 79

5 best

for

SPRINg

1. AstAnA nury

3. regine’s

Cuisine: Caucasian, European Address: 3/2 Respublika Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 43 93 38/39 Price range: $$$ Website: www.a-n.kz

Address: 33 Kunayev Street, 4th floor Phone: +7 (7172) 50 21 33 Price range: $$$

Astana Nury is a great restaurant for warm weather. It’s located directly on the Right Bank of the Yessil River just a few meters from the water and provides unobstructed views of the river and Astana’s modern skyline. Astana Nury offers a large and diverse menu ranging from Azeri specials to Kazakh favorites to dishes originating elsewhere in the Caucasus.

2. Ali BABA

Ali Baba offers a beautiful outdoor terrace for warm weather dining. You can sit with friends in traditional Tapchan platforms or at tables surrounded by fountains and kitschy nomad-themed décor. Their large menu includes excellent shashlyk, or kebobs, and tasty chebureks (a pastry with meat inside). The waiters are dressed in traditional costumes to complete the festive atmosphere. Cuisine: Caucasian, Kazakh, Middle Eastern Address: 3 Bukeykhan Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 04 06 Price range: $$$

Regine’s in Astana is a treat for more than just the palate. With sweeping views and opulent interiors, this branch of the international chain certainly has an impact on the eye. However, the talented chef and the unique French menu with some Kazakh dishes, will always bring guests back to their plates.

4. Al Fresco

A great place for light and quick Italian fare. The chef loves to mix things up with surprise offerings or by accommodating special requests. Service is fast, so if you want you can eat and be out in 30 minutes, but you very well may choose to linger through the afternoon or evening over wine or coffee. Cuisine: Italian Address: 14 Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (7172) 50-83-85 Hours: 10 am – Midnight Business lunch: Noon – 4 pm Price range: $$

hoosing a restaurant in Kazakhstan is a tour through the country’s spectrum of ethnicities. Russian and Korean options, among others, are served alongside traditional Kazakh dishes. There are also uniquely Kazakh blends: centuries of living side by side have led to unusual mixed cuisines—Chinese-Indian, anyone? Dishes from the East are also popular—Astana’s Korean population makes it a great place for kimchi-lovers, while India Gate aims for authenticity. Seafood is also growing in popularity in this landlocked country with restaurants like Flavor boasting fresh, flown-in maritime ingredients. But never fear—you’re rarely far from a classic Kazakh beshbarmak. And while English menus still aren’t necessarily standard, restaurant staff are friendly and helpful with visitors who don’t speak the language.

80 eDgeKZ.com N 1 APRIL 2013 o.

Ali Baba (Please note: the telephone numbers listed here are for dialing in Astana from a cell phone. For more information on making telephone calls, please see the “Practical Information When in Kazakhstan” section.)

5. FAvor

Unique, High-End and Tasty

Favor’s Astana outpost is a worthy successor to Favor Meat Club and Favor Fish and Terazza in Almaty. The Astana restaurant first opened its doors in April 2011 and its stylish interior, impeccable service and quality ingredients have quickly made Favor a favorite of the city’s gourmands. The restaurant’s extensive wine list is one of the first elements that makes Favor unique. “We have one of the largest wine selections in Astana and a good team of sommeliers to enrich your wine experience,” says Madina Sultangazina, Favor’s restaurateur. The interior is also unique and done in an Art Deco style with some modern elements. High ceilings, zebrawood decorative items, wicker lamp shades, as well as wood and leather contemporary sofas complete Favor’s romantic, stylish atmosphere. The restaurant also enjoys one of the best sites in the old city and is located in the same building as the Abay Hotel. Favor restaurant is all about food and quality service. “We offer a variety of dishes of Mediterranean, Chinese, Japanese and Pan-Asian cuisine,” Sultangazina explained. “Only professional chefs work in our kitchen, one for each type of cuisine.” Meat lovers will be happy here as Favor offers delicious steak with sauces that enhance and bring out the flavor of the well-prepared meat. There are also plenty of fish dishes in the menu, which will satisfy even the pickiest foodie. New, exotic recipes are made from fresh marine products. The open kitchen and glowing fire allow guests to follow the transformation of their raw gastronomic requests into tasty concoctions. The menu is available in Russian and English. Live jazz music after 8 p.m. also adds to Favor’s uniqueness. There is no strict dress code for guests, but if you don’t want to stand out, wear at least business-casual. Favor’s restaurateur is planning to expand the chain of Favor restaurants in Astana, so soon there will be even more high-end service and unique, delicious food.

Austeria

Cuisine: European Address: 9 Dostyk Street (Keruen shopping mall, 3rd floor) Phone: 8 (7172) 79 55 13 Hours: 10 am - 12 am Price range: $

Assorti

Cuisine: Russian, Italian, Japanese Address: 9 Dostyk Street (right behind Ramstore) Phone: 8 (7172) 79 53 97 Hours: 10 am - 12 am Web site: www.assorti.kz Price range: $$

Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Mediterranean, Pan Asian Address: 33A Respublica Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 330 103 Hours: Mon-Thurs: Noon-midnight, Fri-Sat: Noon-2 am Web site: www. favor.kz Price range: $$

Bagrationi

Bochonok Brewery

east West

Beerhoff

capital music and Pub restaurant

French Brasserie capri

Cuisine: Georgian, European, Kazakh Address: 25 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 21 48, 8 (7172) 40 21 50 Hours: Daily 11 am – 2 am Price range: $$$

Cuisine: European Address: 44 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 00 10, 8 (7172) 21 00 40 Hours: 11 am - 2 am Price range: $

Cuisine: European, mixed Address: 75 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 37 16 66 Hours: 10 am - 4 am Website: www.abr.kz Price range: $$

Cuisine: European, Kazakh Address: 14 Tauelydzyk Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 46 71 Hours: Noon - 2 am Web site: www.capital-astana.kz Price range: $$

Cuisine: Indian, Italian Address: 2/2 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 24 40 34 Hours: 11 am - 11 pm Web site: www.east-west.com.kz Price range: $$

Cuisine: Mediterranean Address: 4 Sary Arka Avenue, Radisson Hotel Phone: 8 (7172) 99 00 00 Hours: Noon - 3 am Price range: $$$

APRIL 2013 No. 1 eDgeKZ.com 81

Fusion

line Brew

gauchos

maghreb

il Patio and Planet sushi

medved

Cuisine: American, Italian, Japanese Address: 4B Mailina Street Phone: 8 (7172) 22 27 77 Hours: Noon – 2 am Price range: $$

Cuisine: Argentinian Address: 20 Mirzoyana Street Phone: +7 (7172) 61 85 85, +7 (7017) 07 07 60 Hours: Noon – 1 am Price range: $$

Cuisine: Pizza, Italian Address: 24 Turan Avenue (Sary Arka Shopping Center) and 10 Respublika Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 79 22 03 Hours: Week days until midnight, weekends until 2 am Price range: $$

izumi tay

Cuisine: Japanese Address: 32 Kabanbay Batyr Street Phone: +7 (7172) 24 27 23 Hours: 10 am to last customer Price range: $$$ Web site: www.arka.kz

Korean House

Cuisine: Cuisine: Korean, European, Japanese Address: 19/1 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 20 99 Hours: Noon – midnight Price range: $$

la riviere

Cuisine: French, Kazakh Address: 2 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue (near Quay Park) Phone: 8 (7172) 24 22 60 Hours: Noon to midnight Price range: $$$

Cuisine: European, Caucasian Address: 20 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 23 63 73 Hours: Noon – last customer Price range: $$$

Cuisine: Eastern, European Address: 20/1 Beibitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 53 44 66, 8777 999 20 09 Hours: Daily 12 noon – to last visitor Price range: $$

Cuisine: Russian Address: 46 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 28 75 Hours: Noon- 2 am Price range: $$

melnica “the Windmill” Cuisine: Ukrainian Address: 31 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 21 68 Hours: Noon – 2 am Price range: $$

migen

Cuisine: Korean Address: 2/1 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 24 29 04 Hours: Noon – 2 am Price range: $

most

Cuisine: European Address: Saraishik Street, Turkestan Street corner “Arailym” housing estate Phone: 8 (7172) 51 40 44 Hours: Noon – 2 am Price range: $$

muller

Cuisine: German & European Address: 12/1 Gabdulina

Fusion

Line Brew

Phone: 7 (7172) 41 19 30, 41 19 32 Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 11 am – midnight, Sat: 11 am – 2 am Average price: $

Pivovaroff

Cuisine: German Address: 1 Beibitshilik Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 32 88 66 Hours: Noon- 2 am Price range: $$

Portofino

Cuisine: Italian, Japanese Address: 27 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 20 34 Hours: Noon - last customer Price range: $$$

Princess turandot

Cuisine: Chinese Address: 40 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8(7172) 44 42 53 Hours: Noon to midnight Web site: www.turandot.kz Price range: $$

regine’s

Address: 33 Kunayev Street, 4th floor Phone: +7 (7172) 50 21 33 +7 (775) 682-34 41 Hours: 10 am - 2 am Price range: $$$

rixos l’olivo italian restaurant

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean Address: 7 Kunayeva Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 50 50 Hours: Hours: 10 am - last customer Price range: $$$

samovar

Cuisine: Russian Traditional Address: 22/2 Kabanbai Batyr

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Avenue, Kruglaya Ploshad, as well as 24 Kenessary Street (near the Sine Tempore Shopping Mall) Phone: 8 (7172) 974 171 Hours: Daily, 12 pm to 2 am

satti

Cuisine: Kazakh, International Address: 32 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 24 28 48 Hours: 10 am - 12:30 am Web site: www.arka.kz Price range: $$$

sbarro

Cuisine: Pizza and pasta Address: 1 Kurgaldzhinskoe Highway (Mega Center) Phone: 8 (7172) 79 14 97 Hours: 11 am - midnight Price range: $

tre Kronor

Cuisine: European Address: 17 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 20 50 Hours: Noon - 1 am Web site: www.trekronor.kz Price range: $$$

vaquero

Cuisine: Mexican, Italian Address: 5 Beibitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 01 21 Hours: Fridays: Noon – 2 am, Saturdays: Noon – 5 am Price range: $$

Zhybek Zholy

Cuisine: Kazakh, European, Eastern and Chinese Address: 102 Abay Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 21 05 07, 8 (7172) 21 66 56 Hours: 11 am - 3 am Price range: $$

083_AD_KAZATOM.indd 1

18/04/2013 1:43 ΜΜ

5 BEST

for

SPRING

1. LA BELLE

Located in old town Astana near the Yessil River, this coffee shop offers a lovely and shady outdoor seating area with traditional tapchan tents and cozy tables tucked beneath leafy shade trees. La Belle offers a full array of coffee drinks, as well as cocktails and hookah. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon with friends. Address: 12 Irchenko Street Phone: 8 (7172) 23 06 00 Hours: Noon-2 am

2. BON BON

Located near the iconic Baiterek Tower and in the midst of many of Astana’s top tourist sites, Bon Bon is a great place to rest and rejuvenate as you do a little warm weather sightseeing. This cafe is known particularly for its tasty Italian style coffees. Flavored hookah pipes are also available. Address: 14/1 Kunaev Street Phone: +7(7172) 508 501 Price range: $$

of cakes and pastries that will remind you of Europe. The coffee is outstanding and the cafe’s breads are reason enough to visit. Address: 14 Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (7172) 50 83 85 Hours: 8 am-midnight Website: www.eclair.kz

4. CARAMEL CAFE

Caramel Cafe opened in 2008 and has become known as a friendly, neighborhood coffee shop. Staff lay out board games, such as backgammon and chess for customers to share and the clientele ranges from teenagers to international business people catching up on work. The coffee is tasty and the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. Address: 10A Imanov Street Phone: +7 (7172) 537 388 Hours: 9:30 am-midnight, Fri and Sat 10 am - 1 am

3. ECLAIR

Few places are as beautiful in spring as Paris and you can get a small taste of that at the Eclair Cafe. The cafe offers an elegant interior reminiscent of a French bakery and offers a wide selection

anyas aren’t the only places in town to relax over steamy liquids. Astana and Almaty offer lots of lovely cafes and coffee shops in which to linger over an afternoon with friends, get some work done or just settle in with a cup of coffee and good book. Nowadays, of course, cafes do double-duty. The WiFi at Coffeedelia and Madlen in Almaty attract freelance workers and lunch meetings, while traditionalists head for Marrone Rosso’s gourmet beans. Many of Astana’s cafes also change character from coffee shops to nightclubs as day becomes night: Indiana is one relaxed place to start with a cup of Joe and linger for an afternoon beer. If you like sweets with your coffee, try the French bakery Éclair. With loads of options on hand, there’s bound to be a steaming cup of whatever blend you fancy just around the corner.

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Bon Bon

La Belle (Please note: the telephone numbers listed here are for dialing in Astana from a cell phone. For more information on making telephone calls, please see the “Practical Information When in Kazakhstan” section.)

Demalys Complex

5. RIVAS

A Hamptons Beachfront Café on the Yessil River

Rivas, which sits on the bank of the Yessil River, seeks to evoke the playground of New York’s business and cultural elite. “We wanted to introduce a new concept to Astana: the Hamptons beach house. We tried to epitomize the relaxation of a Hampton beach house in New York,” says Dias Battalov, the 29-year-old owner of the hot new café, which opened in August 2012. But while the Hamptons has a reputation for snobbishness, Rivas embodies simplicity and acceptance. There is no dress code or prepayment or reservations. Battalov wants his customers to feel peace of mind in Rivas’s natural setting, which includes live plants, grass, natural fabrics and great views of Astana’s central park. The relaxed atmosphere extends to bartenders and chefs who are given the freedom to improvise. The long menu, available in Russian and English, includes Italian dishes such as pastas and pizzas, and an array of European salads, along with the latest craze making its way to Astana: mini burgers. Presentation is also important at Rivas. The café’s Norwegian Rose salmon dish comes out looking like an extremely palatable flower. The bar also serves up exclusive cocktails like the Max Green, a green drink concocted by, not surprisingly, the bartender Max. On weekends, calm and relaxation give way to a louder vibe. Rivas invites famous DJs to spin disco and light, easy music, according to Battalov. The café is becoming very popular among foreign guests in Astana, complementing its Hamptons vibe with the new capital’s cosmopolitan sensibility. Address: 2 Zheltoksan Street, Grand Alatau Apartment Complex, Phone: +7 (7172) 517-506, Price range: $ Website: www.facebook.com/rivascoffee

Address: Central Park of Astana Phone: 8 (7172) 32 80 29 Hours: 11 am – 2 am Price range: $

Indiana

Address: 22 Sary Arka Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 34 63 Hours: 12 pm – 1 am Price range: $

Kvartal (Quarter)

Address: 24, 3rd Microdistrict Phones: 8 (7172) 34 11 25 Hours: Noon – 12 am Fri – Sat Noon – 2 am Price range: $

Library Café

Address: 61/1 Kenessary Street Phones: 8 (7172) 20 08 01 8 (702) 6822877 Hours: Tue – Fri 1 pm – 9 pm Sat 10 am – 7 pm Sun 2 pm – 7 pm (Closed on Mondays) Price range: $

Madlen

Address: 12/1 Tauelsyzdyk Street Phone: 8 (7172) 68 96 79 Hours: 10 am – 2 am Website: www.madlen.kz Price range: $

Mr. Coffee Bar Fontan

Address: Kenessary Street, Sine Tempore Shopping Mall, 1st Floor, Phone: 8 (7172) 75 38 80 Hours: Daily, 10 am–10 pm Prive range: $$

Brioche Café

Address: 28 Zhenis Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 520 963 Hours: 9 am-midnight Price range: $$

Bukhara

Address: 7, 3rd Microdistrict Phones: 8 (7172) 35 19 32 8 (7172) 36 57 32 Hours: Noon - 2 am Price range: $

Caféla

Address: 9 Dostyk Street, Keruen and Sary Arka shopping centers, Astana International Airport Phone: 8 (7172) 56 91 55 Hours: Mon – Fri, 9 am – 1 am,

Sat – Sun, 9 am – 2 am Price range: $$

Café Star

Address: 13 Dostyk Street (Nursaya-2 Residential complex) Phone: 8 (7172) 79 54 12 Hours: 9 am – last visitor Price range: $$

Chili Peppers

Address: 33 Sarayshik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 50 37 73 Hours: Noon – 1 am Price range: $$

Coffe Nova

Cuisine: European Address: 15 Sagynak Street Phone: 8 (7172) 79 52 55, 8 (7172) 56 69 34 Hours: 9 am – 12 am Price range: $

Coral Reef Café

Address: 171 Abay Street

Phone: 8 (7172) 21 83 93 Hours: Noon – 12 am Price range: $

Corso

Address: 12 Imanov Street (between Respublika Avenue and Valikhanov Street) Phone: 8 (7172) 53 73 00, 22 12 49 Hours: 9 am – 1 am Price range: $

Address: 15 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 90 10 33 Hours: 10 am – last visitor Price range:$$

News Café

Address: 34 12th Street, Diplomat Complex Phone: 8 (7172) 50 35 67 Hours: 10 am – 2 am Fri – Sun 11 am – 3 am Price range: $

Daisy Café

Address: 17 Kabanbai Batyra Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 79 30 20 Hours: 9 am – last visitor Price range: $$

Del Papa

Address: 59 Abaya Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 21 22 22 Hours: 11 am – 12 am Sat-Sun: 11 am – 1 am Website: www.abr.kz Price range: $$

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5 best

for

SPRInG

1. Sky Bar

Astana’s skyline offers unique buildings designed by the world’s greatest architects. And with the vast Eurasian steppe just beyond its borders, it’s a sight to behold. One of the best places to take in that view is Sky Bar. You can enjoy this bar’s extensive cocktail menu while taking in the full view of Astana through floor-to-ceiling windows. Address: 21 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue. Asia Park Shopping Mall (3rd floor) Phone: +7 (7172) 978 770 Hours: Noon-1 am Price range: $$

2. PivnitSa

If you’re looking for a cold beer to cool down from the spring or summer heat, this is the place. In fact, “Pivnitsa” loosely translated from Russian means “a place to have a beer.” Pivnitsa offers its award winning signature brew called Kelly Beer, among others, and has some of the tastiest sausages in Astana.

away a few of them listening to the live music at Gun ‘n’ Roses. Guns ‘n’ Roses is an up-market Irish pub serving draft beer and attracting expats and locals. Its walls are lined with classic rock music quotes and its pub menu offers Western comfort food. Address: 11 Samal Microdistrict Phone: 8 (7172) 59 18 09 Hours: 11am – 3 am

4. Han Bel

Astana is a very walkable city, particularly in spring and summer. And if you walk the promenade beside the Yessil River just past the Radisson Hotel, you’ll come to Han Bel. This bar is right on the water and is one of Astana’s most upscale Karaoke bars. And no night out is complete without a little Karaoke. Address: 1 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (701) 51 80 13 Hours: Noon-4 am

Address: 4 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 99 05 00 Hours: Noon - 2 am Price range: $$$ Han Bel

ars in Kazakhstan aren’t as flashy as the country’s nightclubs. Pubs here are considered places to relax, enjoy tasty comfort food and share a pint. Almaty’s tiny Shtab is cozy, local and with up to 35 brews on tap, a beer-lover’s delight. Line Brew’s dark wood and Belgian beers also give it an old-fashioned pub air. And no bar scene would be complete without good old fashion Irish pubs. You’ll find plenty in Almaty and Astana with some offering live Irish music. Other, more unique bars include Astana’s Pivnitsa, which loosely translated from Russian means “the place to get a beer,” and Little Goats Bar where waitresses and customers are encouraged to dance on the bar. Kazakhstan attracts visitors from all over the world and its bar scene is similarly diverse. So whatever your mood, you’ll find somewhere to share a pint and make a friend.

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3. GunS ‘n’ roSeS

As Astana’s nights get more interesting, you may want to while

Pivnitsa

Sky Bar (Please note: the telephone numbers listed here are for dialing in Astana from a cell phone. For more information on making telephone calls, please see the “Practical Information When in Kazakhstan” section.)

little Goats (Priyut Bodlivoy kozy)

Address: 12 A Konstotutsiya Street Phone: 8 (7172) 38 38 29 Hours: 7 pm to 5 am Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun Price range: $$

mindal

Address: 25/1 Kuishi Dina Street Phone: 8 (7172) 41 08 11 Hours: Mon – Tue 2:00 pm – 3:00 am Fri – Sun 2 pm – 5 am Price range: $$

5. tHe Wall lounGe Bar

Comfort and Good Cheer on Tap

Q night Bar

The Wall Lounge Bar opened in September 2012 at the Goldman Empire Hotel and fits right in with Astana’s young and developing bar culture. With chic, upscale interiors, seductive neon lights and a luxurious atmosphere, The Wall is all about comfort. The furniture is imported from Europe and the interior uses violet hues and flowers to create a cozy atmosphere appropriate for its 100-person capacity. The bar turns into a night club in the wee hours. “We have great music. The music changes according to customers’ moods and different events, so we invite different DJs,” says Zhanibek Assylbekov, the 25-year-old general manager. To make sure everyone feels at home at The Wall, the friendly staff is always ready to assist with any questions, there are no entrance fees and the dress code is casual. Depending on the event, there may be a deposit required, which means visitors must put down a minimum deposit and order food and drinks using that money. Amounts are determined by the club or the event organizers. The bar offers a standard line of cocktails and alcoholic beverages, as well as soda and juices. The Wall is located on Astana’s Right Bank in the residential area, about a 15-minute drive from the city center. Address: 13/1 Mirzoyan Street, Phone: +7 (7172) 34 24 24, Price range: $$, Website: www.goldmanempire.kz

Address: 10 Sagynak Street (Nomad Residential Complex) Phone: 8 (7172) 66 14 14 Hours: 6 pm – 3 am Price range: $$

rang

Address: 14 Kunayev Street (Nursaya Residential Complex) Phone: 8 (7172) 24 45 32 Hours: 10 am – 1 am Price range: $$$

rixos irish Bar

Address: 7 Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 50 50 Hours: Around the clock Price range: $$$

Staut bar 8 Drops music club

Address: 29 Abai Street and 6/4 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 46 70 18 Hours: 8 pm – 4 am Price range: $$

albion

Address: 6 Korgalzhinsky Highway Phone: 8 (7172) 79 69 90, 8 (7172) 79 69 91 Hours: 12 pm to last visitor Price range: $$

Bar Boss

Address: 8/2 Ryskulbekov Street in the Ak Kaiyn Hotel Phone: 8 (7172) 29 00 90 Hours: Daily 4 pm – 4 am Price range: $$

cigar Bar-radisson astana Address: 4 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 99 00 00 Hours: 8 am – 4 am Price range: $$$

cinzano Bar

Address: 5 Zhenis Street

Hours: Lounge bar on Fri and Sat: 7 pm – 4 am, Hotel and Saunas: 24 hours Web site: www.astanapark.kz Price range: $$$

Address: 4 Altynsaryna Phone: 8 (7172) 97 81 37/38 Hours: Around the clock Website: www.staut.kz Price range: $$

Address: 60 Kosmonatov Street Phones: 8 (7172) 24 44 44, 8 (7172) 24 54 44 Hours: Around the clock Website: www.comforthotel.kz Price range: $$

Jelsomino karaoke

Stolichny Pub

contrabass

kega Sports Bar

Phone: 8 (7172) 39 07 89, 8 (7172) 39 08 79 Hours: 4 pm – 4 am Price range: $$

comfort Hotel astana Bar

Address: 25/3a Ablai Khan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 56 15 01 Hours: Mon – Tue 5 pm – 4 am Fri-Sat 5 pm – 5 am Price range: $

Fair Play Bar

Address: 26 Imanova Street, “Rakhat” Residential Complex Phone: 8 701 216 38 88 Hours: Daily 6 pm – 6 am Price range: $$$

Address: 47 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 91 21 Hours: 12 pm – 1 am, Sun 6 pm – 1 am Price range: $$

Address: 11/1 Kuyshi Dina Street Phone: 8 (7172) 36 89 99 Hours: Mon- Tue 4:00 pm – 2:00 am Fri – Sat 4 pm – 4 am Sun 4 pm – 2 am Price range: $$$

Address: Astana, Altynsaryna 5 Phone: 8 (7172) 38 44 16 Hours: from 13:00 to 4:00 Price range: $

Graff lounge Bar

Address: 2 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 55 63 33, 8 777 11534 25

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5 best

for

Spring

1. chocolatE

Chocolate hosts Astana’s most beautiful party goers and practices strict dress and face control. But once inside, it’s a great time. The city’s hottest DJs pack the small dance floor and there are plenty of intimate seating areas. Chocolate is the place to see and be seen. Address: 2 Saryarka Avenue Phone: 8 (701) 50 00 17 Hours: Friday and Saturday 11 pm-5 am Website: www.goodproject.kz

2. oscar

Oscar’s is a great warm weather nightclub because on weekends you’re going to wait to get in. A red carpet with Oscars statues and pictures of Hollywood stars leads to the two-level club. And if you get tired of dancing, you can watch beautiful go-go dancers do it for you. Address: 2A Kurgalzhinskoe Highway, Hotel Duman Phone: 8 (7172) 79 15 67 Hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 12 pm-2 am Friday–Saturday 12 pm-5 am Web: www.nc-oscar.kz

to do it. 8 Kapel is upscale but less pretentious than some of the city’s other nightclubs and a great place for a good time. The DJs mix techno and rock and a European menu and wine list are available. Address: 6/4 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 46 70 18 Hours: Daily 9 am-3 am (Until 4 am holidays)

4. aZhur

As nights get warmer and dresses get shorter, you can wear your little black dress to Azhur, which caters to the luxury crowd. From rich draperies and padded walls to spacious couches and elegant chandeliers, Azhur is the place to go if you like to be surrounded by the finest of everything. Address: 27 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 20 34 Hours: Evening – to last visitor

3. 8 KapEl

Spring and summer are a time to relax and 8 Kapel is the place Azhur

he days may be getting longer, but the nights are long all year round in Kazakhstan where the country’s young and beautiful—and those who want to be—enjoy nightlife into the wee hours. “Beautiful” is important here: most clubs have dress codes, so dress up. And we do mean the wee hours. Show up before midnight at top clubs and you’ll be the only one there. But look sharp and stay late and you’ll have a great time. Almaty’s club scene is the country’s biggest with hip hop, Latin lounges and international DJs. Astana’s scene is growing and experimenting. Art Gallery Nightclub, for example, has a bowling alley in addition to its dance floor. But both cities are overflowing with places where long af after dark, the beat goes on.

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Oscar (please note: the telephone numbers listed here are for dialing in Astana from a cell phone. For more information on making telephone calls, please see the “practical information When in Kazakhstan” section.)

vides it in spades. But you don’t need to be a Vip to enjoy Jimmy’z, as long as you can dress (and perhaps spend) like one. Address: 33 Kunaeva Street, 12th floor Phone: +7 (7172) 50 20 33; +7 (775) 682-34 41 Price range: $$$

Kazbar

5. FashIoN NIGhtclub Where the pretty go to party

Fashion Nightclub aims to be the best entertainment venue in the capital. The seeand-be-seen mentality of the club lures gilded youth, top models, officials and business people: anyone who wants to cut loose in luxury. All the glitz and glamour of Astana is on display here. “Our club is the best place to party from dust till dawn for those who want to be entertained, meet new, interesting people and just have a good time hanging out with friends,” says Kirill Volkov, the club’s art director. Celebrities pop in frequently and both locals and foreigners pack the bar and dance floor. Fashion Nightclub is also known for its live entertainment. Top go-go girls and unique performance artists provide treats for the eyes while deep house music plays into the wee hours. The region’s most popular DJs are often on hand playing a mix of different styles. There’s also live music. Fashion Nightclub guests have witnessed performances by Dan Balan, DJ Layla, DJ Benzina, Band’Eros, Quest Pistols and others. And all of this is wrapped in unique laser light shows. The club’s interior design also enhances the unique atmosphere with purple walls, metallic decorative elements and geometric designs. The main area holds up to 2,000 guests. Fashion’s food menu features a variety of European and Japanese dishes. Its extensive drinks menu has a beverage for every taste and cocktails are free for women from 11 p.m. until midnight. Hookahs are also available. Fashion also practices strict face control and has a dress code, so dress to impress. Once inside, you won’t want to go anywhere else. “Just come to the Fashion club once and you will become our permanent client,” says Volkov. Address: 4 Mailina Street, Phone: +7-701-888-52-82, +7(7172)- 222 777 , Price range: $$ Website: http://www.fashion-club.kz

El Karnak

El Karnak is not just a nightclub. it’s also a Karaoke lounge, live music joint and good all-around place to share food and drinks with friends. in fact, the new owner prefers the name, “Entertainment Complex El Karnak.” The owner bought the complex a year and a half ago and renovated nearly the entire multi-level building. now revelers can spend time in the Egyptianinspired nightclub, sing Karaoke in front of a state-of-the-art screen or just chill out in the top floor lounge. no matter what your preference, El Karnak will have a vibe you enjoy.

Address: 52 Imanova Street Phone: 8 (7172) 37 62 24, 8 (7172) 37 62 24 Hours: Daily 8 pm – 8 am Price range: $$

Imperial Nightclub

This nightclub was renovated in 2007 and given a romanesque flair with an interior that is now upscale and exotic, but comfortable. Visitors are given four nightlife options. They can head to the club’s main dance floor, visit its karaoke room, enjoy quiet conversation in the intimately lit lounge or hang out in the front

room smoking hookah on puffy couches. This is a comfortable, laid-back nightclub that offers a little something for everyone. Cuisine: European Address: 38 Kenesary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 69 32; 8 (7172) 32 21 21 Hours: Daily 7 am-5 pm Website: www.imperial-hit.kz Price range: $$$

if you want an upscale evening of the best food, good times and beautiful people, this is the place to go. Kazbar is spread over two levels. The first level offers one of Astana’s best steakhouses with 16 styles of steak. The second level offers a high-end nightclub with a strict dress code and discerning face control. it’s there that you’ll find some of the city’s best music and prettiest people. Cuisine: European Address: 18 Mirzoyana Street Phone: 8 (7172) 92 88 49, 8 701 828 36 40 Hours: Restaurant: Daily 12 am – 2 am Lounge bar: Thur-Sun: 8 pm – 3 am Price range: $$$

White hall

When the owner of White Hall decided to open an upscale nightclub in Astana, he determined it had to have one thing: light. One of the first things you notice when you walk into White Hall is that it is not some dark, smoke-filled club packed with sweaty bodies. it is light and airy with big white comfortable couches and plenty of room to move around. it also has a large central bar so service is quick. Sure, it has DJs and go-go dancers and is filled with Astana’s pretty people. But more than a lot of other clubs, it’s a place to spread out, relax and enjoy the night. Address: 12 Mirzoyana Street Phone: 8 (7172) 46 46 16, 8 (7018) 71 81 99 Hours: Thurs-Sat 8 pm – 7 am Price range: $$

Jimmy’z

Jimmy’z is where the suits go to cut loose. Upscale, aristocratic, attentive and private, the club knows what Vips need and pro-

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American Corner and Cultural Centers in Kazakhstan

The long-awaited “American Corner” has been launched at the National Academic Library in Astana, and it’s a gold mine for anyone, of any age, who is interested in practicing English and learning about the United States. You’ll find English-language collections of American fiction and reference books on U.S. government, history, and culture. Visitors also can learn more via Internet access, audio recordings and American films and documentaries. For English teachers, extensive materials and English-teaching curriculums are on hand. The center also hosts myriad events and clubs for children and adults. Among them are a discussion and debate club, music club, reading club, movie viewing club and kids’ hour. Also featured are local and U.S. guest lecturers dedicated to certain events. Regular Saturday events are movie nights at 5 pm, discussion club at 3 pm and reading club at 4 pm. Open to the public. Address: The National Academic Library (near Baiterek) Phone: 8(7172) 44 62 54 Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11 am – 8 pm; Saturday & Sunday 10 am – 6 pm; closed on Mondays and the last Friday of every month. Website: www.amcorners.kz

Alzhir Memorial Museum of Victims of Political Repressions and Totalitarianism

he arts scene in Kazakhstan is as energetic as the young country itself. Kazakhstan boasts award winning dance and theater troupes, modern art and a bourgeoning fashion scene. Astana’s Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall offers new and traditional musical performances, while the Maxim Gorky Russian Drama Theater shows classic and contemporary plays. Astana itself is also a work of art with buildings designed by top architects. Almaty is also historic and cutting edge. The Central State Museum offers an artistic tour of Kazakhstan’s history, while Arvest Art Gallery features art happening now. And at the State Museum of National Musical Instruments you can take a closer look at the origins of traditional music. Ancient and cutting edge, Kazakhstan’s arts scene reflects this dynamically changing nation.

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On May 31, 2007, the Alzhir Museum opened at the location of the former Akmolinsky camp of “Wives of the Traitors of the Motherland.” It memorializes the tragic events of Soviet rule, including the dark times of the 1930s – 1950s. The year 2007 was chosen as the museum’s opening date for its meaning to Kazakhstan and former Soviet countries. It was the 90th anniversary of the October Revolution and the 70th anniversary of the beginnings of the mass political terror. During this period 100,000 innocent civilians lost their lives. In Kazakhstan, every May 31 is a day of

remembrance for the victims. The memorial complex is a moving experience with many exhibits. English language tours and translations are provided. Address: Kurgalzhin Highway, 37 km from Astana in Malinovka village Phone: 8 (7172) 49 94 55, 8 (7172) 54 26 69 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Website: www.alzhir.ucoz.kz

Atameken: A Walking Map of Kazakhstan

Don’t have time to travel through all of Kazakhstan? Then stroll through the Atameken, a 4.2-acre outdoor map-museum that lets visitors walk through Kazakhstan’s history, culture and development. See miniaturizations of every Kazakh city, including famous buildings, cultural icons, markets and mountains—even the famous Cosmodrome in Baikonur. Beautifully landscaped, this unique “ethnopark” reportedly is one of only 20 such exhibitions in the world. Address: 6 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 24 04 97, 8 (7172) 24 52 72 Hours: 8 am – 10 pm Open from May to November. Atameken: a walking map of Kazakhstan works during the summer time.

Congress Hall

Congress Hall has been the high culture center of the city for decades, but now is also much more. Kazakhstan’s great heritage of classical music flourishes alongside the high spirits and bright energy of students and school children in a joyous spectrum of activity. No matter the day of the week, you are sure to find something interesting at Congress Hall. Address: 32 Kenesary Street Phone: +7 (7172) 75 22 00 Price range: $

Has Sanat Gallery

The Has Sanat Gallery has works of well-known artists and emerging talent. The core of its collection is paintings by local Kazakh artists, including A. Sadykhanov, A. Akanayev and E. Tolepbay. The gallery also hosts traveling exhibits of work from Kazakhstan and abroad.

(Please note: the telephone numbers listed here are for dialing in Astana from a cell phone. For more information on making telephone calls, please see the “Practical Information When in Kazakhstan” section.)

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Address: 47 Abai Avenue and 14 Kunaev Street (Nursaya-1 residential complex) Phone: 8 (7172) 39 12 68, 8 (7172) 50 84 65 Website: www.hassanat.kz

Kulanshi Modern Art Center The Kulanshi Center has a collection that includes European masters, such as Albrecht Durer, Rembrandt, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

Address: 57 Tauelsizdik Street, Palace of Peace and Harmony (6th floor) Phone: 8 (7172) 74 47 17 Hours: Mon. – Fri. : 10 am - 6 pm Sat.: 11 am - 5 pm

Modern Art Gallery

This gallery of art, located in the Palace of Peace and Harmony, is the place to see the work of modern Kazakh painters. It is divided into several galleries of different colors. The main gallery is yellow and has 100 paintings and 19 sculptures. Here you can see works of modern Kazakh painters, such as K. V. Mullashev, Akanaev and Begalin. Address: 57 Tauelsizdik Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 70 03 83 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (Closed Mondays)

Palace of Peace and Harmony

The Palace of Peace and Harmony is a great place to see amazing architecture and modern art. The building itself was designed by renowned architect Norman Foster and offers great views of the city. It also houses a soaring, three-level concert hall, a modern art gallery and is home to rotating exhibitions. It’s worth a visit. Address: 57 Tauelsizdik Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 74 47 77 www.astana-piramida.kz

Shezhyre Gallery

This gallery exhibits the work of local and foreign artists. Address: 57 Tauelsizdik Street, Palace of Peace and Harmony Phone: 8 (7172) 74 47 27

The Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall

The Kazakhstan Concert Hall has two main auditoriums, one for film and another for the

performing arts, such as concerts and ballet performances. The film theater can seat up to 3500 people. The concert hall has a wide orchestra pit and back stage for theater, ballet and modern or classical concerts. Address: 10/1 Orynbor Street Phone: 8 (7172) 70 53 02

The Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This museum is located in the president’s former residence and offers a unique insight into the birth of a nation and its progress through time. The exhibits reveal the most important stages in the formation of an independent Kazakhstan and talks about the life and work of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The interiors are intact and the museum collection of over 60,000 items includes souvenirs, books, archival manuscripts, printed materials, film and documentary photographs, works of fine and decorative arts, weapons, personal belongings and documents donated by the president. Address: 11 Beibitshilik Street Phones: 8 (7172) 75 12 14/92

The Museum of Modern Art in Astana

Originally named the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art was established in 1980. It started with a collection of 500 works of art, which has grown over the last 30 years to 3,000 pieces. Currently, the collection includes works by artists from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Tajikistan and other CIS countries. Address: 3 Respublika Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 44 02 61 Website: www.msi-astana.kz

The National Theater of opera and Ballet Named after Kulyash Baiseitova

Located near the railway station, this theater is an example of late 19th century architecture. It has gone through a major renovation and now holds large and small concert halls, a restaurant and practice rooms. The theater focuses on producing a repertoire of Kazakh musical and cultural

MAxiM GoRKy RuSSiAN DRAMA THEATER

Drama and Architectural History The Maxim Gorky Russian Drama Theater has its home in one of the oldest buildings in Astana. The oldest part of the theater was built in 1899 and the current main structure is from 1916. The building is a fine example of the Russian Revival style, which evolved in the 19th century and was much in demand. The second floor of the theater is a museum housing effects from theater history, including notices written in old Slavonic, old costumes and a collection of awards. The theater auditorium and the stage itself are pretty small, holding only 286 people. The oldest and most stunning part of the auditorium is the ceiling molding embellished with a huge chandelier. The historical value of the room means it cannot be modernized. “This makes our performances a bit old fashioned,” says Public Relations Manager Maria Kim, “but we hope to get a new building soon.” The Maxim Gorky Russian Drama Theater stages performances based on Russian classics, as well as contemporary plays. Recently, the company was the only one from the Commonwealth of Independent States to take part in the Beijing Theater Festival in 2008, staging “Hamlet” alongside the biggest theaters of Germany, Italy, Israel, Great Britain and Poland. Over the last four years, the theater group has played on stages across Europe. For almost 50 years, the Maxim Gorky Russian Drama Theater has been a favorite of Astana theater-goers. With classic and contemporary performances, seasoned international performers and an historic home, the theater is definitely worth visiting. There is no strict dress code, but appropriate dress is expected. There is also no strict age requirement, but there are special performances for children during the day. Address: 13 Zheltoksan Street, Phone: 8 (7172) 32 24 49 Website: http://grdt.kz/

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performances. World-class talent has been invited to perform opera classics, including “The Wedding of Figaro,” “Chio-chio-san,” “La Traviata” and “Eugene Onegin,” among others. The National Theater of Opera and Ballet has received recognition for its quality productions in Kazakhstan and abroad. The concert hall is small, but has good acoustics and seats approximately 300 people. Address: 10 Akzhaiyk Street Phones: 8 (7172) 39 27 60/61 Website: www.astana-anshlag.kz

The Palace of independence

The Palace of Independence is used for official state functions, including forums, meetings and conventions. It includes the gallery of applied art and ethnography, archeology and anthropology, a modern art gallery and the Museum of City History of Astana. It also has two theaters; one is a 4D cinema and the other a theater in 360 degrees. The Palace also includes an electronic library and a model gallery. Address: 52 Manas Street Phones: 8 (7172) 70 03 80/95/89 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (Closed Mondays) Website: http://tauelsizdik.kz

The Nazarbayev Center

The Nazarbayev Center is conveniently located at the edge of the Right Bank and is easily accessible from the Left Bank. Its museum boasts 143,000 artifacts related to Kazakh archeology, ethnography, history, culture and arts. The “Kazakh Ethnography” collection captures the traditional lifestyles of the Kazakh people and gives visitors a closer understanding of Kazakhstan’s past and present. History comes alive in displays, such as a Kazakh yurt, furniture, tableware, clothing, jewelry and many more items. The most striking and valuable exhibit is a bride’s headpiece (saukele)

UPCOMING EVENTS APRIL 9-21 Chevron Corporation Photography Exhibition “20 Years in Kazakhstan” Museum of Contemporary Arts Address: 3 Respublika Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 44 01 96 Hours: 10 am – 7 pm

APRIL 24-26 Astana Flora Expo 2013

APRIL 25-26 XI Eurasian Media Forum

Kazmedia Center Address: 4 Kunaev Street Phone: +7 (727) 250 65 04 Online registration: http://www.eamedia.org/en/ Hours: Call for times and details

MAY 10-16 First International Classic Music Festival “Astana Piano Passion” Kazakh National Music Academy Adress: 65 Pobeda Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 23-92-94, 23-92-96 Hours: Call for performance times

MAY 15-17 VI International Exhibition and Conference SU ARNASY-2013 “Water Consumption: Reality, Problems and Prospects”

Radisson Hotel Address: 4 Sary Arka Street Phone: 8 (7172) 99 00 00 Hours: Call for show times

JUNE 24-26 Eurasian Higher Education Leaders Forum Nazarbayev University Adress: 53 Kabanbai Batir Street Phone: 8 (7172) 70 61 80, 70 61 82 Hours: Call for times

JULY 4-6 4th International Mining & Metallurgy Congress of Industry Leaders Independence Palace Address: 52 Tauelsizdik Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 70 03 80, 70 03 95 Hours: Call for times

Korme Exhibition Complex Address: 3 Dostyk Street Phone: 8 (7172) 52-43-21 Hours: Call for times

made in the beginning of the 19th century. One of the most interesting collections is of 135 musical instruments on loan from B.A. Sarybaev. The center also has a library with a collection of more than 700,000 items stored in various media and a collection of rare books dated between the 17th and the 20th centuries. Address: 2 Respublika Avenue Phones: 8 (7172) 44 32 33/76

Saken Seifullin was a pioneer of modern Kazakh literature, poet and writer and national activist. He penned controversial literature calling for greater indepen-

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Congress Hall Address: 1 Beibitshilik Street Phone: +7 (7172) 75-23-83, 75-22-00 Online registration: http://2013.astanaforum.org/en/wac Hours: Call for times

MAY 24-26 South Africa Week of Fashion and Week of Culture

Korme Exhibition Complex Address: 3 Dostyk Street Phone: 8 (7172) 52-43-21 Hours: Call for exhibition times

The Saken Seifullin Museum

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MAY 22-24 World Anti-Crisis Conference and 6th Astana Economic Forum

dence of Kazakhs from Soviet and Russian power and paid for it with his life. Deemed a “threat to the society” and a “nationalist,” Seifullin was executed in Almaty in 1939. Today, he is considered one of the most influential Kazakh thinkers of the 21st century, a major contributor to Kazakh culture and literature and a martyr for freedom. The fascinating museum memorializes his works, but also serves as a research center. Opened in 1988, it’s now called one of the “historical and spiritual centers of Kazakhstan.” Address: 20A Ayezov Street Phone: 8(7172) 32 20 81 Fax: 8 (7172) 32 84 67

Hours: 10 am - 6 pm (Closed Mondays)

The Zhastar Palace

This is a popular place for leisure activities and the building is a historical and architectural monument. The four-story building was designed to bring large complexes like an auditorium or gymnasium into one whole. After its reconstruction in 2001, the facades were redecorated with modern materials. Visually stunning, presently more than 1,000 children and adolescents are engaged in creative work here. Address: 34 Republic Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 32 80 91

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5 best

for

SPRIng

1. World Class

World Class is Astana’s most exclusive fitness center. It has a fully equipped gym, swimming pool and spa. It offers group fitness classes, including yoga and pilates, as well as personal training. It’s a great place to work out because you can walk to it from major hotels by following the promenade along the Yessil River through the city. Address: 1 Pobedy Street (Next to the Radisson Hotel) Phone: 8 (7172) 39 13 69 Hours: Weekdays 7 am-midnight. Weekends 9 am-midnight Website: www.worldclass.kz

2. Beijing soluxe

BiCyCle traCk

Cyclists will enjoy this state-ofthe-art bicycle track and fitness center, which is actually shaped like a big bicycle helmet. This center, one of Astana’s most unique buildings, also offers two pools, a cardio training center and muscle building equipment. And you can end your workout by relaxing in a Turkish or Finnish sauna. Address: 5 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, kilometer 5 Phone: 8 (7172) 70 71 79 Hours: Tues-Sun 9 am-11 pm

4. tHe HigHvill

Cultural and Community Center

Hotel spa and Fitness Center

Few things cool you off better than a dip in a pool. And the pool area at this fitness center and spa is among Astana’s best. The pool area is large at 65 meters and includes two children’s pools. You can also relax in a sauna, utilize modern exercise equipment or get a Chinese, European or Swedish massage.

Aquarius Spa Center

3. sary-arka

Address: 27 Syganak Street, Beijing Soluxe Hotel Astana Phone: 8 (7172) 70 15 15 Hours: Daily 10 am – 10 pm Website: http://soluxe-astana.kz/ru

Highvill offers a sports complex with a gym, running track and free weights, as well as a variety of exercise machines. Instructors are available for individual training and clients can participate in a variety of exercise classes. The center also offers a small relaxation pool, towels and slippers to keep you warm and comfortable. Address: 1, 23-21 Street Phone: 8 (7172) 51 32 69 Hours: 9 am – 10 pm

desire to maintain your health and look good doesn’t end when traveling internationally. So you’ll find plenty of modern and traditional health and fitness centers in Kazakhstan. You can chat and have a drink while sweating out impurities at a traditional banya or utilize the latest workout machines at one of the country’s modern health clubs. At Kazakhstan’s banyas, you can steam out toxins, get a beating with small branches to open your pores and take a dip in a cold pool. Almaty’s Arasan Banya is popular as is Astana’s Keremet Banya. For those seeking a modern workout, fitness centers are everywhere. FitNation has outposts in Astana and Almaty, but there are many others with different focuses. Almaty’s Luxor aims to pamper as well as punish, while Astana’s Life Fitness has group classes and children’s programs.

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Beijing Soluxe Hotel Spa and Fitness Center (Please note: the telephone numbers listed here are for dialing in Astana from a cell phone. For more information on making telephone calls, please see the “Practical Information When in Kazakhstan” section.)

5. keremet Banya

Part of the Character of Astana

Among the many buildings that stand out among Astana’s unique structures is the Keremet Banya, which is renowned for its traditional eastern and Kazakh architecture. The building is reminiscent of a mausoleum with two towers and a central dome. But inside it’s full of life. Fountains fill the main room with the sound of running water and shops offer bathing accessories like soaps and bath brooms. (Bath brooms are used in Russian-style saunas to beat the body, heating it and restoring circulation. It sounds crazy, but banya regulars say it works wonders.) “Our banya is part of the face of Astana, the business card of our capital so to speak, and we are proud to main-

daulet

Type: Sports complex and tennis courts Address: 6/3 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 44-56-24 Hours: 8 am - 11 pm

emir

Type: Banya Address: 2 Sary Arka Avenue (Left Bank) Phone: 8 (7172) 55 63 33 Hours: 24 hours URL: http://astana-park.kz

esil Fitness Center

Type: Fitness center Address: 8 Beibitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 59 19 01 Website: http://www.grandparkesil.kz/

Fitnation network

Type: Fitness center Address: 4/1 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 23 05 95

tain it at that level,” says Sulaiman Kamazayev, Keremet Banya’s managing director. Keremet’s four levels contain a variety of treatments. The lowest floor has private saunas, pools and steam rooms. The main room has fountains and two small bars, one that serves alcohol and one that doesn’t. Separate banyas for men and women and a fish foot treatment room are at the very back. On the second floor are fitness facilities for women, a fashion school and programs for pregnant women. The top floor is a men’s gym. Keremet Banya opened in 2006 on Sary Arka Avenue on the Left Bank, just before restaurant alley. The architecture makes the place impossible to miss—and you wouldn’t want to pass this banya by. Address: 19 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 79 18 01 Web site: www.keremet-banya.kz

Hours: 7 am - 11 pm URL: www.fitnation.kz

Hours: 24 hours Website: http://7kazyna.kz

Phone: 8 (717) 241 38 38 Hours: 7am – midnight

Fitnation premium

keremet

sharoban

Fitness First

life Fitness astana

Address: Karaotkel, 159th Drive Unit # 2 Phone: +7 (7172) 79 69 99 Hours: Weekdays 7 am - 11 pm, weekends 9 am - 10 pm www.fitnation.kz

Type: Fitness center Address: Kabanbai Batyra Street, Asia Park Mall, second floor Phone: 8 (7172) 97 87 77 Hours: 09 am – 11 pm Website: http://fitnessfirst.kz/clubs/ astana/

Zhety kazyna

Type: Sauna complex Address: 18 Bogenbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 23 65 09

Type: Banya complex Address: 19 Turan Avenue (Left Bank, opposite Mega Centre) Phones: 8 (7172) 79 18 00, 8 (7172) 79 18 03 Hours: 10 am-10 pm

Type: Entertainment center Address: 38 Seifullin Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 67 70, 8 (7172) 32 67 68 Hours: 3 pm – 3 am

Type: Fitness center Address: 2 Turkestan Street Phone: 8 (7172) 79 73 73 Hours: Weekdays 7:00 am-12:00 am Weekends 9 am-12 am

renaissance Beauty salon Address: 1 Kazhymukana Street Phone: +7 (7172) 36 91 12

Website: www.life-fitness.

rixos president

Type: Banya/Spa Address: 7 B Kunayev Street

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Abay Hotel H H H

Diplomat Hotel H H H H

Akku Hotel H H H H

Duman Hotel H H H H

Address: 33 Republic Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 33 01 00 Email: 330414@mail.ru

Address: 22 Ryskulova Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 41 99 E-mail: akky@inbox.ru

Altyn Dala Hotel H H H H

Address: 29/1 Konayeva Street Phone: +7 (7172) 550 001 Website: www.diplomathotel.kz

Address: 2A Kurgalzhin Road Phone: 8 (7172) 79 15 00 Email: reservation@duman-hotel.kz

Everest Hotel H H H

Address: 6 Bigeldinova Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 33 11, 8 (7172) 32 77 49 Email: altyn_dala@mail.ru

Address: 7/1 Furmanova Street Phone: 8 (7172) 34 74 75 Email: hotel@everest.kz

Astana Art Hotel H H H

Grand Park Esil Hotel H H H H

Address: 42 Zheltoksan Street Phone: 8(7172) 30 20 20 Email: artastana@inbox.ru, artastana@gmail.com

Astana Park Hotel H H H H Address: 2 Saryarka Street Phone: 7 (7172) 55 63 33 Website: www.astanapark.kz

Beijing Palace Soluxe Hotel Astana H H H H H

Address: 8 Beibitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 59 19 01 Website: http://www.grandparkesil.kz/

Imperia G Hotel H H H H Address: 63 Abay Street Phone: 8 (7172) 40 55 01 Website: www.imperia-g.kz

Jelsomino Hotel H H H H H

Address: 27 Sagynak Street Phone: 8 (7172) 70 15 15 Website: www.soluxe-astana.kz

Address: 26 Imanova Street, “Rakhat” Residential Complex Phone: 8 (7172) 73-13-38 / 39, 8(701) 100 02 01 Website: www.GoodProject.kz

comfort Hotel Astana H H H

Jumbaktas Hotel H H H H

Daniyar Hotel H H H

King Hotel Astana H H H H

Address: 60 Kosmonavtov Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 44 44 Website: http://www.comforthotel.kz

Address: 11 Tauelsizdik Phone: 8 (7172) 35 02 15 Email: daniyar_astana_2010@mail.ru

Address: 65 Karasakal Erymbet Street Phone: 8 (7172) 67 77 37 Website: www.jumbaktas.kz

Address: 7 Valikhanova Street Phone: 8 (7172) 70 57 05 Website: www.kinghotelastana.com

azakhstan has been attracting international visitors since gaining independence 21 years ago and today those visitors are finding an array of luxury and boutique hotels. Astana, the nation’s capital since 1997, hosts visitors from around the world in such boutique hotels as the Jelsomino, which also has a hip, popular bar. Astana’s vibe is new and luxe and offers five-star options to match, including the Rixos, Radisson SAS and Beijing Palace Soluxe hotels. Funkier is the Manhattan Astana Hotel, which capitalizes on 1950s New York City nostalgia. Outside Almaty, the nation’s largest city, the Tau House Hotel sits in the gorgeous Alatau Mountains and offers a resort-like atmosphere. Whether you prefer brand name hotels or hip boutique accommodations, there’s a room for you here.

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GoLDmAn EmPIRE HoTEL Kazakh Hospitality Away from the City Bustle The Goldman Empire Hotel opened in May 2012 on Astana’s Right Bank in the Evraziya (“Eurasia”) residential district. Fitting for a hotel in a residential area, the Goldman Empire has a homey, cozy atmosphere and affordable prices. The hotel is named after Kazakhstan’s Altyn Adam, or golden man, one of the country’s most famous ancient treasures. Warmth and gold-star service are the hotel’s aims. “Kazakh hospitality with Western service,” says Front Office and Sales Manager Ainur Abdrakhimova. “We are located away from the city center and our guests, who are mostly foreign tourists and businessmen, like that. The quietness of the residential area away from all the bustle. It’s a kind of an escape from the noisy city center.” The Goldman Empire Hotel is about a 15-minute taxi ride from the city center, but that doesn’t mean guests will lack for entertainment. Nearby are a bowling alley, a skating rink and an ice hockey rink just five minutes by foot from the hotel. The hotel itself features eight luxury suites, four deluxe suites and 40 standard suites. There is also a swimming pool, billiards tables and a sauna to help guests unwind. The restaurant, Continent, serves Kazakh and European dishes, and a conference room for up to 40 people is also available. The hotel is planning another location within the venue of the international exhibition EXPO 2017. This time, the new Goldman Empire will be a five-star hotel on Astana’s Left Bank. The project is due to start this year. Address: 13/1 Mirzoyan Street, Phone: +7 (7172) 34 24 24 Web site: www.goldmanempire.kz

Lakki Hotel H H H

Address: 32/3 Abylay Han Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 34 49 63 Email: complexlakki@mail.ru

Lion Hotel H H H

oasis Inn Hotel H H H

Address: 12a Momyshuly Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 51 25 51 Email: reservation@oasisinn.kz Website: www.oasisinn.kz

Address: 57 Moscovskaya Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 46 20 Email: lion-hotel@mail.ru Website: www.lion-hotel.kz

Prestige Hotel H H H

manhattan Hotel H H H H

Radisson SAS Hotel H H H H H

Address: 5 Tauelsizdik Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 36 15 36 Website: www.manastana.kz

mukammal Hotel H H H H Address: 53/1 Pobeda Avenue Phones: 8 (7172) 30 29 06, 8 (7172) 30 29 07 Website: www.mukammal.kz

Address: 1 Zheltoksan Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 51 81 Email: prestige_hotel@mail.ru

Address: 4 Sary Arka Street Phone: 7 (7172) 99 00 00 Website: www.astana.radissonsas.com

Ramada Plaza Hotel H H H H H Address: 47 Abay Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 10 00 Website: www.ramada.com

Rixos President H H H H H Address: 7 B Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 50 50 Website: www.rixos.com

Tengri Hotel H H H

Address: 1 A Mailin Street Phone: +7 (7172) 413 828 Website: www.tengrihotel.kz

Zhasamir Hotel H H H

Address: 17 Kenesary Street Phones: 8 (7172) 32 30 95, 8 (7172) 32 33 97 Website: www.jasamir.kz

*Hotel star rating provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com 97

5 best

for

SPrIng

1. Men Style

Men Style is one of Astana’s most unique men’s clothing stores offering a modern, fun and international sense of style. This twostory outlet offers everything from colorful shoes to unique T-shirts to the best designer suits. Brands such as Lodenfrey and Jacques Britt line the walls and the fashions here are always in season. Address: 6 Barayeva Street Phone: 8 (7172) 75 38 07 Hours: 10 am-11 pm

2. Khan Shatyr

Khan Shatyr is a great place to take a break from the spring and summer heat, go for a swim and shop for the latest fashions all in one place. The Khan Shatyr building is shaped like a traditional yurt and is becoming known as the world’s largest tent. This is Astana’s most comprehensive and unique shopping and entertainment center. Address: Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 57 26 26 Hours: 10 am-10 pm Website: www.khanshatyr.com

3. Mega Shopping Center

Mega is another of Astana’s large combination shopping and entertainment complexes. In addition to international brands, Mega’s three packed levels include a skating rink, rock climbing wall, movie theater and children’s arcade. This is a great place to go if you want to do a little peoplewatching while buying a new dress shirt. Address: 24 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 79 09 90 Hours: 10 am-10 pm

4. Sine teMpore

On the other end of the shopping spectrum is Sine Tempore. If you’re looking to do some serious shopping devoid of movie theaters and arcades, this is the place to go. Sine Tempore is the oldest shopping center in Astana and is known for having some of the city’s most prestigious and expensive boutiques. Address: 9 Beybitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 75 39 29 Hours: 10 am-11 pm

Asia Park

hopping in Kazakhstan offers a microcosm of the country’s culture from traditional bazaars to luxury brands. On the modern side, you have Astana’s Khan Shatyr shopping and entertainment complex. Boutiques and brand names share space inside with, among other diversions, a waterslide, indoor beach and amusement park ride. A little more on the traditional side, you’ll find unique Kazakh bazaars. The Zelyony (Green) Bazaar in Almaty has everything from horse sausage to housewares and lets you rub shoulders with every niche of Almaty society. The Barakholka Market is also a bazaar-style warren of vendors offering everything you didn’t even know you needed, plus food stalls to help you reenergize between purchases. Whether you’re after Dior or dusty antiques, we’ve got a deal for you.

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5. aSia parK

More Than a Mall: A Place for Family Fun

Shopping is many things to many people: pleasure, addiction or chore. Asia Park Mall caters to every shopper from the miserable to the enthralled, and it focuses on one frequently neglected group—kids. Asia Park Mall, on Astana’s Left Bank, just a five-minute walk from the Baiterek Tower, is the only mall around with a third floor dedicated entirely to little ones. “We are the only mall in the capital that offers a huge variety of children’s clothing, toys and games covering the entire third floor,” explained 23-year-old Anna Tomilina, Asia Park’s senior marketing and advertising manager. The mall also contains the Baby Park amusement center and has babysitting services for parents who need to run their errands quickly. And its family-friendly, warm and free parking area has a car wash, tire service, and an auto parts store: great services for harried parents in need of one-stop shopping options. Asia Park isn’t only for the kids, though. The Alma supermarket is here with affordable prices and its own homecooked products. There are well-known men’s and women’s wear providers like Lady Glamour, Jadore, Rich and Royal, Daniel Rizotto, Gentlemen and Kavalier; boutique brands; the Fitness First fitness club and the Arman 3D movie theater. The food court has fast food outlets with pizza, hamburgers, sushi, desserts and more. And of course, there’s the famous Sky Bar Lounge sitting atop the whole building, providing stunning panoramic views of the capital. For families as well as individuals, Asia Park is more than just a mall—it’s a place for a day of adventure, food and fun. Address: 21 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue, Phone: +7 (7172) 97 87 67, Web site: www.asiapark.kz

empire Casa

This is the place to get high quality souvenirs of Kazakhstan. They have an exclusive range of products with original designs. Their products are perfect as corporate gifts or for weddings and other memorable occasions. Address: 11 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue (Triumph Building, section 2—for corporate clients) Phone: 8 (7172) 68 88 00 (corporate clients/office)

Keruen

Located on the Left Bank, this mall attracts the younger crowd. It includes a food court, restaurants, a full grocery store and shops. It is considered to have

the best multiplex with seven movie theaters. Address: 9 Dostyk Street Phone: 8 (7172) 79 55 20 8 (7172) 79 55 22 Hours: 10 am – 11 pm

Sary arka

Sary Arka Shopping Mall is a hub for domestic and international brands - but it’s more than a retail center. With games, movies, dancing, smoking and dining options from around the world, Sary Arka is a one-stop source of fun for the whole family. Address: 24 Turan Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 515 603 Hours: 10 am – 10 pm Website: www.saryarka.com

tulpar

The Tulpar Shopping Center is a four-level mall that is a great place to pick up the things you’ll need for everyday living in the capital. If you need a new T-shirt, a new pair of running shoes, or some cough medicine, this is the place to go. Address: 24 Valikhanova Street Phone: 8 (7172) 54 98 88 Hours: Daily 10 am – 9 pm Website: www.tulparcenter.kz

* Boutiques are also located in the Astana International Airport and the following malls: Mega, Keruen, Sine Tempore.

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A L M A T Y

city

guide

restaurants Price Key (per person): $ = 3000 tenge-6500 tenge $$ = 6500 tenge-9500 tenge $$$ = 9500 tenge-13,000 tenge

Teatralnoye

Cuisine: International / French Address: 51A Zhambyl Street Phone: +7 (727) 272 87 77 Hours: Daily noon-12 am Price range: $$$

Schwabsky Domik

Cuisine: European / German Address: 121 Abylai Khan Avenue Phone: +7 (727) 261 05 14 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$$

Naoro

Cuisine: Fusion Address: 17 Abai Avenue (corner of Pushkin Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 291 11 45 Hours: Tues-Sat 7 pm-11 pm Price range: $$$

The Grill Restaurant

Cuisine: International / American Address: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 29/6 Satpaev Street, Bostandyk District Phone: +7 (727) 250 26 63 Hours: Daily noon-3 pm and 6 pm-midnight Price range: $$$

Bellagio

Cuisine: Italian Address: 197 Gornaya Street, Road to Medeo Phone: +7 (727) 250 24 09 Hours: Daily noon-midnight www.bellagio.kz Price range: $$$

Dali Restaurant

Cuisine: Mediterranean Address: Zhailyau Golf Resort, Kargaly District Phone: +7 (727) 277 76 21 Hours: Daily 10 am-midnight www.zgr.kz Price range: $$$

Kok-Tobe

Cuisine: Kazakh Address: Kok Tobe Mountain Phone: +7 (727) 295 44 44 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$$

Thai

Cuisine: Thai Address: 50 Dostyk Avenue (corner of Kurmangazy Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 291 01 90 Hours: Daily noon-11 pm Price range: $$$

Boudoir

Cuisine: Fusion Address: 134 Bogenbai Batyr Avenue (corner of Abylai Khan Avenue), Almaly District Phone: +7 (727) 272 55 55 Hours: Daily noon-2 am Price range: $$$

Alasha

Cuisine: Uzbek Address: 20 Ospanov Street, Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 254 07 00 Hours: Daily noon-midnight www.alasha.kz Price range: $$

Sadu Concept Store

Cuisine: Mediterranean Address: Mercur Town, 3/25 Samal (Furmanov Street), Samal Microdistrict Phone: +7 (727) 271 68 65 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$

Namedni

Cuisine: Russian Address: 44 Furmanova Street (corner of Makatayev Street) Phone: +7 (727) 273 84 94 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$

Borgo Antico

Cuisine: Italian Address: 11/6 Iskendirov Street, Gornyi Gigant Phone: +7 (727) 293 51 51 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$

Asian Wok

Cuisine: Chinese / Indian Address: 248 Dostyk Avenue (corner of Kazhymukan Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 264 4812 Hours: Daily noon-11 pm Price range: $$

Porto Maltese

Cuisine: Mediterranean Address: 109 Panfilov Street (corner

of Gogol Street), Almaly District Phone: +7 (727) 273 21 78 Hours: Daily noon-11 pm Price range: $$

Phone: +7 (727) 272 38 10 Hours: Daily noon-midnight www.diwang.kz Price range: $$

Primavera

Bibliotheque

Cuisine: European /Japanese Fusion Address: Koktem Business Center, 180 Dostyk Avenue (corner of Zholdasbekov Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 237 5087 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$

Avlabar

Cuisine: Georgian Address: Tau Dastarkhan Family Resort, Ili Alatau National Park, Alma Arasan Gorge. Phone: +7 (727) 270 57 29 Hours: Daily 11 am-2 am www.tau-dastarkhan.kz Price range: $$

Di Wang

Cuisine: Japanese / Chinese Address: 75 Zhambyl Street (corner of Tchaikovskovo Street)

Cuisine: European Address: 116 Dostyk Avenue (corner of Satpaev Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 262 61 22 Price range: $$

Safran

Cuisine: Middle Eastern Address: 36 Dostyk Avenue (corner of Bogenbai Batyr Avenue), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 293 86 67 Hours: Mon-Sat noon-midnight, Sun 1 pm-midnight Price range: $$

Zhety Kazyna

Cuisine: International Address: 58a Abylai Khan Avenue (entrance on Makatayev Street), Zhetisu District Phone: +7 (727) 273 25 87 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $$

Kishlak

Cuisine: Central Asian Address: Seifullin Street Phone: +7 (727) 261 56 01 Hours: Daily noon-1 am Price range: $

Sumo San

Cuisine: Japanese Address: 159 Baitursynuly Street, Bostandyk District Phone: +7 (727) 292 87 38 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $

Pomodor

Cuisine: Italian Address: 108 Panfilov Street (corner of Bogenbai Batyr Avenue), Almaly District Phone: +7 (727) 261 83 26 Hours: Mon-Sat noon-11:30 pm Price range: $

The 4th International Jazzystan Festival, Almaty Towers Photo: Kristina Postnikova / Shutterstock.com

Korea House

Cuisine: Korean Address: 2 Gogol Street, Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 293 96 87 Hours: daily, noon-midnight Price range: $

Piano Bar Mardi Gras

Cuisine: International Address: Palladium Restaurant Complex, 275 Furmanov Street (corner of Al-Farabi Avenue), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 260 89 00 Hours: Mon-Fri noon-3 pm www.palladium.kz Price range: $

Namaste

Cuisine: Indian Address: Baitursynov Street (corner of Satpaev Street), Bostandyk District Phone: +7 (727) 292 24 84 Hours: Daily 11 am-midnight Price range: $

Zontiki

Cuisine: Japanese / Korean Address: 44 Kurmangazy Street (corner of Tulebaev Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 272 6759 Hours: Daily 11 am-midnight Price range: $

Cooshy Sushi

Cuisine: Sushi / Japanese Address: 41/15 Gogol Street (corner of Zenkov Street), Medeu District Phone: +7 (727) 273 84 62 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Price range: $

arts & culture Kasteyev State Museum of Arts

Address: 30a Satpaev Street Phone: 8 (727) 2478356, 8 (727) 2478249 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (closed on Mondays and last day of each month) Website: www.gmirk.kz

102EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

Central State Museum

Address: 44 Samal-1 Phone: 8 (727) 2644650, 8 (727) 2642200, 8 (727) 2645577 Hours: Wed-Mon: 10 am - 6 pm

Abai Kazakh State Opera and Ballet Theatre

Address: 110 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 2727934, 8 (727) 2722042 Website: www.gatob.kz

State Museum of National Musical Instruments Address: 24 Zenkov Street Phone: 8 (727) 2916326 Hours: Tue-Sun: 10 am-5:30 pm

Art&Shock Theatre

Address: 49/68 Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (727) 2735282, 8 (727) 2735282 Website: www.artishock.kz

Lermontov Russian Drama Theatre and Tengri Umay Arts Gallery Address: 43 Abai Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 2673131, 8 (727) 2673151, 8 (727) 2673145 Hours: Mon-Sat: 10 am - 6 pm Website: www.tl.kz

Deutsches Theater Almaty Address: 64D, Satpayev Street Phone: 8 (727) 3920234,

8 (727) 3920233 Website: www.dta.kz

Arvest Art Gallery

Address: 75/68 Bogenbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 2914797 Hours: Daily 10 am - 8 pm Website: www.arvest.kz

hotels Rixos Almaty H H H H H

Address: 506/99 Seifullin Street Phone: 8 (727) 300 33 00 Website: www.rixos.com

InterContinental Hotel H H H H H

Address: 181 Zheltoksan Street Phone: 8 (727) 250 50 00 Website: www.ichotelsgroup.com

Hyatt Regency Almaty H H H H H

Address: 29/6 Satpayev Street Phone: 8 (727) 250 12 34 Website: www.hyatt.com

Royal Tulip Almaty H H H H H Address: 401/2, M. Ospanov Street Phone: 8 (727) 300 01 00 Website: www.royaltulipalmaty.com

Dostyk Hotel H H H H H

Address: 26 Kurmangazy Street Phone: 8 (727) 255 82 27 Website: http://www.dostyk.kz/en

Shera Hotel H H H H

Almaty Sapar Hotel H H H H

Royal Palace Hotel H H H H

Uyut Hotel H H H H

Ambassador Hotel H H H H

Voyage Hotel H H H H

Address: 281 Furmanov Street Phone: 8 (727) 313 75 75 Website: www.hotel-shera.kz

Address: 178 Zhansugurov Street Phone: 8 (727) 380 79 12 Website: www.hotelrp.kz

Address: 121 Zheltoksan Street Phone: 8 (727) 250 89 89 Website: www.ambassadorhotel.kz

Grand Hotel Tien Shan H H H H Address: 115 Bogenbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 244 96 00 Website: www.tienshan-hotels.com

Holiday Inn H H H H

Address: 2D Temiryazev Street Phone: 8 (727) 244 02 55 Website: www.holidayinn.com

Kazakhstan Hotel H H H H

Address: 52/2 Dostyk Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 291 91 01 Website: www.kazakhstanhotel.kz

Kazzhol Hotel H H H H

Address: Gogol Street 127/1, Almaly Phone: 8 (727) 250 89 44 Website: www.hotelkazzhol.kz

Address: 177 Zhamakaev Street Phone: 8 (727) 246 88 66 Website: www.saparhotels.com

Address: 127/1 Gogol Street Phone: 8 (727) 279 55 11 Website: www.hotel-uyut.kz

Address: Furmanov Street, 97a Phone: 8 (727) 272 22 77 Website: www.voyage-hotel.kz

Grand Hotel Eurasia H H H H Address: 9a Zholdasbekov Street Phone: 8 (727) 380 80 80 E-mail: eurasia_hotel@mail.ru

Parasat Hotel & Residence H H H H

Address: 10 Elebekov Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 263 55 88, 8 (727) 263 55 99 E-mail: parasathotel@mail.ru

Grand Hotel Aiser H H H H Address: 1 Pozharskiy Street Phone: 8 (727) 296 99 99 E-mail: info@grandaiserhotel.kz

Astana Inter Hotel H H H H

Address: 113 Baitursynov Street, Almaty

Phone: 8 (727) 250 70 50, 8 (727) 250 10 60 E-mail: info@astana-hotel.com

Hotel Premier Alatau H H H H Address: 105 Dostyk Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 258 11 11, 8 (727) 258 43 12 Website: www.alatau-hotel.kz

Al-Farabi (between Furmanova and Dostyk) Phone: 8 (727) 250 6500, 8 (727) 250 91 15 Hours: Daily 7 am- midnight Website: www.worldclassfitnesscenter.net

Rixos Royal SPA

Address: 206B Gagarin Street Phone: 8 (727) 275 49 05 Website: www.aviaclub.kz

Type: Banya / Spa Address: 506/99 Seifullina Street Phone: 8 (727) 300 33 00, 8 (727) 300 33 33 Hours: Daily 7 am-midnight Website: www.rixos.com

Almaty Hotel H H H

Luxor

Jeppesen Hotel H H H

Address: 85 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 272 00 47 Website: www.hotel-alma-ata.com

Hotel & Resort “Altyn Kargaly” H H H

Address: 204 Zhandosov Street Phone: 8 (727) 250 08 28, 8 (727) 250 08 26 Website: www.altyn-kargaly.kz

Gold Dragon Hotel H H H

Address: 402 Seifullin Avenue Phone: 8(727) 279 71 59 E-mail: litule19907@hotmail.com

Astra Hotel H H H

Address: 12 Zheltoksan Street Phone: 8 (727) 246 86 88 Website: www.astra-hotel.kz

Olympic Hotel H H H

Address: 14 Sanatornaya Street Phone: 8 (727) 250 03 27, 8 (727) 299 02 44 Website: www.baganashil.kz

fitness & banya World Class Fitness Center Type: Fitness Center Address: Mendygulov Street at

Type: Spa / Banya / Fitness Center Address: 341 Dostyk Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 2677 577 Hours: Daily 7 am-midnight Website: www.luxor.kz

Alligator Club

Type: Banya Address: 1B Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 261 05 22, 8 (702) 33 222 9 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Arasan Banya

Type: Banya Address:78 Tulebayeva Street, on the corner of Aiteke Bi Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 272 46 71, 8 (727) 272 46 72 Hours: Tue-Sun: 8 am - 10 pm. Closed Monday

Fitnation

Type: Fitness Center / Banya Address: 15 Respubliki Street Phone: 8 (727) 295 29 39 Hours: Daily 7 am - 11 pm E-mail: sales@fitnation.kz

Samal Fitness Center

Type: Fitness / Banya Address: 91A Samal 2 Phone: 8 (727) 265 39 10 Hours: Daily 24 hours Website: www.samaldeluxe.kz

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com103

nightclubs

(701) 335 88 38 Hours: Daily 24 hours

FitCurves

Type: Fitness Center / Spa Address: 15 Kaldayakov Street Phone: 8 (727) 390 60 90 Hours: Daily 7 am - 11 pm Website: www.fitcurves.kz

Teremok

Type: Banya Address: 16 Adylova Street, Taugul-3 Microdistrict. Phone: 8 (727) 309 21 21, 309 20 20, 8 (705) 999 30 30 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Barskye Zadvorki

Nordik Fitness Club

Type: Banya Address: Dostyk Avenue on the corner of Marat Ospanov Street Phone: 8 (727) 260 45 04, 8 (701) 369 81 56 Hours: Daily 24 hours Website: www.vip-sauna.kz

Type: Fitness Club Address: Tsum building. Entrance from Zhibek Zholy, inside the glass door on the right. Phone: 8 (727) 273 78 84 Hours: Daily, except Sundays, 9 am – 9 pm Website: www.banzai.kz

Anira Silk Way City

Oazis

Type: Banya Address: 208A Aimanov Street, on the corner of the Dzhandosov Street Phone: 8 (707) 333 88 84, 8 (705) 115 55 33 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Type: Banya Address: 176 Altyn Besik, on the corner of Tole Bi Yassayu Phone: 8 (727) 226-07-77, 8 (701) 744-98-97 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Caesa’r Club

Type: Banya Address: 212 Raymbek Avenue Phone: 8 (702) 222 99 90 8 (727) 269 94 84 8 (727) 269 94 93 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Aprofit

Type: Fitness Center Address: 132 Dostyk Avenue Phone: 8(727) 264 34 35, 8 (727) 264 55 48 Hours: Daily 7 am - 11 pm Website: www.aprofit.kz

Bella

Type: Banya Address: 106A Gurileva Street Phone: 8 (727) 234-46-74, 8

104EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

Type: Fitness Center / Spa Address: 142 Dzherzinsky Street, on the corner of Zheltoksan Street Phone: 8 (727) 328-62-46 Hours: Daily 7 am - 11 pm Website: www.anira.kz

For Life

Car Banya Complex

Type: Banya Address: 32 Rymzhanov Street, Kalkaman Microdistrict Phone: 8 (727) 393 90 94, 381 86 86, 8 (777) 809 88 33 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Body Dance

Type: Fitness Center / Spa Address: 47B Mynbayev Street on the corner of Auezov Street Phone: 8 (727) 375 39 92 Hours: Daily 7 am - 11 pm

Medved

Type: Banya Address: 60 Makatayev Street, on the corner of Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (727) 297 00 00 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Da Freak

Cuisine: European, East Address: 40 Gogol Street, Panfilov Park, Medeu District Phone: 8 (727) 273 1337, 8 (727) 273 1337 Hours: Fri-Sat: Midnight-6 am

Gas

Cuisine: European Address: 100 Seifullin Avenue (corner of Shevchenko), Almaly District Phone: 8 (727) 272 7474, 8 (727) 272 7474 Hours: Mon: 10:00 pm-6:00 am, Wed-Fri: 10 pm- 7 am, Sat: 10 pm – 9 am. Closed Tuesdays.

Petroleum

Cuisine: European, East, Japanese Address: 100 Seifullin Avenue (corner of Shevchenko), Almaly District Phone: 8 (727) 272 7474, 8 (727) 272 7474 Hours: Daily 10 pm-6 am

Cuba

Cuisine: European, East Address: 102 Bogenbai Batyr Avenue (corner of Dostyk Avenue), Almaly District Phone: 8 (727) 291 2932, 8 (727) 291 2932, 8 (727)291 4310 Hours: 24 hours daily, live music Thur-Sat: at 10 pm

Most

Cuisine: European, East Address: 12 Kommunalnaya Street (corner of Seifullin Street), Zhetisu District Phone: 8(727) 233 0457, 8 (727) 233 0457 Hours: Fri -Sat: Midnight-9 am Website: www.most-club.kz

Rai

Cuisine: Japanese Address: Tselini Cinema, Kabanbai Batyr Avenue (corner of Masanchi Street), Almaly Disctrict Phone: 8 (701) 687 9587 , 8 (701) 687 9587 Hours: Lounge Thur-Sat: 8 pm -6 am. Nightclub Thur - Fri: 11 pm - 6 am

Esperanza

Cuisine: East, European, Kazkah, Turkish Address: 481 Seifullin Street (corner of Raiymbek Avenue),

Zhetisu District Phone: 8 (727) 299 6699, 8 (727) 299 6699 Hours: Daily 10 pm - 6 am

Tornado

Cuisine: European, Italian, Japanese Address: Assorti Restaurant, 106G Dostyk Avenue (corner of Abai Avenue), Medeu District Phone: 8 (727) 263 3266, 8 (727) 263 3266 Hours: Fri -Sat: 11:00 am-5:00 pm

Metro

Cuisine: European, Russian, Japanese Address: 2b Zhandosov Street (corner of Baizakov Street), Central District Phone: 8 (727) 247 8166, 8 (727) 247 8166 Hours: Daily noon - 5 am, Fri -Sat: until 7 am Website: www.metro-club.kz

shopping Mega Center

Address: 247A Rozybakiyev Street Phone: 8(727) 232 25 01 Hours: Daily 10 am - 10 pm Website: www.almaty.megacenter.kz

Ramstore Trade Center Address: 226 Furmanov Street Phone: 8 (717) 258 75 80, 8 (727) 258 75 81 Hours: Daily 9 am - 11 pm Website: www.ramstore.kz

Zangar, also known as Tsum Address: 62 Abylay Khan Street Phone: 8 (727) 273 29 51, 8 (727) 273 06 30 Hours: Daily 10:00 am-9:00 pm

Barakholka and Adem

Address: Take a ‘Barakholka’ bus headed down Rozybakiyev Street from Raimbek Street Phone: Adem: 8 (727) 270 66 66, 8 (727) 270 66 22 Hours: Daily 10 am - 6 pm. Closed Mondays.

Zelyony Bazar, also known as Green Bazaar

Address: Intersection of Zhibek Zholy Street and Zenkov Street – one street down from the St. Ascension Cathedral (also known as Zenkov Cathedral) Hours: Daily 10 am - 6 pm. Closed Sundays.

Stolichny

Address: 121 Abylay Khan Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 266 55 05, 8 (266) 55 15 Hours: Daily 24 hours

bars Cinzano

Address: 109b Dostyk Avenue (corner of Kazhymukan Street), Medeu District Phone: 8 (727) 253 13 45 Hours: Daily, noon-8 am

Di Wang Lounge Bar

Address: 75 Jambyl Street (corner of Tschaikovskovo Street) Phone: 8 (727) 272 38 10 Hours: Sun-Wed: 11 am-last customer, Thur-Sat: 9 pm-last customer Website: www.diwang.kz

Dublin Pub

Address: 45 Bayseyitova Street Phone: 8 (727) 272 14 75 Hours: Daily 11:00 am-1:00 am

Euphoria

Address: 29/6 Satpayev Street, Hyatt Regency Hotel Phone: 8 (727) 226 18 08 Hours: Mon-Wed: 5 pm - 2 am, Thur-Sun: 5 pm - 5:00 am

Guinness Pub

Address: 71 E Dostyk Avenue, near Hotel Kazakhstan Phone: 8 (727) 291 55 85 Hours: 11 am - 2 am

GQ Asia bar

Address: 248 Dostyk Avenue

Phone: 8 (727) 387 04 03 Hours: Mon-Wed: 5 pm - 2 am, Thur-Sat: 5 pm - 4 am

La Fete

Address: 44 Kurmangazy Street (corner of Furmanov Street, downstairs in the Hall of Receptions building), Medeu District Phone: 8 (727) 272 78 37 Hours: Daily 6 pm - 2 am

Line Brew

Address: 187 Furmanov Street (corner of Abai Avenue), B ostandyk District Phone: 8 (727) 250 79 85 Hours: Daily 12 am - last customer

Mad Murphy’s

Address: 12 Tole Bi Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 291 28 56 Hours: Daily 11:30 am - 1 am

Members Bar

Address: 181 Zheltoksan Street, InterContinental Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 250 50 00 Hours: Mon-Sat: 9 pm - 2 am

Nice Bar

Address: 29 Volodarskogo Street Phone: 8 (727) 292 38 25 Hours: Daily, 12 am - 2 am

Nirvana Bar

Address: Building 2, Dostyk Avenue (Satpaev), Samal Microdistrict Phone: 8 (727) 264 74 50 Hours: Daily noon-midnight

OXO Lounge Bar

Address: 67a Gabdullin Street (Auezov), Bostandyk Phone: 8 (727) 275 62 53 Hours: Daily 6 pm - 5 am

Posh Bar

Address: Mercur Town, 3/25 AlFarabi (corner of Furmanov Street), Samal Microdistrict Phone: 8 (727) 266 39 96 Hours: Daily 9 am-last customer

San Siro

Address: 117 Bogenbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 272 05 94 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Shtab

Phone: 8 (727) 272 24 40 Hours: Daily 10 am-midnight

Soho

Address: 65 Kazybek Bi Avenue

(corner of Furmanov Street) Phone: 8(727) 267 03 67 Hours: Daily 9 am - 3 am Website: www.soho.kz

Stylish Dog

Address: Café Max Internet-Center, 1A Timiryazev Street, Bostandyk District Phone: 8 (727) 260 98 88 Hours: Daily noon-midnight Website: www.cafemax.kz

Tinkoff

Address: 27a Satpaev Street (corner of Masanchi Street), Bostandyk District Phone: 8 (727) 292 49 00 Hours: Daily noon - 2 am Website: www.tinkoff.ru

Vitalita

Address: 63 Tole Bi Avenue (corner of Zheltoksan Street) Phone: 8 (727) 272 74 61 Hours: Daily 10 am - last customer

cafés 4A Coffee

Address: 81 Zhibek Zholy Street Phone: 8 (727) 271 82 37 Hours: Daily 8 am - 9 pm Website: www.4acoffee.com

L’Affiche

Address: 83 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 272 10 92 Hours: Daily 11 am - 1 am

Coffeedelia

Address: 79 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (727) 273 23 94 Hours: Daily 8:00 am-12:00 pm

Marrone Rosso

Address: 149 Furmanov Street Phone: 8 (727) 261 39 54 Hours: 8 am – midnight Website: www.marronerosso.com

“Segafredo Zanetti” cafe Address: 46 Dostyk Avenue (corner of Zhambul Street) Phone: 8 (727) 291 02 27 Hours: Daily 9 am-midnight Website: www.segafredo.kz

Cafe Coffee and Toffee

Address: 44 Shevchenko Street Phone: 8 (727) 261 74 16 Hours: Daily 9 am - 11:30 pm

Madlen

Address: 115 Ablay Khan Avenue (at the corner of Karasay Batyr Street) Phone: 8 (727) 272 23 86 Hours: Daily 9 am - 1 am Website: www.madlen.kz

Cafemax

Address: 176 Zhibek Zholy Street (between Kunayev and Furmanov Streets) Phone: 8 (727) 273 95 53 Hours: Daily 10 am - 9 pm Website: www.cafemax.kz

“Lounge Bar 29”

Phone: 8 (727) 291 97 37 Hours: Daily 9 am - 2 am

Gloria Jeans

Address: 133 Abylay Khan Avenue (at the corner of Bogenbay Batyr Avenue) Phone: 8 (727) 321 04 88 Hours: Daily 10 am - midnight Website: www.gloriajeanscoffees.com

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Useful Information i

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com107

PRACTICAL INFORMATION WHEN IN KAZAKHSTAN

climate Kazakhstan’s distance from the ocean and its vast territory affect the country’s climate. The weather and temperature can vary dramatically based on geography and time of year. Also beware of the wind from the steppe, which can make a huge difference in how the temperature feels. Average temperatures for the two main cities are:

ASTAnA JAnuAry, -17°C (1°F) July, 20°C (68°F)

AlMATy JAnuAry, -6°C (21°F) July, 24°C (75°F)

making Telephone calls in Kazakhstan

Making telephone calls in Kazakhstan can be a little confusing for the new visitor. Here are some instructions that will, hopefully, make it a little easier. Local Calls If you are calling locally, how you dial will depend on whether you are using a land line or a cellular phone. If you are calling a land line from a land line, it is easy. Simply dial the local number (last six digits, unless you are in Almaty, where you dial the last seven digits). If you are calling a land line from a cell phone, you must dial the prefix 8 + the city code (7172 for Astana) and then the local number. If you are calling a cell phone from a land line or another cell phone, you must also dial the prefix 8 + the cell company code + the number

KAZAKHSTAN

cellular communications companies Kazakhstan cell phone companies operate on a prepaid system. A SIM card can be purchased (GSM network), providing a local cell number. As credit runs out, it can be replenished easily by purchasing more via electronic dispensers throughout the city. They are located mainly in supermarkets, convenience stores and major shopping centers. Credit can also be purchased on scratch cards and loaded onto a cell phone by entering the code. No monthly billing plans exist in Kazakhstan at this time.

108EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013

International calls If you are calling abroad from Kazakhstan: Dial for international access (810) + the country code + the regional code (if any) + the local telephone number. To call Kazakhstan from abroad: Dial the code for international access + Kazakhstan’s country code (7) + the Kazakhstan city code + the Kazakhstan local telephone number. Kazakhstan Dialing Codes Almaty region: 727, 728 Astana city: 717

PRACTICAL INFORMATION WHEN IN KAZAKHSTAN

Useful Websites

General Information: www.EdgeKz.com Edge Magazine www.kazakhstanlive.com International Information Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan www.visitkazakhstan.com/en/ Official Tourism website of the Committee of Tourism Industry

http : / / w w w.

There are a variety of websites in Kazakh, Russian and English with information on Kazakhstan. We have listed many of the websites that include an English language version here. If the site does not immediately open into an English language version, look for the “Eng” button. Not all the websites will have everything translated into English, but most have sufficient information to make the sites useful.

Kazakh Government Websites: www.akorda.kz www.akorda.kz/en (ENG) Official site of the President of the Republic

www.mfa.kz Official site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

www.mts.gov.kz www.mts.gov.kz/?lang=en (ENG) Official site of the Agency for Sport and Physical Culture www.parlam.kz www.parlam.kz/Information.aspx?lan=en-US (ENG) Official site of Parliament www.government.kz www.en.government.kz/ (ENG) Official site of the government www.almaty.kz www.almaty.kz/page.php?lang=2 (ENG) Official site of the city of Almaty www.astana.kz http://en.astana.kz/ (ENG) Official site of the city of Astana www.astana-almaty2011.kz www.astana-almaty2011.kz/en.html (ENG) Official site of the Astana-Almaty 2011 Asia Winter Games

Tourism and Leisure: www.restoran.kz www.restoran.kz/en (ENG) Restaurant information for Astana and Almaty www.realkz.com www.realkz.com/page.php?lang=2 (ENG) Cities, hotels, restaurants in Kazakhstan www.kaztour-association.com (RUS) Kazakhstan Tourist Association www.centralasia.travel (ENG) Central Asia Travel guide

www.eco-tourism.kz www.eco-tourism.kz/index.php?lng=eng (ENG) Kazakhstan Ecotourism

News About Kazakhstan and the region www.inform.kz www.inform.kz/eng (ENG) Official site of KazInform Information agency www.astanatimes.kz Official site of the Englishlanguage monthly newspaper The Astana Times out of Astana, updated regularly

www.kazpravda.kz www.kazpravda.kz/l/eng (ENG) Official site of the KazPravda daily newspaper

www.khabar.kz Official site of Khabar News Agency

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES AS OF MARCH 22, 2013 TENGE USD 150.960 EUR 195.172 RUB 4.881 AUD 157.462 GBP 229.474 BYR 0.017 HUF 0.635 DKK 26.187 AED 41.101 CAD 147.187 CNY 24.295 KWD 529.777 KGS 3.152 LVL 278.018 LTL 56.538 MDL 12.194 NOK 25.910 PLN 46.635 SAR 40.255 XDR 227.066 SGD 120.794 TJS 31.754 TRY 83.018 UZS 0.074 UAH 18.545 CZK 7.574 SEK 23.201 CHF 159.844 ZAR 16.200 KRW 0.135 JPY 1.597

APRIL 2013 No. 1 EDGEKZ.com109

TRANSPORTATION & TRAVEL

ASTANA CAR RENTAL COMPANIES

Weather Essentials

Transport Company Riksha Address: 25 Bogenbay Street, office 29 Phone: 8 (7172) 62 72 60 8 (701) 441 75 57

Astana Month Low

Hertz Caspian Project Supply Company Address: 6/1 Kabanbay Street Phone: 8 (7172) 58 00 56 8 (7172) 58 04 84

High

Jan

1°F / -17°C

13°F / -11°C

Feb

-1F° / -18°C

14°F / -10°C

Mar 10°F / -12°C

26°F / -4°C

Apr

32°F / 0°C

50°F / 10°C

May

46°F / 8°C

67°F / 20°C

Jun

56F° / 13°C

78°F / 25°C

Jul

59°F / 15°C

80°F / 27°C

Aug

55°F / 13°C

76°F / 25°C

Sept

45°F / 7°C

65°F / 18°C

Oct

33°F / 0°C

49°F / 9°C

Nov

16°F / -9°C

18°F / -12°C

Dec

5°F / -15°C

16°F / -9°C

GENERAL

AIRLINES

Astana International Airport Address: Airport 14 OS Phone: 8 (7172) 70 29 99 Website: www.astanaairport.kz

Lufthansa Phone: 8 (7172) 28 64 92 8 (7172) 28 64 93 Hours: Mon-Wed-Sat 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Tue-Thurs-Sun 11:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Train Station Address: Privokzalnaya square Phone: 8 (7172) 105 8 (7172) 38 07 07 8 (7172) 38 33 33

Tandau ST Address: 16/1 Maylin Street Phone: 8 (7172) 34 46 65 8 (7172) 34 46 65

Turkish Airlines Phone: 8 (7172) 77 70 20 8 (7172) 77 70 21 Hours: 11:00 pm-7:00 am

Vipcaz KZ Address: 13 Auezov Street Phone: 8 (7172) 47 81 87 8 701 777 93 53

Transaero Phone: 8 (7172) 31 70 40 8 (7172) 31 83 50 Hours: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

DanZamir Address: 7 Seifullin Street, office 27 Phone: 8 (701) 918 69 17 8 (7172) 23 61 05

Arba taxi Phone: 8 (7172) 31 57 13 Hours: Around the clock

Pulkovo Phone: 8 (7172) 21 69 17 8 (7172) 21 69 18 Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Weekend 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

KazGPS Address: 19 Imanov Street, office 406B Phone: 8 (7172) 78 74 17 8 (7172) 78 74 18 8 (702) 46 74 538

Green Eyed Taxi Phone: 8 (7172) 34 44 94 Hours: Around the clock

Aerosvit Phone: 8 (7172) 50 82 74 Hours: Round the clock

OKAN Intercontinental Astana Address: 47 Abay Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 10 00

Pegasus XXI taxi Phone: 8 (7172) 37 24 24, 8 (7172) 37 18 18 Hours: Around the clock

Belavia Phone: 8 (7172) 23 98 48 8 (7172) 23 98 25 Hours: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Rent a Car Astana Address: 40 Auezov Street, office 211 Phone: 8 (7172) 77 96 90 8 (701) 933 26 80

Samal taxi Phone: 8 (7172) 22 22 22, 8 (7172) 22 18 82 Hours: Around the clock

Air Astana Phone: 8 (7172) 59 14 21 8 (7172) 59 14 22 Hours: 9:00 am – 8:30pm

Zhas Kala Address: 1A Mozhayskiy Street Phone: 8 (7172) 54 18 19

Metropolitan taxi LLP Phone: 8 (7172) 32 02 20, 8 (701) 785 57 37 Hours: Around the clock

Austrian Airlines Phone: 8 (7172) 28 64 82 8 (7172) 39 00 00 Hours: Round the clock

Transport company Riksha VIP taxi Phone: 8 (7172) 62 72 60 8 (701) 441 75 57 Hours: Around the clock

Berkut Phone: 8 (7172) 75 21 05 Hours: 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Bus Station Address: Privokzalnaya Square Phone: 8 (7172) 39 85 04 8 (7172) 30 35 49

Taxis

Elite taxi Phone: 8 (7172) 34 10 10 8 (701) 610 23 23

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Bastion.kz Address: 166 Omarov Street Phone: 8 (7172) 34 70 70 8 (7172) 34 70 68 8 (7172) 54 49 63

Zhetyssu Phone: 8 (7172) 94 63 22 8 (7172) 94 62 96 Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Sunday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Green Spedition International Transport Company Phone: 8 (705) 118 49 18 OKAN Intercontinental Address: 113 Abay Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 10 00

i Astana Cellular Communications Companies Active Locations: 2 Pervaya Street and 21 Barayeva Street Phone: 8 (727) 258 80 00, for mobile 7070 (free of charge) URL: http://www.activ.kz/ Hours: 24 Beeline Phone: 8 (727) 350 05 00 URL: http://mobile.beeline.kz/ Dalacom Address: 5 Republic Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 59 17 00 URL: http://www.dalacom.kz Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Sat 10:00 am-2:00 pm Kcell Location: Astana, 10 Kabanbai-Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 24 40 07 ext. 5007 URL: http://www.kcell.kz/ Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 am-8:00 pm Sat - 9:00 am-6:00 pm Sun - 11:00 am-6:00 pm Pathword Location: 30 Republic Avenue Phone 8 (7172) 59 17 00, 8(7172) 21 77 77 URL: http://www.pathword.kz/ Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 am-6:00 pm Sat 10:00 am-6:00 pm Tele 2 Location: 12 Republic Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 59-19-24, 8-800-0-800-707 Mobile: 611 URL: http:// tele2.kz Hours: Mon-Fr: 09:00 - 19:00 Sat-Sun: 10:00 - 18:00

ASTANA Emergency Services Police Landline: 102 Mobile: 102 Rescue Service Landline: 112 Mobile: 112 Astana firefighting and accident rescue operations service Landline: 101 Mobile: 101 Astana City Medical Emergency Service Landline: 103 Mobile: 103 General Information for Astana Landline: 109 Mobile: 109 Service “051” (Directory Assistance) Landline: 051 Mobile: 109

PRACTICAL INFORMATION WHEN IN ASTANA Courier Services BaidEx Address: 12 Momushuly Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 45 79 16, 8 (700) 459 87 47, 8 (707) 323 50 25 Direct Delivery Address: 12a Kazhymukan Street - 9th floor Phone: 8 (7172) 55 62 62 Mobile: 8 (707) 782 22 18 URL: http://www.dd.kz/ FedEx Address: 38 Tulebaev Street Phone: 8 (7273) 56 38 00 URL: http://fedex.com/kz/ Garant Post Service Address: 9 Lomonosov Street, # 203 Phone: 8 (7172) 215-458 URL: http://www.gpserv.kz/ Pony Express Tel.: 8 (727) 258 33 33, 8 (727) 317 26 26 URL: http://www.ponyexpress.kz/

Department for Emergency Situations (Astana) Landline: 32 31 98 Mobile: 8 (7172) 32 31 98 Fire Department of Astana City Landline: 37 41 74 Mobile: 8 (7172) 37 41 74 Astana City Telecommunication Center (Astanatelecom) Landline: 58 07 61 Mobile: 8 (7172) 58 0761 Astana City International Airport (information) Landline: 77 70 50 Mobile: 8 (7172) 77 70 50 Railway Station (information) Landline: 93 39 26 Mobile: 8 (7172) 93 39 26 Bus Station (information) Landline: 38 11 35, 39 85 04 Mobile: 8 (7172) 38 11 35

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i Consulate of Afghanistan

Address: 2 Sholnik microdistrict, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 227 23 90

Consulate of Australia

Address: 174B Furmanov Street, 3rd Floor, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 261 51 60 E-mail: ahc.kaz@gmail.com http://www.russia.embassy.gov.au

Consulate Belgium

Address: 117/86 Kazybek Bi Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 260 68 63 E-mail: belconsul@nursat.kz

Consulate of Britain

Address: Samal-2 microdistrict, 97 Zholdasbekov Street , building 2A, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 250 61 91/92 e-mail: AlmatyVizaGeneral@fco.gov.uk

Consulate of China

Address: 12 Baitasov Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 270 02 21

Consulate of Czech Republic Address: 5 Al-Fara bi Avenue, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 277 70 93 e-mail: commerce_almaata@mzv.cz

Consulate of Germany

Address: 62 Kosmonavtov Street Phone: 8 (727) 262 83 41 46/49 E-mail: info@almaty.diplo.de www.almaty.diplo.de

Consulate of Hungary

Address: 4 Musabayev Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 255 13 08, 8 (727) 258 18 36 E-mail: mission.ala@kum.hu

Consulate of India

Address: 71 Maulenov Street, 3rd floor, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 278 44 55/65 Email: cons.almaty@mea.gov.in

Consulate of Italy

Address: 41 Kazybek bi Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 266 36 09

Consulate of Japan

Address: 41 Kazybek bi Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 298 06 00

Consulate of Korea

Address: 15 Teplichnaya Street Phone: 8 (727) 263 96 95

Address: 52a Ivanilov Street, Gornyi Gigant, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 263 26 60/91, 8 (727) 263 29 89, 8 (727) 263 62 28/29 E-mail: embassy_news@mail.ru

Consulate of France

Consulate of Kyrgyzstan

Consulate of Egypt

Address: 173Furmanov Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 258 25 04/08, 8 (727) 258 21 81 E-mail: ambafrance@mail.ru

Address: 30A Lugansky Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 264 22 12 E-mail: consul.agencykg@mail.kz

ALMATY CONSULATES

Consulate of Lithuania

Consulate of Spain

Embassy of Malaysia

Consulate of Tajikistan

Address: 15 Iskanderovo Street, Gorny Gygant Phone: 8 (727) 263 10 40 http://kz.mfa.lt Address: 9A Rubinshtein Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 333 44 83/4/5 E-mail:mwalmaty@nursat.kz malalmaty@kln.gov.my

Address: 16 Sanatornaya Str eet, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 269 70 59 E-mail: tajemb_almaty@ok.kz

Consulate of Turkey

Consulate of Netherlands

Address: 103 Nauryzbay batyr Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 250 37 73 E-mail: alm@minbuza.nl

Consulate of Poland

Address: 9 Jarkentskaya Street, Gornyi Gigant Phone: 8 (727) 258 16 17; 8 (727) 258 15 51 E-mail: ambpol@poland.kz, polkonsulat@poland.kz

Consulate of the Russian Federation

Address: 4 Jandosov Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 274 50 87, 8 (727) 274 61 22 E-mail: gcrusalmaata@gmail.com

Consulate of Singapore

Address: 21 Koktem-3, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 270 45 61 E-mail: Singapore@nationalbank.kz

Consulate of Slovakia Address: Almaty region, Energetic village, 1A Tikhii, Phone: 8 (727) 297 74 43 E-mail: obeo.almaty@mail.ru

Address: 20A Kazybek bi Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 293 02 40, 8 (727) 293 02 66 E-mail: almaty@mcx.es

Address: 29 Tole bi Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 278 41 65/77 E-mail: almatyturkbe@gmail.com

Consulate of Turkmenistan Address: 137 Furmanov Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 272 69 44

Consulate of Ukraine

Address: 13a Makatayev Street, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 230 16 00

Consulate of United States of America Address: 97 Zholdasbekov Street, Samal-2b district, Almaty Phone: 8 (727) 250 76 12

Embassy of Uzbekistan

Address: 36 Baribayev Street Phone: 8 (727) 291 78 86 Consulate phone: 8 (727) 291 02 35 E-mail: emb-Uzbekistan@mail.ru

Consulate of Yemen Address: 20B Begalin Street Phone: 8 (727) 291 99 72 E-mail: yemen@nursat.kz

TRANSPORTATION & TRAVEL

Weather Essentials Almaty Month Low High Jan

17°F / -8°C

33°F / 0°C

Feb

19°F / -7°C

35°F / 2°C

Mar

29°F / -2°C 46°F / 8°C

Apr

43°F / 6°C

May

52°F / 11°C 71°F / 22°C

Jun

60°F / 16°C 81°F / 27°C

Jul

65°F / 18°C 86°F / 30°C

Aug

62°F / 17°C 85°F / 29°C

Sept

53°F / 11°C 75°F / 24°C

Oct

40°F / 5°C

61°F / 16°C

Nov

30°F / -1°C

46°F / 8°C

Dec

22°F / -6°C

36°F / 2°C

62°F / 17°C

GENERAL

AIRLINES

Almaty International Airport Address: 2 Beimbet Mailin Street, Almaty 050039 Phone: 8 (727) 270 33 33 www.almatyairport.com

Air Astana Phone: 8 ( 727) 258 41 35, 258 41 36, 244 44 77, 259 87 03 Hours: 9 am-8:30 pm www.airastana.com

Almaty - 2 Train Station Address: 1 Abilai Khana Prospekt Phone: 7 (727) 296 15 44

Air Travel System Phone: 8 (727) 272 27 02, 272 26 99 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.czechairlines.com

Almaty - 1 Train Station Address: 1 Seifullin Street Phone: 7 (727) 296 33 92 Almaty Bus Station Address: 73 Mate Salki Street Phone: 8 (727) 226 26 44, 226 14 91, 225 08 87 Almaty Sayran Bus Station Address: 294 Tole bi Phone: 8 (727) 276 26 44, 276 26 77

Taxis AZIA Taxi Phone: 7 (727) 299 49 49 Hours: 24 hours Garage Taxi Phone: 7 (727) 276 29 07, 299 90 00 Hours: 24 hours www.garage999.kz Hertz Taxi and Car Rental Phone: 7 (727) 245 88 03 Hours: 24 hours / www.hertz.kz Mega Taxi Phone: 7 (727) 233 31 11 Hours: 24 hours Almaty Taxi Phone: 7 (727) 255 53 33 Hours: 24 hours Service-Taxi, 24 hours Phone: 7 (727) 230 22 03 Hours: Around the clock Taxi Profi Phone: 7 (727) 270 70 70 Hours: 24 hours www.taxiprestige.kz Ekipazh Plus Phone: 7 (727) 270 08 88 Hours: 24 Hours Express Taxi Phone: 7 (727) 260 06 00 Hours: 24 hours www.express-taxi.kz Elit Taxi Phone: 7 (727) 278 03 33 Hours: 24 hours www.nettaxi.kz

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ALMATY

Air Control Phone: 8 (727) 244 15 90 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.aircontrol.kz Asiana Airlines Phone: 8 (727) 270 32 34, 270 32 35 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.flyasiana.com Brauch Office of Lufthansa Cargo Ag in Kz Phone: 8 (727) 388 89 32 Hours: 9 am- 8 pm www.lhcargo.com British Midland Airways Phone: 8 (727) 272 40 40 Hours: 3am-8 pm www.flybmi.com Carlson Wagonlit Travel Kazakhstan Phone: 8 (727) 377 88 77 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.carlsonwagonlit.kz China Southern Airlines Phone: 8 (727) 250 94 85 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.cs-air.com Clintondale Aviation Phone: 8 (727) 257 45 14, 383 83 96 Hours: 9 am-6 pm www.clintondale.com Etihad Airways Phone: 8 (727) 330 30 00 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.etihadairways.com KlM Royal Dutch Airlines Phone: 8 (727) 250 77 47, 330 21 42 Hours: 9 am-7 pm www.klm.kz Branch Office of Lufthansa Cargo Ag in Kz Phone: 8 (727) 388 89 32 Hours: 9 am-8 pm www.lhcargo.com Turkish Airlines Phone: 8 (727) 250 62 20, 333 38 49, 250 62 19

Hours: 9am-8pm www.thy.com BMI Phone: 8 (727) 25 050 52, 272 40 40 Hours: 9 am-6 pm www.flybmi.com East Wing Phone: 8(727) 250 55 42 Hours: 9am- 6pm

CAR RENTAL COMPANIES Dimal Car Rental – Almaty Address: 6 Rozybakiev Street 125/1 office 15, Pushkin Street 23 office 6 Phone: 8 (727) 275 11 73 www.dimal.kz Dixie Travel Address: 29 Zheltoksan Street, office 3 Phone: 8 (727) 279 28 08, 327 10 10 http://dixie.kz ASAP Car Address: 92 Panfilov, office 60 Phone: 8 (727) 234 78 39, 8 (777) 270 91 87 Autodom Address: 273A Furmanova Phone: 8 (727) 244 34 81 http://autodom-t.kz Dilizhans Address: 185 Baizakova Phone: 8 (327) 268 37 22, 8 (333) 216 55 26 www.diligence-kz.narod.ru Almaty International Airport Address: 2 Beimbet Mailin Street, the 1st level Phone: 8 (727) 270 33 33 www.almatyairport.com ARD Kazkhstan Address: 208 Zharokova Phone: 8 (727) 329 43 49 www.ard-ts-kz.ucoz.ru Prestige Taxi Address: 262 Kazybayeva Street, Kulager district Phone: 8 (727) 270 70 70 www.taxiprestige.kz Hertz Address: 42 Timiryazeva, 15/3B office Phone: 8 (727) 245 88 03, 245 88 51, 8 (777) 355 66 55 www.hertz.kz Exotic Limo Address: 53 Dostyk Street Phone: 8 (727) 291 62 90

ALMATY EMERGENCY SERVICES Fire prevention - 101 Police - 102 Ambulance - 103 Gas service - 104 Rescue - 112 or 051

Referral Services

Almaty International Airport 006 or 155 Railroad Station Almaty one 105, 8 (727) 296 33 92 Railroad Station Almaty two 8 (727)296 15 44 Bus station Sayran 8 (727) 276 26 44 Bus station Sayakhat 8 (727) 230 25 29 Evacuator (angels.kz) 8 (727) 233 13 42 Free phone referral service 8 (727) 327 00 98 Free phone referral service - 080 Address bureau - 8 (727) 254 46 96 Lost-property office 8 (727) 292 14 39, 8 (727) 328 22 33 Chargeable phone referral service 088 or 177

Almaty cellular Communications Companies Kcell Address: Samal-2, 100 - Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;cell Main Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9 am-8 pm, Sat 9 am-6 pm http://kcell.kz Activ Address: 2G Timiryazev Street Phone: 8 (727) 258-80-00 Hours: 24 hours Mobile: 3030 http://activ.kz Dalacom Address: 115/105 Kunayeva Street Phone: 8 (727) 259 77 00 Hours: Mon-Fri 9 am-7 pm http://dalacom.kz Beeline Address: 55 Tole bi Street Phone: 8 (727) 350 05 00, 8 (727) 350 06 00 Hours: Daily 9 am-8 pm Mobile: 0611 http://mobile.beeline.kz

PRACTICAL INFORMATION WHEN IN ALMATY

Courier Services

Maxim Petrichuk / Shutterstock.com

BaidEx Address: 12 Momushuly Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 45 79 16, 8 (700) 459 87 47, 8 (707) 323 50 25 Direct Delivery Address: 12a Kazhymukan Street - 9th floor Phone: 8 (7172) 55 62 62 Mobile: 8 (707) 782 22 18 URL: http://www.dd.kz/ FedEx Address: 38 Tulebaev Street Phone: 8 (7273) 56 38 00 URL: http://fedex.com/kz/ Garant Post Service Address: 9 Lomonosov Street, # 203 Phone: 8 (7172) 215-458 URL: http://www.gpserv.kz/ Pony Express Tel.: 8 (727) 258 33 33, 8 (727) 317 26 26 URL: http://www.ponyexpress.kz/

Pathword Address: 115/105 Kunayeva Phone: 8 (727) 259 77 00, 8(727) 258 17 77 Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-7 pm Tele2 Adress: Microdistrict 11, 3D Altynsarina Street Phone: 8 (727) 3-550-707, 8-800-0-800-707 Mobile: 611 Hours: Mon-Fr: 09:00 - 19:00, Sat-Sun: 10:00 - 18:00 http:// tele2.kz

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DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS Embassy of Afghanistan

2,3 Karaotkel Microdistrict, Astana A Phone: +7 (7172) 57 14 42/43/44 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 04 54 E-mail: Af_embassyalmaty@yahoo.com Website: www.afghanembassy.kz Consular section: 21 Dubok, 2nd Microdistrict, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 255 6324 Fax: +7 (7272) 255 5663

Embassy of Armenia

19 Kyz Zhibek Street Komsomolski Microdistrict, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 40 20 15/17 Fax: +7 (7172) 40 19 70 E-mail: armeniaemb.kz@gmail.com

Diplomatic Town, B-6, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 15 81 +7 (7172) 24 10 97 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 15 32 E-mail: astana@azembassy.kz General Consulate: 12, 4th Microdistrict, Aktau Phone: +7 (7292) 33 67 06/07

6/1 Kabanbai Batyr Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 46 82/84 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 47 43 Website: www.brasembastana.kz

Embassy of Finland

Astana Tower 17th floor 12 Samal, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 44 21 21 Fax: +7 (7172) 44 21 16

C-4 Diplomatic town, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 32 58 Tel/Fax: +7 (7172) 24 34 26 E-mail: astana.emb.@mfa.gov.ge astana.con@mfa.gov.ge

Embassy of Czech Republic

Arman Business Centre 6 Sary Arka Street, 13th Floor, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 66 04 72 Fax: +7 (7172) 66 01 42 E-mail: astana@embassy.mzv.cz Office in Almaty: 2A Nurly Tau Business Centre 5 Al-Farabi Avenue 8th Floor Phone: +7 (7272) 77 70 93 Fax: +7 (7272) 77 70 92 E-mail: commerce_almaata@mzv.cz 30 Sarayshyk Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 28 60 67 +7 (7172) 24 18 30 Fax: +7 (7172) 28 60 50 E-mail: embassy.astana@mfa.gov.eg Cultural Centre: 15 Teplichnaya Street, Almaty

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Embassy of Italy

62 Kosmonavtov Street, Chubary, 5th Floor, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 97 78 43 Fax: +7 (7172) 97 78 42 Office in Almaty: 41 Kazybek Bi Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 98 06 00 Fax: +7 (7272) 98 06 01

109 Karaotkel, 2nd Microdistrict Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 56 37 14 +7 (7172) 56 37 55 +7 (7172) 56 37 84 Fax: +7 (7172) 56 38 26 E-mail: gremb.ast@mfa.gr 62 Kosmonavtov Street, 9th Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 55 03 23 Fax: +7 (7172) 55 03 24 E-mail: mission.ast@kum.hu General consulate: 4 Musabayev Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 255 1308 +7 (7272) 258 1836 Fax: +7 (7272) 258 1837 E-mail: mission.ala@kum.hu

Embassy of India

5th floor, Kaskad Business Centre 6/1 Kabanbai Batyr Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 92 57 00/03 Fax: +7 (7172) 92 57 15 E-mail: hoc.astana@mea.gov.in

62 Kosmonavtov Street Chubary Microdistrict, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 33 90 +7 (7172) 24 38 68 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 36 86 Email: ambasciata.astana@esteri.it Email: visti.astana@esteri.it Consular Section: Tel/Fax: +7 (7172) 91 03 08 E-mail: consolare.astana@esteri.it Honorary Consulate: 40 Kazybek Bi Street, Almaty Phone/Fax: +7 (7272) 266 36 09

Embassy of Japan

Embassy of Greece

Embassy of Hungary

B-7 Diplomatic town, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 25 11/12 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 15 37 E-mail: iranembassy@itte.kz

Embassy of Israel 8 Auezov Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 68 87 39 Fax: +7 (7172) 68 87 35 E-mail: ambass-sec@astana.mfa.gov.il

62 Kosmonavtov Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 79 12 00 +7 (7172) 79 12 80 Fax: +7 (7172) 79 12 13 E-mail: info@astana.diplo.de General Consulate: 2 Ivanilova Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 262 83 41/46/49 Fax: +7 (7272) 50 62 76 E-mail: info@almaty.diplo.de www.almaty.diplo.de

18 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, Office 2 Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 24 67 +7 (7172) 44 94 59 E-mail: natemdacu@mail.online.kz Website: www.cubadiplomatica.cu/kazajstan

Embassy of Iran

19 Konayev Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 28 60 92/93 E-mail: astemb@iraqmfamail.com

Embassy of Germany

Embassy of Cuba

Office in Almaty: 71 Maulenov Street, 3rd Floor, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 278 44 55/65 Fax: +7 (7272) 278 46 85 E-mail: cons.almaty@mea.gov.in

Embassy of Iraq

62 Kosmonavtov Street, 4th Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 79 51 00 Fax: +7 (7172) 79 51 01 Office in Almaty: 173 Furmanov Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7273) 96 98 00 Fax: +7 (7273) 96 98 20 E-mail: ambafrance@mail.ru

Embassy of Georgia

28 Kabanbai Batyr Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 79 35 61 +7 (7172) 79 35 83 (consular section) Fax: +7 (7172) 79 35 65 Trade-Economic Department: B-2 Diplomatic town Phone: +7 (7172) 24 25 10 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 13 81 General Consulate: 12 Baitasov Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 270 02 21

Embassy of Egypt

Embassy of France

Embassy of China

Embassy of Azerbaijan

Embassy of Brazil

Phone: +7 (7272) 63 96 95 Fax: +7 (7272) 56 98 02 Trade department: 51 Kaldayakov Street, Office 33 Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 291 8997 Fax: +7 (7272) 293 0391 E-mail: almaty@tamseel-esc.gov.eg

62, Kosmonavtov Street, 6th Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 55 62 00/19 Fax: +7 (7172) 55 62 12 E-mail: BritishEmbassy@mail.online.kz Website: www.ukinkz.fco.gov.uk Office in Almaty: 97-2A Zholdasbekov Street Samal-2nd Microdistrict, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 250 61 91/92 Fax: +7 (7272) 250 71 12 E-mail: AlmatyVizaGeneral@fco.gov.uk

34 Karasay Batyr Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 250 11 51 Fax: +7 (7272) 258 24 93 E-mail: almat@international.gc.ca Office in Astana: 6 Sary Arka Street Phone: +7 (7172) 79 30 64 Fax: +7 (7172) 79 30 69

62 Kosmonavtov Street, 9th floor, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 97 78 69/78/79 Fax: +7 (7172) 97 78 50 E-mail: astana-ob@bmeia.gv.at

62 Kosmonavtov Street, 3rd Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 97 44 85/86 Fax: +7 (7172) 97 78 49 E-mail: embassy.astana@diplobel.fed.be Trade-economic department: 5th floor office 501 2A 5 Al-Faraby Avenue, Almaty E-mail: almaty@awex-wallonia.kz

Embassy of Britain

Embassy of Canada

Embassy of Austria

Embassy of Belgium

Isker Business Centre 15 Sary Arka Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 90 15 15 Fax: +7 (7172) 90 18 19 E-mail: astanabulemb@mail.ru

174B Furmanov Street, 3rd Floor Almaty 050013, Kazakhstan Phone: +7 (727) 2615160 E-mail: ahc.kaz@gmail.com Website: www.russia.embassy.gov.au

35 Kenesary Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 32 48 29 +7 (7172) 32 06 65 +7 (7172) 32 00 34 +7 (7172) 32 48 49 Fax: +7 (7172) 32 18 70 Consular section: Phone: +7 (7172) 32 48 49 E-mail: Kazakhstan@belembassy.org Diplomatic Mission in Almaty: 115/157 Zheltoksan Street Tel/Fax: +7 (7272) 272 9787 E-mail: Kazakhstan@belembassy.org

Embassy of Bulgaria

Consulate of Australia

Embassy of Belarus

Embassy of Jordan

8/2 Novostroitelnaya Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 52 54/55 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 52 53 E-mail: astana@fm.gov.jo

Embassy of Korea

6/1 Kabanbai Batyr Street, 9th Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 92 55 91/92/93 Fax: +7 (7172) 92 55 96 Office in Almaty: 52a Ivanilov Street, Gornyi Gigant Phone: +7 (727) 263 26 60/91 +7 (727) 263 29 89 +7 (727) 263 62 28/29 Fax: +7 (727) 264 33 51 E-mail: embassy_news@mail.ru

Embassy of Kyrgyzstan

B-5 Diplomatic Town, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 20 24 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 24 14 Consular Section: Phone: +7 (7172) 24 20 40 E-mail: kr@mail.online.kz

i General Consulate: 30A Lugansky Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (727) 264 22 12 Fax: +7 (7272) 64 22 11 E-mail: consul.agencykg@mail.kz

Embassy of Latvia 6/1 Kabanbai Batyr Street, Office 122, Astana Phone/fax: +7 (7172) 92 53 17 Fax: +7 (7172) 92 53 19 E-mail: embassy.kazakhstan@mfa.gov.lv Email: consulate.kazakhstan@mfa.gov.lv

Phone: +7 (7172) 55 11 00 Fax: +7 (7172) 55 11 99 E-mail: emb.astana@mfa.no

Embassy of Oman

3 Novostroitelnaya Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 18 61/62/64 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 18 63

Embassy of Pakistan

Beijing Palace Business Centre 27 Syganak, Astana E-mail: parepalmaty@yahoo.com

2 Tauelsizdik Street, 13th Floor, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 79 35 15 Fax: +7 (7172) 79 35 16 E-mail: embassylebanon-kz@hotmail.com

37 Kabanbay Batyr Street, Block 4 Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 28 75 57/62 Fax: +7 (7172) 28 75 55 E-mail: pal.emb@rambler.ru

Embassy of Libya

Embassy of Poland

Embassy of Lithuania 6/1, Kabanbay Batyr ave. BC Kaskad, office 103 010000 Astana Tel.: +7 7172 925 850 Fax: +7 7172 925 853 Office in Almaty: Gornyj Gigant, 15, Iskanderov Str. 050059 Almaty Tel.: +7727 263 1040, +7727 263 2505 Fax: +7727 263 1975 E-mail is common: amb.kz@urm.lt Website: http://kz.mfa.lt/

28 Sarayshyk Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 28 62 03 Fax: +7 (7172) 28 62 03 E-mail: amb@romania.kz

1 Musabayev Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 69 35 36 Fax: +7 (7272) 58 17 27 Consulate: +7 (7272) 229 37 90 E-mail: info@mongemb.kz 62 Kosmonavtov Street, Office 801 Astana Phone: +7 (7272) 55 54 50 Fax: +7 (7272) 55 54 74 E-mail: ast@minbuza.nl E-mail: nl_embassy.astana@yahoo.com Office in Almaty: 103 Nauryzbay Batyr Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 50 37 73 Fax: +7 (7272) 50 37 72 E-mail: alm@minbuza.nl

Embassy of Norway

17th floor, Astana Tower, 12 Samal Astana

20A Saraishyk Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 28 61 23 Fax: +7 (7172) 28 61 33 E-mail: qatarembassy.astana@gmail.com

Embassy of Romania

Embassy of Mongolia

Embassy of Netherlands

Embassy of Qatar

Embassy of Turkey

Consulate: 78 Mukhit Street, Uralsk Phone: 8 (7112) 51 16 26 Fax: 8 (7112) 24 24 86 Trade Missions: 39 Kenesary Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 32 77 89 Fax: +7 (7172) 32 81 51

6/1 Kabanbay Batyr Street, Office 23, 101, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 92 58 70/73 Fax: +7 (7172) 92 58 74 E-mail: astanaturk@gmail.com Office in Almaty: 29 Tole Bi Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 78 41 65/77 Fax: +7 (7272) 78 41 68 E-mail: almatyturkbe@gmail.com

4 Jandosov Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 75 49 55 Fax: +7 (7272) 75 46 06 E-mail: torgrf-astana@mail.ru 19 Akyn Sara Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 92 57 52/53/54/55 Fax: +7 (7172) 92 57 62 E-mail: kzemb@mofa.gov.sa

Embassy of Turkmenistan

Embassy of Slovakia

5 Karaotkel – 2nd Microdistrict, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 56 37 90 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 20 48 Defense Attaché: Phone: +7 (7172) 24 40 55 E-mail: zuastana1@post.sk Trade Mission: 1A Tikhii, Energetic vil. Almatinskaya Oblast Phone/Fax: +7 (7272) 97 74 43 E-mail: obeo.almaty@mail.ru

Embassy of South Africa

6/1 Kabanbay Batyr Street, 17th Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 92 53 27/28/29 Fax: +7 (7172) 92 53 29 E-mail: cons@saembassy.kz Email: administration@saembassy.kz

8/1 Otyrar Street, Astana Phone/Fax: +7 (7172) 21 08 82 +7 (7172) 21-08-23 Military Attaché: +7 7172 20-12-95 E-mail: tm_emb@astanatelecom.kz Consular section: 6/109, Abay Street, Almaty Phone/Fax: +7 (7272) 50 96 04

Embassy of Ukraine

41 Kenesary Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 32 60 42 Fax: +7 (7172) 32 68 11 Consulate: Phone/Fax: +7 (7172) 32 43 25 E-mail: embassy_ua@inbox.kz General Consulate 13a Makatayev Street , Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 30 16 00 Fax: +7 (7272) 30 26 01 E-mail: uaconsul@gmail.com Trade Mission: Phone/Fax: +7 (7272) 32 74 80 E-mail: tem_ua@mbox.kz C-15 Diplomatic Town, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 36 75 +7 (7172) 28 60 47 +7 (7172) 28 60 75 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 36 76 E-mail: emaratembassy_kz@yahoo.com

47-25 Kenesary Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 20 15 35/6/7/8/9/0 Fax: +7 (7172) 20 03 17 +7 (7172) 20 02 24 (consular section) E-mail: emb.astana@maec.es Trade-Economic Department: 20 A, Kazybek Bi Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 93 02 40 +7 (7172) 293 02 66 Fax: +7 (7272) 93 02 59 E-mail: almaty@mcx.es

Embassy of the United States

12 Samal District, 17th Floor, Astana

3, 22-23 Street, Ak Bulak 4, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 70 21 00 Fax: +7 (7172) 34 08 90 Consular Section: Phone: 70 21 00 Fax: +7 (7172) 70 22 80 E-mail: info@usembassy.kz

Embassy of Switzerland

Embassy of Uzbekistan

Embassy of Sweden

8th floor Kosmonavtov Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 97 98 92/93 Fax: +7 (7172) 97 98 94 Visa section: Phone: +7 (7172) 97 98 95 Fax: +7 (7172) 97 98 96

Embassy of Tajikistan

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates

Embassy of Spain

Embassy of the Russian Federation

4 Barayev Street, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 44 08 06 +7 (7172) 44 07 93/83/86/92/89 +7 (7172) 44 08 01 Fax: +7 (7172) 44 08 07 +7 (7172) 32 22 09 E-mail: rfekz@yandex.ru Website: www.rfembassy.kz Consular section: Phone: +7 (7172) 44 07 83 +7 (7172) 44 04 80 Fax: +7 (7172) 44 07 84 General Consulate: 4 Jandosov Street Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 74 50 87, 274 61 22 Fax: +7 (7272) 74 71 68/72 E-mail: gcrusalmaata@gmail.com

Z DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS

Embassy of Saudi Arabia

Isker Business Centre, 15 Sary Arka Street, 6th Floor Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 90 10 11/14 Fax: +7 (7172) 90 10 12 Email: joanna.jessa@poland.kz General Consulate: 9 Jarkentskaya Street, Gornyi Gigant Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 58 16 17 +7 (7272) 58 15 51 Fax: +7 (7272) 58 15 50 E-mail: ambpol@poland.kz E-mail: polkonsulat@poland.kz Trade Mission: 72 Zatayevich Street Phone/Fax: +7 (7272) 64 79 11 +7 (7272) 63 44 27 E-mail: almaty@pol-trade.kz

6, 36-8 Street, Karaotkel, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 56 37 64/5/6 Fax: +7 (7172) 56 37 23

9A Rubinshtein Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7273) 33 44 83/4/5 Fax: +7 (7273) 87 28 25 E-mail:mwalmaty@nursat.kz

Embassy of Palestine

Embassy of Lebanon

Embassy of Malaysia

15 Marsovaya Street, T Chubary Aicrodistrict, Astana Phone/Fax: +7 (7172) 24 09 29 E-mail: embassy_tajic@mbox.kz Office in Almaty: 16 Sanatornaya Street, Baganashyl vil. Phone/Fax: +7 (7272) 69 70 59 E-mail: tajemb_almaty@ok.kz

36 Baribayev Street, Almaty Phone: +7 (7272) 91 78 86 Fax: +7 (7272) 91 10 55 Consulate Phone: +7 (7272) 91 02 35 E-mail: emb-Uzbekistan@mail.ru

Embassy of the Vatican

20 Zelenaya Alleya Street V Chubary Microdistrict, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 24 16 03, +7 (7172) 24 12 69 Fax: +7 (7172) 24 16 04 E-mail: nuntius_kazakhstan@lycos.com

Embassy of Vietnam

6 Sary Arka Avenue, Astana Phone: +7 (7172) 66 03 75 Fax: +7 (7172) 66 03 79

118EDGEKZ.com No. 1 APRIL 2013