Edge Kazakhstan - 2012 - Issue 8 by Coast2Coast Communications

DECEmbEr 2012

KAZAKHSTAN DECEmbEr 2012

NO. 08

SKIING KAZAKHSTAN

EDGEKZ.COM

CONQUERING THE COUNTRY’S BEST SLOPES

ANCIENT CULTURES EXPOSED KAZAKHSTAN’S OWN STONEHENGE

HOME COOKING LOCAL KNOWEDGE ON FINDING THE BEST INGREDIENTS

THE ATOM PROJECT

KAZAKHSTAN LEADS INT’L NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT EFFORT

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.

NAZARBAYEV CENTER www.nazarbaYevcenter.kz

2, Respublika Avenue Astana, Kazakhstan 010000

WWW.EDGEKZ.coM KAzAKhSTAN DECEMBER 2012 | NO. 8

Published by the International Information Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Editor-in-Chief Patrick Gilsenan

Contents FEATURES

Guest Editor-at-Large Roman Vassilenko

Contributing Writers Colin Berlyne Michael Jacobsen Alex Lee Alex Walters Michelle Witte Contributing Photographers Marat Abilov Igor Logvin Research and Production Dionis Chinivizov Art Director Alain Blunt Design by Addnoise Dimitra Darlioti 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 © 2012 EdgeKz. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

SEcTionS

Cancel the Cold Take a Dip in Kazakhstan’s Hot Springs

PRoFiLE: Kazakhstan’s Movie Stunt Masters

New Generation Celebrates Nation’s 21st Birthday

The Atom Project Seeking an end to nuclear weapons testing

PoLiTicS: Global Leadership on Nuclear Disarmament

BUSinESS: Kazakhstan Looks East

Self Serve Almaty & Astana’s Best Food Stores

cULTURE: Hunting: The Tradition Continues

IPOs Come to Kazakhstan Public Invests in Nation’s Prosperity

Border Patrol Securing the World’s Largest Landlocked Country

DESTinAT ATion ionS: Finding Kazakhstan’s Best Skiing

Kazakh Stonehenge Ancient Site Reveals Steppe Secrets

Fashion Gothic Designs of Sergey Shabunin

Model Albina Berisheva

ASTAnA inDEx

Restaurants

CafĂŠs

Bars

Nightclubs

Arts & Culture

Fitness & Banya

Hotels

Shopping

ALMATy inDEx

100

Listings

USEFUL inFoRMATion

108

Kazakhstan

110

Astana

114

Almaty

118

Astana Map

EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmber 2012

Kazakhstan’s Healing Waters Text by ALEX LEE

s Kazakhstan’s icy snows begin to fall across its

at the end of September and continues throughout the winter.

vast landscape and temperature plunge to depths

Springs are sources of healing and spirituality in many cultures,

at which it’s best to stay inside, the country offers

and near Kazakhstan’s hot and cold springs, you can still see rib-

a respite from the long, cold winter: hot springs.

bons fluttering from trees where locals had tied them when they

These warm, bubbling—and, many believe, heal-

made wishes over the magical waters. Kazakhstan has numerous

ing—waters dotting the Kazakh territory are just

resorts offering access to these waters, as well as tour companies

another unique aspect to a country whose charms are just begin-

which can arrange multi-day packages. So Edge Kz has taken a

ning to be discovered.

look at some of the country’s best hot springs resorts to help you

The hot spring season starts when temperatures begin to drop

add a little heat to your Kazakh winter.

DECEmber 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com

Hot Springs Resorts Chundzha Hot Springs Most tour packages are based out of Almaty, the former Kazakh capital and economic hub of the country, and take visitors to the county’s most visited and well-known hot springs area, Chundzha. Chundzha is located 243 kilometers east and a four-anda-half- to five-hour drive from Almaty in the Uighur district of the Almaty region. The area is home to a whopping 140 mineral springs. The road to Chundzha takes travellers through the picturesque Kok Pek pass, offering vistas of steep slopes and sharp turns. After crossing the Charyn River on the way to the springs, visitors are treated to a host of naturally flowing wells along the road where tourists and locals stop to drink or fill bottles with crystal clear, cold mineral water. As visitors approach Chundzha, they are offered a host of resorts, large and small, with access to hot springs. Here are a few Chundzha region hot springs resorts EdgeKz recommends:

Mirage (Мираж) Mirage, as the name suggests, offers a heated oasis from the country’s cold. Mirage has three spring-supplied pools on its premises; an outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a children’s pool. The rooms and pools are clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. Address: 49th km of the Chundzha-Kolzhat Highway Phone: +7 (727) 292 09 57, +7 (701)777 4000, +7 (727) 783 6368 Price: 3,500 tenge, (Approximately $25)

Tumar (Тумар) Tumar is one of the better resorts in Chundzha. It opened recently so its rooms are modern and comfortable. It offers a large, hot outdoor swimming pool-sized spring that is surrounded by a thin glass wall, as well as an indoor pool. Address: 55th km of the Chundzha-Kolzhat Highway Phone: +7 (727) 292 09 57, +7 (777) 133 30 30 Price: 8,000 tenge, for a double ($53)

Derevushka (Деревушка) If you’re looking for a resort for the whole family with activities beyond just taking a dip in hot water, try the Derevushka Resort. It doesn’t boast the largest springs in the region, but offers other activities, such as ATV (all-terrain vehicles) rides, Russian billiards (a challenging variety of American pool with a larger table and smaller pockets) and sightseeing tours around Chundzha. Address: 55th km of the Chundzha-Kolzhat Highway Phone: +7 (705) 554 05 05, +7 (727) 783 6660 Price: 6,000 – 7000 tenge, ($40-$46) www.derevushka.kz

Premium SPA resort Premium is new and offers two large pools with hot mineral water, one pool with cold water, two children’s pools and a Jacuzzi. And to give you an authentic, natural feel, all of the pools are located outside. (Warm robes recommended!) Premium is also the only resort in the area with a spa. Address: 30th km of the Chundzha-Kolzhat Highway Phone: +7 (727) 7840001, +7 (771) 4019891 Price: 6,000 - 10,000 tenge, ($40-$66). Prices include breakfast and lunch.

Omir Su (Омир Су) Omir Su offers an outdoor pool and an indoor pool with temperatures ranging from 117 – 122 °F. The resort is known for its excellent service and is considered one of the best in the Chundzha region. Address: 72nd km of the Chundzha-Kolzhat Highway Phone: + 7 (727) 292 09 57 Price: 20,000 tenge, ($132)

EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmber 2012

Mirage

Derevushka

Premium SPA resort

SpringS Are SourCeS oF HeAling And SpiriTuAliTy in MAny CulTureS, And neAr KAzAKHSTAn’S HoT And Cold SpringS you CAn STill See riBBonS Tied To TreeS repreSenTing THe WiSHeS MAde over THe MAgiCAl WATerS For a morE rEmotE EXpEriEncE: raKhmanovsKy sprinGs The hot springs of the Rakhmanovsky area offer one of Kazakhstan’s most unique experiences and are located in one of the most pristine natural reserves in the country. The Rakhmanovsky springs are located in far eastern Kazakhstan in the Katon-Karagai National Park in the Altai Mountain range. This is the region of Kazakhstan which borders China and Russia. The springs are found between two lakes at an altitude of 1,760 meters above sea level. The Rakhmanovsky springs are named for the man who discovered them. Legend has it that Rakhmanov, a local hunter, once wounded a Siberian deer and followed it as it ran into a mountain spring. Rakhmanov discovered that the water was warm and steamy as he continued to track the wounded animal in order to finish it off. But as he approved the stag and aimed for a final shot, he witnessed what he thought was a miracle: The nearly fatally wounded animal lying in the hot mineral waters was suddenly healed, rose up and ran away. Rakhmanov was paralyzed by what he had just seen and couldn’t pull the trigger. Since then, locals have called the healing hot springs after the stunned hunter. To this day, despite their remote location, the Rakhmanovsky springs remain popular and many still believe they offer healing benefits such as reducing pain and improving cardiovascular health. The springs are also thought to help spark regeneration and slow aging. The major resort in this area is the Rakhmanovsky Klyuchi Resort, which opened in 1964 and can accommodate 80 people. The resort also offers activities beyond the springs, such as whitewater rafting in July and August, boat rental on the nearby lakes, and horseback riding and biking tours in the region’s mountains. Tours are also offered to Yazevoy Lake, the Valley of Tsars and the Radostny Pass. For more information or reservations, call 7 (723) 226 3744 or e-mail rahmani@reliz.kz rksales@reliz.kz. Pick-ups in the city of Oskemen occur every 12 days and you’ll need to call for an exact pickup date. The 12-day tour is 140,000 KZT, or approximately $930. Prices include hot springs treatments and four meals a day.

How They Work Hot springs, or thermal waters, are plentiful in the Almaty rere gion in Chundzha. Many of the world’s hot springs are heated by magmatic intrusions in active volcanic areas. However, no volvol canic eruptions are expected anytime soon in Almaty, so a lot of the thermal pools in the region are heated by leaking groundground water from more than one kilometer deep where temperatures reach about 86 °F. This results in most Chundzha resorts offeroffer ing hot springs ranging from 68 – 99 °F to near boiling. Since ancient times, thermal springs have been used as a folk remedy for numerous ailments. Thermal waters have been thought to heal the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, skin diseases, the cardiovascular system and even improve rere productive health. Whether you believe in the healing powers of the springs is up to you. But there’s no doubt they can help ease the stress of a long work week and add a little heat to Kazakhstan’s chilly winters.

DECEmbE DECEmb E r 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com

profile

Stuntman Baurzhan Abishev (bottom) with an unidentified actor working on the Kazakh movie “Joker”

10 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmber 2012

Stunt Double

Kazakhstan’s Action Movie Heroes Text by alex lee

In-the-know movie aficionados know that Kazakhstan’s movie

industry has been on the rise over the last few years. Renowned Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov has directed blockbusters such as “Day Watch” and “Night Watch,” “Wanted,” with Angelina Jolie and the 2012 summer hit “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” The nation’s movie industry also received international acclaim earlier this year with the release of the sweeping epic tale of Kazakh history “Zhauzhurek Myn Bala.” But what is less known is that a niche industry is also building alongside Kazakhstan’s Hollywood-style success. The country is quickly becoming a reliable, go-to source for some of the best stuntman talent in the industry. Over the last decade renowned stunt troupe Nomad and successful training academy Kun-Do for would be action film heroes have sprung up to produce the next generation of major motion picture stuntmen. EdgeKz took a look at the institutions and the individuals who are on the cutting edge of this new industry.

DECEmber 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 11

Left: Baurzhan Abishev during the shooting of “Soldiers of Fortune” in Crimea Top: Abishev (middle) with international film stars Jason Statham (left) and Sylvester Stallone Above: With Sean Bean in the movie “Sharpe’s Peril.”

Nomad: Local Stunt Troupe Makes It Big in Hollywood Most visitors to Almaty who busily crisscross this beautiful mountain city from business meeting to business meeting have no idea that one of Hollywood’s most renowned stunt teams is actually based out of this corner of Central Asia. But that is exactly where Kazakhstan’s own Nomad stunt troupe practices their skills. The team was founded in Almaty in 2003 by now 43-year-old stuntman Zhaidarbek Kunguzhinov. Prior to founding the troupe, Kunguzhinov had stunt doubled for such stars as Jason Scott Lee, Mark Dacascos, Kuno Becker, Asano Tadanobu

12 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmber 2012

and others. In the beginning, the troupe simply performed acrobatic and horse tricks for the Kazakh Circus, but the troupe got its big break in 2005 when it was featured in the movie “Nomad.” The troupe adopted the name of that movie and has gone on to work on such blockbusters as “The Way Back,” with Hollywood star Colin Farrell and last summer’s megahit “Expendables 2,” starring some of Hollywood’s top actions heroes, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris. The troupe has also worked on more local films, such as Russia’s “Day Watch” and Kazakh films “Liquidator” and the recent internationally acclaimed Kazakh epic “Zhauzhurek Myn Bala.” But it was working on the “Expend-

ables 2” that provided the young Kazakhs in the troupe with experiences they won’t soon forget. “The Expendables 2” came out in August of 2012, with Nomad stunt men playing a vital role in explosion and fighting scenes with Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. “These (Hollywood action stars) love to have fun. They mocked each other the whole time, and these guys were great to work with,” Kunguzhinov said. Apparently Bruce Willis teased Chuck Norris – one of the toughest men in Hollywood – for showing up with body guards, and Arnold Swarchenegger joked the entire filming about how old he had gotten and spent most of the time between scenes leaning on his knees and catching his breath. “But no matter the

Nomad Stunt Troupe Filmography

age, all these guys are in great shape and I respect that,” said Kunguzhinov. The Nomad troupe’s 35 members, including three women, and 30 horses are also in great shape. Troupe members “practice full-time, five days a week and even harder during filming!” Zhaidarbek said. The troupe trains primarily on the grounds of the Kazakh Circus and at a second training facility roughly 40 kilometres away at Lake Issyk. In addition to horse riding and traditional fighting, the troupe has recently introduced Muay Thai boxing, which is currently popular in movies and on television. But Nomad isn’t just about acrobatics. The troupe is renowned for its extensively trained horses. “We train them, bring them up, they also work hard as we do,” he said. Despite Kazakhstan being thousands of kilometres from the heart of Hollywood,

the Nomad troupe provides a glimpse of the dream of Hollywood for the lucky few with the physical skills and discipline to make the cut. “To be a part of our team, one has to be mentally strong, as working on film sets is tougher than being in the army! There is a lot of pressure. This is why we only take kids over 18 years old… who constantly work on themselves and perfect their skills,” Kunguzhinov said. So far, the formula is working and the troupe continues to get work in some of the world’s major films, says the troupe’s fight and stunt coordinator Baurzhan Abishev. ”We don’t have a PR department and we are not spending millions on ads. We don’t have that money, but we are still approached and offered a lot of projects. They find us, because they know, they hear about us, mostly where there is a need for Asian horsemen. We have built a great reputation.”

2005: Nomad 2006: Day Watch 2007: Wolfhound 2007: Racketeer 2007: Apocalypses Code 2007: Mongol 2008: Mustafa Shokay 2009: The Reverse Side 2009: Who Are You, Mr. Ka? 2010: In Search of Lost Treasures 2010: The Way Back 2011: The Sky of My Childhood 2011: Zheruiyk 2011: The Liquidator 2011: Your Highness 2011: Conan the Barbarian 2011: Return to A 2011: Zhauzhurek Myn Bala 2012: Soldier of Fortune 2012: 47 Ronin 2012: The Expendables 2 contact: Web site: www.nomadstunts.com

Nomad Stuntman Follows Dream As a kid, Baurzhan Abishev loved watching Jackie Chan movies. He wanted to move like Chan, do tricks like Chan and work on films like him. Today, Baurzhan is 30 and his Jackie Chan dreams have come true. Influenced by his father, who loved martial arts, Baurzhan began taking gymnastics, wrestling and Tae Kwon Do classes. These disciplines gave him the range of physical tools necnec essary to become a successful stuntman and, more recently, a fight coordinator and stunt choreographer with Nomad. Baurzhan got his big break, along with his fellow Nomad troupe members, on the set of the 2005 film “Nomad” when well-rewell-re spected Hollywood-based Russian stunt coordinator Vladimir Orlov picked Baurzhan out of the crowd and asked him to coordinate acaction scenes. He had previously only worked with the state circus. He has since worked on more than 20 projproj ects around the world, including in Russia, Kazakhstan and Hollywood. “In the sequel to ‘Expendables’ that Abishev in “The Way of the Boxer,” a Kazakh movie was shot in Bulgaria and is comcom currently in production ing out this fall, I had to coordinate

On the set of “The Way Back” with American Actor Ed Harris

fights with Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. It was a priviprivilege for me to work with such Hollywood names,” Baurzhan told EdgeKz. Baurzhan says he enjoys the work and doesn’t consider the life of a Hollywood stuntman to be dangerous. But he does recall a few unnerving situations, such as being lit on fire and jumping off tall buildings. “Once, I had to jump off a four-story building and land on top of a car. I was all harnessed and tied up but I couldn’t see where I was falling since I had to land on my back. That was probably the scariest moment of my career,” Baurzhan recalled. Baurzhan now dreams of directing an action film himself and enen courages the next generation of Kazakh stuntmen. To learn more about Baurzhan, visit www.baurabishev.com

DECEmbEr 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 13

Kun-Do Filmography

Kun-Do: Training Ground for Action Stars In addition to Nomad, Almaty offers a school that trains would be action stars. The Kun-Do Action Studio was founded in 2006 by Igor Tsay and is Kazakhstan’s only school for budding action heroes. The Kun-Do school has five major discidisci plines: acting, fight choreography, marmar tial arts, gymnastics and acrobatics, and dancing. So far, the school has put those disciplines to use in action scenes it has directed and choreographed in such blockbusters as “Day Watch,” “Wanted,”

and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” “We practice five times a week for two-three hours on average,” the studio’s Training Coordinator Kairzhan Yegizbayev told EdgeKz. In addition to athletic and martial arts training, Kun-Do also teaches the correct way to fall and trip and how to stage intimate and scenic fight scenes. And they wrap the action training in with acting classes. This combination has worked for rising stars like Daniel Volkoninsky, who started at Kun-Do and was invited to star in last summer’s Blockbuster, “Two Pistols: Diamond Hunt,” and stunt actor Vitaly Melnikov who broke

2006: Day Watch 2008: Wanted 2011: Zug Zwang (directed by Igor Tsay) 2011: Lucky Trouble 2011: Yolki 2 2012: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter contact: Phone: +7 (727) 2716787 Email: asf.kundo@gmail.com Web site: www.kundo.kz

through via the Kazakh project “Terra Vita.” “Currently, we have about 40 students who actively attend our school,” said Kairzhan. “Twenty of them are professionals now.”

Kun-Do Founder Succeeds Against Odds The story of Kun-Do Founder Igor Tsay is one of multiple long shots that paid off. In 2005, at the age of 16, Tsay was well on his way to becoming a Tae Kwon Do master – a feat he achieved in 2008, – when he heard that the film “Day Watch” would be filming in Kazakhstan. So Tsay organized a group of his friends to film a sample fight scene and they sent it to the movie’s director, Timur Bekmambetov. Against all odds, Bekmambetov liked the teenagteenag ers’ work and invited the group for an interview. Tsay was hired, worked on the film and the two have collaborated on numerous projects since. But it was a second long shot that led to the opening of the Kun-Do school. “After watching me in ‘Day Watch,’ Bakhyt Kilibayev (the Kazakh screenwriter, director, producer and actor) suggested I found a studio in Kazakhstan that would be a unique school for action stars,” Tsay told EdgeKz. But Tsay needed startup funds. So Tsay partnered with his associate Robert Kun and they entered the concept of the school in a reality television show in which contestants present business plans in the hopes of winning funding. Their plan won and in 2006 Kun-Do was launched. The type of training the school provides, says Tsay, is vital for the type of work its students hope to do. “A thorough preparation of the skill base expands the limits of improvisation under unforeseen circumstances,” he said. “People think that flying in a plane is more dangerous than driving a car, though the statistics show the opop

14 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmbEr 2012

posite. Being a stunt actor there is a risk, but that depends on your professionalism.” Today, Tsay has quite a resume of experience working with Hollywood action stars and renowned directors, such as Tim BurBurton. Tsay has also worked in Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, InIndia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, South Korea, the United States and Canada. Tsay also directed, produced and wrote the script for his debut film “Zug Zwang” in 2011. And, he says, he is proud of what his Kun-Do students and other Kazakh stunt actors have achieved. “Since the Kazakh film market is very small, Kazakh filmmakers cannot make big-budget movies: we can’t get enough movie goers to recoup the funds. So it’s really hard to compete, for instance, with American stuntmen who are funded so much betbet ter, who have more opportunities and, because of that, more exex perience. But it is possible to choose a specialty and try our luck at the international level.” Judging from the achievements of Nomad and Kun-Do stuntmen and actors, the success of the country’s emerging action industry is based on more than luck.

politics

Palace of Peace and Harmony, Astana

Kazakhstanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nuclear Leadership

Leading Global Efforts for a World Free From Nuclear Weapons Text by Colin Berlyne

K a z a k h s ta n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s

20-year-long

campaign to promote nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and greater nuclear responsibility around the world has taken important steps forward in recent years and begun to have a significant international impact.

Most recently, on October 18, Kazakh, U.S. and Russian agencies successfully completed a complicated project known as the Degelen Project to ensure permanent safe storage for hundreds of kilograms of nuclear material that had remained in Degelen Mountain tunnels since Soviet-era

nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. The once-secret project at the Degelen Mountain Complex took years to complete and involved hundreds of kilograms of weapons-usable nuclear material that had been secured in sealed tunnels. Scavenger activity in the area had raised

DECEmber 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 15

Left: UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon (right) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana Below left: Securing nuclear materials Bottom: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (left) with U.S. President Barack Obama

the threat that some of the material might be stolen. The tunnels were reopened, filled with special cement that rendered the nuclear material unusable for weapons purposes, and then resealed. “This collaborative effort, announced at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit by the Presidents of the United States, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, has been unprecedented in terms of actions to combat the threat of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism,” U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs George Little said in a statement. And on August 29, the United Nations International Day against Nuclear Tests, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched the new ATOM Project, a global initiative to mobilize the support of millions of people around the world to permanently end nuclear testing and abolish all nuclear weapons. (Read the story on The ATOM Project elsewhere in this edition.) Earlier this year, the International Atomic Energy Agency headquartered in Vienna, Austria also approved the creation of an international bank for low-enriched

16 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmbEr 2012

uranium fuel to be located in Kazakhstan. The bank is to be set up in 2013. The chairman of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency, Timur Zhantikin, says the purpose of the fuel bank is to improve control over nuclear fuel and, thus, contribute to the strengthening of the security of the international nuclear fuel cycle and the nuclear non-proliferation regime globally. In May 2011, Kazakhstan announced its choice of the Ulba Metallurgic plant in Oskemen, the capital of the East Kazakhstan region, as its proposed site. Kazakh officials assessed that the location satisfied all the IAEA’s requirements. The complex has already been producing dry fuel for nuclear power stations for 50 years. And it will be able comfortably to store as much as 60 tons of gasified low-enriched uranium needed for the creation of the bank. The IAEA formally took the decision to set up the bank in December 2010. President Nazarbayev described it as “a concrete contribution to strengthening the nonproliferation regime, and the elimination of the ‘blind spots’ that exist in the international legal area with regard to the devel-

opment of national peaceful nuclear programs by a number of states.” Kazakhstan was chosen to host the nuclear fuel bank because of its stable social and political condition and its multi-vector foreign policy, which has assured its good relations with nations around the world and the good will of East and West and North and South alike. The decision to locate the fuel bank in the Central Asian nation was also an acknowledgement of Kazakhstan’s longstanding and active participation in global non-proliferation and nuclear weapons reduction, as well as its long history of effective cooperation with the IAEA. Another milestone in Kazakhstan’s international anti-nuclear weapons leadership in recent years has been the adoption and putting into force in 2009 of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty. Kazakhstan, the first nation in the world to shut down a nuclear test site completely following by the renunciation of its nuclear arsenal, signed the treaty along with fellow Central Asian former Soviet republics Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. William Potter of the James Martin Center for Nonprolif Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies has praised the treaty as coming at a crucial time when the global movement for nuclear disarmament and non- proliferation urgently needed to see such progress. The treaty makes Central Asia the fourth region in the world to

International Atomic Energy Agency Headquarters in Vienna, Austria

establish a nuclear-weapons-free zone and the first such region fully located in the northern hemisphere. Kazakhstan, represented by President Nazarbayev, also played a leading role at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) held in Seoul, South Korea on March 2627. The summit was the follow-up gathering to the historic first Nuclear Security Summit convened by U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, DC in April 2010. Leaders from almost 60 nations attended the summit and agreed on a joint communiqué to cooperate on boosting their international cooperation to ensure the safety of “vulnerable nuclear material.” President Nazarbayev played a prominent role in the Seoul summit, as he had in Washington, because of Kazakhstan’s example after independence in scrapping the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world, which it had inherited from the Soviet Union. It was an arsenal greater in destructive power and numbers than those of Britain, France and China combined. Also, the suffering of 1.5 million people in Kazakhstan over the past 60 years from cancers and other radiation and nuclear fall-out-related diseases from the 450 Soviet nuclear tests in the Semipalatinsk region from 1949 to 1989 has also contributed to the nation’s moral authority in global disarmament initiatives. “If the international community fails to discontinue the growth in the number of states possessing nuclear weapons in the foreseeable future, the concept of nuclear deterrence may completely lose its meaning,” Kazakhstan’s former Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev has warned. “In this regard, we believe that the steady decline in the number of nuclear arsenals, the unconditional refusal of all members of the international community (to support) horizontal and vertical prolif proliferation, control over proliferation and the non-discriminatory usage of nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes under the absolute IAEA supervision is the way that has no alternative.” President Nazarbayev also noted in his March speech to the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit that the previous year Kazakh-

stan had completed the unprecedented project of transporting 210 tons of spent nuclear fuel to safe storage. The country has also ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) to bring it into force by 2014. Kazakhstan is also at the forefront of international efforts to strengthen the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Ban-Test Treaty (CTBT). The CTBT forbids all nuclear testing above or below ground for either military or civilian purposes. But although the United Nations General Assembly approved the treaty on September 10, 1996, it has not entered into effect. Kazakhstan’s examples in these initiatives have had a special impact across the Muslim world because Kazakhstan ensured that history would reflect that the one of the first countries to unilaterally disarm a nuclear arsenal was Muslim. “We rose above the global threat and made a principled choice in favour of non-proliferation for our country and the world,” President Nazarbayev said, recalling his fateful decision to opt for a nuclear weapons-free future after winning national independence. Kazakhstan also chaired in 2011-12 the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Kazakhstan also plays a leading role in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) that was started in 2006 by Presidents George W. Bush of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia. President Nazarbayev hosted a GICNT conference in Astana in September 2010. It focused on combating the financing of terrorism and saw the first meeting

of the initiative’s panel on implementation and evaluation. Kazakhstan has also presented a proposal to create a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons similar to the one that now exists in Central Asia. The dark cloud of the possibility of nuclear conflict has not lifted from the human race. But the achievements of the two nuclear security summits, the nunu clear disarmament agreements between the world’s largest nuclear powers, the United States and Russia, the upcoming creation of the new international bank for low-enriched uranium fuel, as well as the other non-proliferation initiatives around the world in which Kazakhstan is either a leader or active participant offer the hope of another and better way. The commitcommit ment of the Kazakhstan government and its people to that better way is rooted in their historic values and the awful price they paid during 40 years of nuclear testtest ing and its aftermath.

Monument to nuclear testing victims in Semipalitinsk, Kazakhstan

DECEmbE E r 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 17

business

The Qianmen Street in Beijing

Looking East

Kazakhstan Embraces Eastern Partners Text by Alex Walters

K a z a k h s ta n ’ s

m u lt i - v e c t o r

diplomacy and its policy of embracing the broad international community have paid dividends in all directions. But nowhere has progress been greater, and the prospects for future trade and investment more stunning, than with its fellow na-

tions of Asia to the east and south. Kazakhstan’s engagement with Asia can be divided into four regions – with China, with the other major nations of East Asia, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations of Southeast Asia and with India.

Financial analyst Martin Hutchinson with Reuters Breaking News, a former merchant banker and an expert on emerging markets, told EdgeKz in an exclusive interview that China was already an obvious “dream” market for Kazakhstan and that India was likely to rapidly become one too.

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Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (left), the then Chinese President Hu Jintao (Center) and Russian Prime Minister and Former President Dmitry Medvedev

“Developing nations that are resource-rich dream of having huge reliable markets that will generate income for them and maintain a steady demand for their primary basic exports,” Hutchinson said. “China fulfills these conditions for Kazakhstan in its appetite for oil, natural gas and uranium.” China also offers Kazakhstan the prospect of a massive market for its meat and grain as the Central Asian nation’s agricultural sector expands, Hutchinson added. “With 1.3 billion people, China is always going to feel resource-short and Kazakhstan is still in the process of expanding its own extractable resource base in energy, mining and agriculture.” Nor does China protect its own agriculture against imports the way the 27-na-

tion European Union does, the analyst said. “This means there is going to be far more elasticity in the growth of Chinese demand for Kazakhstan’s agricultural production than the European nations can hope to match,” he said. But beyond Chinese investment alone, Kazakhstan’s dealings with other nations are also pushing it closer to China. Thomas Sanderson, co-director of Transnational Threats at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a leading Washington, DC, - based think tank, told EdgeKz that Kazakhstan also welcomes its growing ties with China and India to balance the excellent relations it enjoys with Russia to the north and the European Union and the United States to the west. “The Kazakhs recognize that China is

Kazakhs, Koreans Cooperate Across a Continent At first sight, Kazakhstan’s friendship with South Korea seems improbable, but it has proven to be strong and enduring, and its roots go back a long way. South Korea has emerged as a strong ally and trading partner of Kazakhstan in East Asia and the Central Asian nation has become a magnet for investment and mining agreements with South Korea’s corporate industrial giants. Kazakh and South Korean corporations have teamed up to develop a major aluminum-making complex to help expand the Kazakh steel industry, and to develop the Akkas super-gas field in Iraq. But even those two projects are only the tip of the iceberg. The two nations have developed a de facto strategic alliance that is extending the power of them both across Asia. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has paid repeated visits to South Korea and has been an enthusiastic partner to current South Korean President Lee Myungbak. The two leaders have agreed to forge Seoul a far-reaching alliance

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South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak (left) and Nursultan Nazarbayev

between their major industrial corporations, not just in each other’s countries, but to invest in other nations and natural resources around the world. South Korean companies have already invested more than $2 billion in Kazakhstan and more than 300 Kazakh companies are reported to be doing business in South Korea. South Korean companies have also already carved out major roles in the supply of machinery for the Kazakh oil industry and play a major role in Kazakhstan’s huge program of construction projects. A consortium of South Korea’s Kogas Corporation and Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunaiGas (KMG) landed the much-coveted contract to develop the Akkas supergas field in western Iraq. The two companies agreed to produce a peak level of 11.2 million cubic meters (mcm) of natural gas per day from the Akkas field to be sold at a price of $5.50 per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE). The Akkas super-gas field contains 156 million cubic meters. That means it contains almost 5 percent of all the 3.13 trillion cubic meters of natural gas in proven reserves in Iraq.

a rising power in Eurasia and also appreciate its balancing role to the dominant Russian influence they have lived with for hundreds of years,” Sanderson said. For its part, China appears both confident in its ability to penetrate and establish itself in the long-term in Central Asia and the Caspian Basin. However, Sanderson cautioned that sometimes the Chinese can make missteps. “Their relations with the Kazakhs are still excellent. But they provoked widespread negative reactions in Tajikistan when they were perceived as moving too fast to establish their influence in that country,” he told EdgeKz. India’s investment in Kazakhstan is also growing rapidly. India is a natural market for Kazakhstan’s uranium, oil and

soaring food exports. Relations between the two countries are excellent and leaders on both sides are determined to expand the trade relationship. Kazakhstan’s ties with the mediumsized but massively industrialized nations of Southeast Asia are growing rapidly too. This year, President Nazarbayev paid a state visit to Malaysia and Indonesia, the first time he had ever visited the world’s most populous Islamic nation. Kazakhstan also enjoys close ties to Singapore. Asia’s prospects for growth and the spread of culture and human values have never been higher than after the first decade of the new millennium. Kazakhstan’s close and growing ties with the great nations of the continent ensure that it will be an honoured part of that epic story.

South Korea and Kazakhstan have also signed agreements for two $4 billion projects to build a thermal power plant and a petrochemical complex in the Central Asian nation. Under the terms of an inter-government agreement, South Korea is guaranteed a 70 percent stake in a $4 billion project to build a coal-fired power plant in the southern city of Balkhash. South Korea’s Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) and Samsung C&T currently hold a 35 percent stake each in a project to build a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Balkhash that, when online, is expected to generate about 7 percent of Kazakhstan’s electricity needs. Further west, South Korea’s LG Chemical and Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI) have also signed a contract to establish a joint venture to develop a $4 billion project to build a petrochemical complex in Atyrau on the northern banks of the Caspian.Despite the global financial crisis bilateral South Korean-Kazakh trade is rising towards a volume of $900 million per annum. Even deeper ties, however, underlie these prosperous economic relations. Already 100,000 South Koreans live as permanent residents or skilled workers in Kazakhstan, and the Kazakhs look to the Koreans to provide them with the experienced industrial mentors they need. The two nations also share ancient ethnic roots and cultural links. South Korea only regained its independence after a dark era of colonial exploitation by Japan in 1945, and Kazakhstan emerged into independence at the beginning of 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Both nations have strong but tolerant central governments. South Korea prospered under a series of authoritarian presidents before enjoying a relatively smooth transition to democracy. Kazakhstan’s government has also been moving very slowly and cautiously towards extending democracy. South Korea is one of the leading economic nations of Asia, with an industrial base and financial reserves vastly greater than its geographical and demographic size. It is densely populated and, apart from coal, it is resource poor. Kazakhstan is the ninth largest nation in the world,

but very under-populated with 16 million people stretched out over 1 million square miles. It has an abundance of oil, uranium and natural gas that South Korea needs to ensure its continued prosperity and economic security through the 21st century. The South Koreans have made no secret that they want to reduce as much as possible their dependence on oil imports from the unstable and always volatile Middle East. The Kazakhs also have diversified widely in their successful efforts to attract the high-tech, entrepreneurial, investment, financial and industrial expertise they need to transform their nation. And South Korea can provide these services without being large enough to threaten establishing an eventual hegemonic role in Kazakhstan. Both nations share an enthusiastic commitment to exporting and maintaining their prosperity by full participation in the global economic community. And both of them put great importance on maintaining and expanding close strategic as well as trade ties with China. International investors can, therefore, expect major Kazakh and South Korean companies to join forces to develop many more natural resources across Asia and the Middle East. The flow of Kazakh energy resources to South Korea will also grow. The Seoul-Astana axis has only begun to exert a powerful influence across Asia.

Pipelines, Transportation

The former Chinese President Hu Jintao (left) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev

Link Major Regional Players

Kazakhstan’s destiny as the bridge bebe tween East and West is being written across the heartland of Eurasia in road and rail, concrete and steel. Its growing ties with the booming economies of East Asia are anchored in energy pipelines, new super-highway systems and rapidly expanding railroads. Half a millennium af after the old Silk Road fell into disuse, a new web of high-tech connections that the ancient traders could never have imagined brings Asian investment and engineering to Kazakhstan, and the energy and agricultural riches of Kazakhstan to the East. Kazakhstan’s city of Horgos on the border with China’s northwestern Xinjiang province has become a central hub in the partnership between Kazakhstan and China. It marks the eastern terminal of the historic new Turkmenistan-to-China gas pipeline, which opened in 2009. This pipeline flows through Kazakhstan and has a separate extension through which Kazakhstan’s own natural gas from its western regions flows. At full capacity, it will soon supply 40 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas - or 50 percent of the total annual requirements of the Chinese economy, straight to that giant market. Where energy flows, transportation follows. On April 27, 2009, a meeting of regional officials from Kazakhstan and Xinjiang agreed that Horgos will also become the transportation hub where the new superhighway systems of China and Kazakhstan will meet and integrate with each other. This vast undertaking will integrate Kazakhstan into the economic systems of the great Northeast Asian economies. But

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it is also part of an even larger program. At the urging of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan is also moving at breakneck pace to complete its part of the new Western Europe - Western China transportation corridor, also known as the New Silk Road, to connect Europe and Asia. It will be able to carry at least 50 million tons of trade per year by 2020. President Nazarbayev told the 25th session of the Council of Foreign Investors in 2012 that the new railroad system being constructed by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the national railroad corporation, would also link Horgos with Aktau Port and a logistical center in Aktobe. New state-of-the-art logistical centers, including gigantic marshaling yards and storage complexes are also being built in Almaty, Aktau, Aktobe and other centres. The Union of Kazakh Road Freighters projects that the number of trucks carry carrying road cargoes along the Western Europe to Western China corridor will increase in less than a decade from the current number of 15,000 per year to 100,000 per year. All those trucks will also require a network of gas stations, refreshment centres and stopovers for their drivers to rest the night. Although largely ignored in the Western media, the visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to China in 2010 marked a dramatic new stage in the relationship between the two nations. Nazarbayev and then President Hu Jintao of China took pains to describe their relationship as a “strategic partnership” in their joint communique on the visit. When then President Hu returned the

honour on his own visit to Kazakhstan in June 2011, President Nazarbayev commented, “Our cooperation and our relationship are mutually beneficial both for Kazakhstan and China. We intend to fully strengthen these relations and strengthen our trust and everlasting friendship.” Indeed, China has now moved to a second stage of investment in the Kazakh economy. China’s giant state-owned-corporations continue to make multi-billion dollar deals with their Kazakh counterparts. But now much smaller Chinese companies are, with full government support, also making their own investment deals with intermediate-level Kazakh companies to develop the energy wealth of the Caspian Basin and advance Kazakhstan’s 2030 industrial development strategy. The Kazakhstan-China partnership is essential for the long-term prosperity, security and success of both nations. The leaders in Astana and Beijing recognize this and are committed to it.

KAZAKHSTAN Celebrates 21st

Anniversary

With a New Generation of Visionaries Text by colin BErlynE

21s Astana’s cutting-edge architecture represents the county’s forward-looking mentality

Half a millennium since the collapse of the Silk Road and only 21 years since regaining its independence from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has re-emerged as the thriving heart of Eurasia and the peaceful meeting point between East and West. And as the country celebrates its 21st anniversary as an independent nation – the traditional coming of age year in many cultures – a new generation of scientists, entrepreneurs and artists is emerging to lead in the next quarter century. This new generation never had to experience firsthand the economic hardships, ecological catastrophes and horrific historical tragedies endured by their parents and grandparents. They grew up taking for granted a prosperous free-market economy, a stable political system and the concept of endless possibilities for their own lives. They have the confidence and optimism that comes with growing up in such a world, and are developing visions for the future that are as boundless as the Kazakh steppe. Kulgaysha Berdykulova, from the southern Kazakhstan region, is an example of this new trend. It was once unheard of in rural Kazakh society for a young woman to run her own agricultural business, but this hasn’t stopped Berdykulova. She has successfully pioneered the introduction of North American standards of livestock care and management and blazed the way for others to follow her. In 2005, she received a microcredit loan worth 130,000 tenge under the government’s Rural Microcredit Program and has used it to significantly increase her number of breeding cattle. Zakhida Kozhakova, from the Almaty area, is another example of a young women breaking with tradition in what was once a male-

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dominated industry. Kozhakova used a commercial loan from the government to construct four greenhouses to grow crops of onions, lettuce and fennel. Not only did Kozhakova learn new ways to grow her crops, she sought out new markets around the country. Previously, farmers in her region rarely looked beyond local markets. But Kozhakova realized that the new roads and railway services built since independence gave her the chance to quickly and cheaply transport her crops to far-off markets. She quickly found demand for her vegetables in northern Kazakhstan. She was able to support her family and pay off her investment debts ahead of time. Now she is finding new ways to expand her business and finance her operation’s next phase of growth. Kanat Tossekbayev is also one of Kazakhstan’s new generation of visionaries. Tossekbayev won a Bolashak Scholarship enabling him to study abroad after graduating from Kazakh National Medical University. He continued his training at Hanover Medical School in Germany and after returning to Kazakhstan, Tossekbayev successfully pioneered a new E-Ambulance program in Astana to improve the quality of pre-hospital medical aid. Thanks to him, ambulances are receiving modern equipment and GPSnavigation systems. And he has been instrumental in a Ministry of Healthcare project to bring medical accreditation levels to international standards. His team of doctors has won praise from international experts. “I feel it’s important to focus on improving the training of emergency doctors and to make sure they have the

KAZAKHSTAN HAS ATTrAcTed $150 billioN iN ForeigN direcT iNveSTmeNT iN THe pAST 20 yeArS, A SigNiFicANT AcHievemeNT For A NATioN oF oNly 16 millioN people

Youth in Kazakhstan today are starting businesses and generating new ideas more than at any time in the nation’s history

best equipment available,” Tossekbayev said. “They provide one of the most essential public services.” The young doctor expresses the commitment to others that is common in the new Kazakh generation. “I have always adhered to the principle that I should make something useful of myself,” he said. “That way, people can say, ‘He has lived a well-spent life’.” Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev this year has repeatedly emphasized the importance of citizens developing personal commitments to their fellow Kazakhs and Kazakhstan’s development. And Aliya Zholboldina is an example of the kind of emerging young leader who is inspiring the next generation to play an active civic role in their country. Zholboldina, 31, who has lived in both Astana and the United States, is already an experienced organizer who has promoted voluntary activities among the citizens of Astana. She has travelled widely in the West and in 2008 earned a Master’s Degree at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law in the United States. She has also appeared as a bright, articulate spokesperson on YouTube podcasts and communicates with friends and colleagues through Facebook. She even opened a Facebook page called Charitable Initiative: I Want to Help. “We’re going to use it to publish upcoming projects and people will be able to start contacting us for help and support,” she said. Zholboldina also helped launch a program to help prepare first-graders from oror phanages and children in need for the new school year. “We’re already planning more ambitious and complex projects to follow it,” she said. Zholboldina is typical of her generation in her combination of optimism and desire to make a difference. “I am confident that everyone is familiar and close to concepts such as being kindhearted, compassionate and not remaining indifferent,” she said. “Everyone tries to care, or at least has an internal desire to care and provide assistance.” In addition to Kazakhstan’s new generation of civic and busibusi ness leaders, the country’s 21 years of independence have also brought a new wave of talented artistic creators. Arman Yakhin is one of Kazakhstan’s success stories in the field of internainterna tional movie-making. He has made his name in the field of computer graphics, working on many major movmov ie projects including “72 meters,” “The Turkish Gambit,”“Mongol,”“The Admiral,” “Wanted,” “The Inhabited Island” and “Vacations of Maximum SecuSecu rity.” At only 24 years of age, Yakhin now lives and works in Moscow where he runs MainRoad/Post StuStu

dio and directs its special effects division. He recently returned home to Kazakhstan to attend this year’s Shacken Zhuldyzdary Almaty International Festival. Kazakhstan has attracted $150 billion in Foreign Direct Investment in the past 20 years, a significant achievement for a nation of only 16 million people. It is emerging as one of the world’s top five oil and gas producing countries and is already the number one uranium exporter in the world. And as the success of Berdykulova and Kozhakova indicate, the country is also emerging as a formidable global agricultural provider. The national KazAgro company has invested heavily in scientific research and training for the country’s farmers and in state-of-the-art agricultural machinery. As a result, Kazakhstan is now the world’s sixth largest food exporter. Thanks to what is now two decades of that type of national commitment to creating a growing, prosperous society, a new generation of can-do achievers is emerging around the country to take advantage of the new opportunities and expertise that have opened for them. In the 21 years since independence, Kazakhstan has transformed. Like a sleeping princess in a fairy tale, she has awakened from hundreds of years of isolation and slumber to become a leader and example for the world. From agriculture to art and from medicine to social work, a new generation of young visionaries has picked up the banner and it is moving the country forward into a better future.

A G l o b a l I n i t iat i v e f o r a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World

Text by colin berlyne

or half a century, heroes movies and comic books have gotten their powers from atomic radiation. But in the 21st century, Kazakhstan has called on ordinary people around the world to be the real superheroes in joining the struggle to abolish nuclear weapons and build a safer world. To that end, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched a new initiative, The ATOM Project, one a historical and auspicious day this year. The project was launched on August 29, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests and the anniversary of the closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site by the president of Kazakhstan in 1991. To celebrate these historic events, an international parliamentary assembly was convened in Astana called From a Nuclear Test Ban to a Nuclear Weapons-Free World. More than 200 foreign

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participants from more than 75 countries and more than 20 international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, attended the conference. Also attending were representatives from 70 parliaments from around the world, including those from nuclear weapons possessing states and nuclear allies. The gathering was organized by Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament (PNND), the Parliament of Kazakhstan, and The Nazarbayev Center. “We have an opportunity to once more remind the world about the tragic consequences of nuclear testing, and push the global community towards more decisive actions to achieve a final and definitive ban of such testing,” President Nazarbayev told the conference. “In this regard, Kazakhstan launches today the international campaign, The ATOM Project.”

Nuclear weapons testing survivor Dulat

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Left: President Nursultan Nazarbayev Above: The Nazarbayev Center in Astana Opossite page: Images of survivors and victims of 40 years of nuclear testing

President Nazarbayev said that during the four decades of Soviet nuclear explosions at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan endured almost half of all nuclear tests carried out across the world. “From day to day, the radiation poisoned our steppes, rivers and lakes, slowly killing all life in the area,” the president said. “This nuclear evil destroyed the lives and health of over 1.5 million people of Kazakhstan living in the vicinity of the test site. The effects of the nuclear tests are being felt to this day.” President Nazarbayev joined with Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia in the forefront of the first two major global Nuclear Security Summits in Washington, DC in April 2010 and in Seoul, South Korea this year. The ATOM Project has been launched to direct attention to the horrible humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons testing and to build on the global diplomatic momentum generated by those two historic gatherings. Organizers of the project, implemented by The Nazarbayev Center in Astana, recognize that in recent decades the cause of abolishing nuclear weapons, and the awareness of the fundamental dangers they pose to life on the planet, have become dulled and superseded by other humanitarian and environmental issues. The project’s organizers and supporters believe the time has come to revive among governments and publics around the world an awareness of how dangerous and appalling the consequences of the testing and retention of nuclear arsenals has been, and of the threats that their continued possession poses to the human race in the future. The ATOM Project seeks to educate global leaders and publics around the world and remind them of the terrible realities of nuclear war. It will focus global concern about the threat of the already existing nuclear weapons arsenals. One goal is to organize a movement to enable people around the world to di-

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rectly express their position on the nuclear disarmament issue. The ATOM Project is also highlighting the suffering of individual victims of decades of nuclear testing around the world. By placing this human face on the initiative, the ATOM Project will focus world attention on the plight of the estimated 15 million victims of radiation poisoning from the generations of nuclear testing around the world in countries such as Kazakhstan, the Marshall Islands, Japan and Algeria. The project is bringing to light the images and testimonies of the survivors and victims of the 40 years of nuclear testing in Eastern Kazakhstan and of the mutations and deformities suffered by their descendants. Videos and photographs of the victims, often horrific, are featured in the campaign in order to raise awareness of surrounding the damage nuclear testing can cause. President Nazarbayev has also urged the conference to create a global anti-nuclear parliamentary assembly. “Parliamentarians from all countries of the world are present at the conference today. That is why this forum can be called a prototype of the global antinuclear parliamentary assembly. I suggest considering the establishment of such an institute,” he told the August 29 conference. The ATOM Project won immediate support from statesmen and anti-nuclear weapons experts and activists around the world. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle threw his weight behind it. Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans is another supporter. So are influential members of the Japanese Parliament. “PNND is honored to partner with the ATOM Project to educate parliamentarians, governments and civil society about the horrific humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and the imperative this provides for their abolition,” PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware told the conference. “This assembly in Kazakhstan… has energized parliamentarians from around the world to step up their action to abolish nuclear weapons, in-

From day to day, the radiation poisoned our steppes, rivers and lakes, slowly killing all life in the area cluding through the spread of nuclear-weapon-free zones and the promotion of a global treaty to ban nuclear weapons.” This is just the beginning: Scientists, statesmen and humanitarians around the world haved pledge their support for the cause. But the project’s most important and ultimately most powerful champions are the ordinary people in every country whose idealism and courage can change the course of history. The organizers and supporters of the ATOM Project believe these people are the rising generation of heroes who will win the struggle for world peace and the survival of humanity.

former secretAry of stAte chArGed WIth ImplementInG the Atom project Kazakhstan’s global effort to end the scourge of nuclear weapons testing and abolish all nuclear weapons arsenals is being implemented by The Nazarbayev Center in Astana. And the responsibility for spreading that global message and attempting to unite global opinion for a world free of nuclear weapons falls on the shoulders of The Nazarbayev Center’s Director Kanat Saudabayev. Saudabayev is one of the country’s most experienced statesmen and a long-

time associate of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, for whom The Nazarbayev Center is named. His career in the two decades since Kazakhstan won its national independence has prepared him well to lead this international initiative. Saudabayev shares the president’s commitment to the multi-vector foreign policy that has led Kazakhstan to become the strategic hub of the Eurasian land mass – making it a bridge of peace, cooperation and understanding between East and West, North and South. Born near Almaty (then known as Alma-Ata), in 1946, the 66-year-old Saudabayev was Kazakhstan’s secretary of state from 2007 to 2012. He simultaneously served as foreign minister from 2009 to 2011 and presided over Kazakhstan’s highly successful year of chairing the 56-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. And he was at Nazarbayev’s side in preparing Kazakhstan’s major contribution to U.S. President Barack Obama’s first historic Nuclear Se-

curity Summit in Washington, DC in 2010. Previously, Saudabayev put in seven years as Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Washington. In this capacity, he played a key role in developing the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States and made a major contribution in the field of nuclear disarmament. He has earned degrees from the Leningrad Institute of Culture and the Moscow Academy of Public Sciences. He has also earned two PhDs – one in Philosophy from Kazakh State University and the other in Political Science from Moscow State University. He has received the Order of the Fatherland (Otan), the nation’s highest state award, and the Order of Distinguished Service (Kurmet). Now Saudabayev is taking his lifelong passion and that of the president to create a world free of nuclear weapons on to a new, global stage of global public opinion as he directs The Nazarbayev Center’s efforts to make a world free from nuclear weapons a reality.

DECEmbEr 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 29

Unique Artist Fights to end

Nuclear Threat Forty-four years ago, Karipbek Kuyukov was born without arms in eastern Kazakhstan, the horrific consequence of his parents’ exposure to the radiation generated by more than 100 atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by the Soviet Union. But Kuyukov has never seen himself as a victim. Not content with a successful career as an accountant, Kuyukov has also become an acclaimed artist and as a goodwill ambassador, has traveled around the world for the cause of nuclear disarmament. This fall and winter, his artwork wasfeatured in exhibitions in The Hague, Geneva and Washington, DC. And he now serves as The ATOM Project’s honorary ambassador. “Many of my relations have died from the radiation from the nuclear tests,” he said. “In one family, first the father then the mother then all the children passed away – the whole family of ten. I, myself, have no arms to hug you, but I have a heart as big as the open space of Kazakhstan ready to embrace the world for peace and nuclear disarmament.” Kuyukov was born in the village of Yegyndybulak, only 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site. “During the testing, my parents bore witness to those bright and vast mushroom clouds as they filled the sky,” he said. “When I was born, I was born without arms, and it was a shock to my mother. My father brought me to Leningrad. I ended up studying there and ultimately received my diploma, but I could never get used to prosthetic arms.” “I have loved to draw since my early childhood,” he said. “I do not know why, but

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my soul was striving toward creating something beautiful. I did this without arms, but with my feet, legs and mouth. I have become an artist, because an artist’s soul cannot be diminished by a physical limitation.” Kuyukov’s life has taught him that ignorance of the nuclear threat leads to suffering and tragedy. “The people who lived in Semipalatinsk at the time (of the testing) came out of their homes during the explosions to watch them. They didn’t even know about the health threats and devastating consequences of the crimes being committed against them,” he said. “People were basically treated as guinea pigs. Studies of both flora and fauna were conducted. At that time, we were told, ‘radioactive substances do not affect flora.’ What a terrible lie! Overdoses of radiation cause human beings to suffer from cancer tumours, skin cancer and leukaemia.” Kuyukov says he has no doubt about his mission in life: “I am doing what I can so that people like me will be the last victims of nuclear tests,” he said. “I will continue to call on all mankind to preserve security on the planet until my heart stops. I do not want a repeat of these events at any place or time, anywhere on the planet.” “We have a choice,” Kuyukov says when he speaks to audiences, be it in Astana or abroad. “We can be passive – and let the heads of state solve the issue – or we can unite and defend our citizenship and human rights. Every single person has a right to decide the future they want for themselves, their families and their nation.”

Cook it Yourself Almaty and Astana’s Best Food Stores Text by ALEX LEE

Kazakhstan is home to more than 140 nationalities, and one of the perks of living in such a multicultural community is the food. The country offers lots of different cuisines from varying traditions, using different ingredients and appealing to different tastes. The trick is to find those delicacies in a country where you don’t know the local stores—or anyone to ask.” Sure, you can go out to eat. Both Almaty and Astana offer a broad range of restau-

rants: Kazakh, European, Japanese, Italian and more. But some days, you just want to stay in and cook. Sometimes, you want to open the fridge, sharpen the cleaver – or just get out the corkscrew – and create something on your own. So EdgeKz has reviewed the five best supermarkets in Almaty and Astana to help you know where to find the freshest and most diverse selection of items to prepare your own comfort food. DECember 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 31

S h o p p i n g

P r e p:

Supermarkets and food stores in Kazakhstan run the gamut from ultra-trendy to traditional bazaars. But there are a few commonalities that are likely different from what you are used to. You’ll need to learn to bag your own groceries, few supermarkets have public restrooms and you’ll need to stash your bags in a locker before you can start to browse. Now, let’s go food shopping.

Almaty 1. Interfood

Address: 15 Gogol Street Phone: +7 (727) 230 26 24 Hours: Daily 10 am – 9 pm

a country where cash still predominates. For international visitors, Interfood provides a taste of home. “When I feel like having something national (Kazakh), I can go anywhere I want in Almaty. But if I feel like I need something from overseas or Europe, I go to Interfood,” said Japanese-born Kiri, a 27-year-old professional photographer from Almaty. Interfood has three more outlets in Almaty.

Interfood Supermarket is on Gogol Street in Almaty about a five-minute walk from the 28 Panfilov Heroes Park. Before even perusing the food selection, you’ll be impressed by Interfood’s fashionable interior, automated lockers and modern food stalls. But you’ve come for the food, and when it comes to imports, Interfood doesn’t disappoint. The store offers a wide range of affordable wines as well as European imported goods, such as Dutch smoked cheeses, Italian sausages and marinated and pickled foods like German mushrooms and dill pickles. From slightly farther afield are spicy Thai and Indian seasonings. Pastries are baked daily and are always fresh, and the staff is helpful and available for customers. Interfood also accepts credit cards, which is a huge advantage for expats and visitors in

Magnum Cash and Carry’s name says it all. Magnum aims to be a classy, one-stop shop for local groceries and household goods. Their large carts ensure customers have enough room to pile in everything they might need from Magnum’s fully and eclectically stocked shelves. There are frozen meats and fish, fruits and vegetables, canned food, bathroom and bedroom accessories, pastries, cakes, dairy products and alcoholic beverages. Magnum is also a

Magnum

Green (Zelyony) Bazaar

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2. Magnum

Address: Micro district Zhetysu-3, Unit 1 G Phone: + 7 (727) 326 91 22 Hours: Open 24 hours www.magnum.kz

great place to go if you are setting up temporary temporary housing, as it also offers books, kitchen accessories, such as plates and cups, and even kids’ clothes. Magnum is popular among Almaty residents, so be prepared to jockey with other carts and wait 15 or more minutes to check out. To keep waiting customers happy, the management has come up with creative, flexible discount systems. “Once, I was the tenth customer and everything I bought was given to me at no cost! It felt like hitting the jackpot in a casino! And I’d bought $100 worth of food,” 29-year-old Slava Ivanov, a construction worker from Almaty, told EdgeKz. On top of all that, Magnum’s reasonable prices are a pleasant surprise. Magnum has three other outlets in Almaty and one in Karaganda.

3. Green (Zelyony) Bazaar Address: 55 Zhibek Zholy Street Phone: +7 (727) 273 29 60 Hours: Daily 9 am – 6 pm. Closed Sundays

“All roads lead to the Green Bazaar,” the locals say. This bazaar has a rich history with roots extending back to the Soviet

Green (Zelyony) Bazaar

“If I feel like I need something from overseas or Europe, I go to Interfood,” said Japanese-born Kiri, a 27-year-old professional photographer from Almaty era. Whether you’re an expat, tourist or even a local, the Green Bazaar (‘green’ is ‘Zelyony’ in Russian) should be on your list of must-see places. Zelyony has been a tourist attraction for a long time, but locals come here to buy fresh meat of all sorts – horse, mutton, beef, pork, chicken and more – and a variety of produce. International visitors come to get what they can’t find in their home countries, including things like cheaper red caviar and real, fattening food that hasn’t been sitting on shelves for months. This is your stop if you are looking for something fresh: fresh-cut meat, fresh fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh dairy products and even Korean salads any time of the year. The Zelyony Bazaar isn’t only about

food. It’s a place to get carried away as the variety of clothes and souvenirs can make you forget what you came for. Expect to walk away loaded with stuff you had no idea you needed. On the downside, Zelyony gets dirty and crowded and you’ll want to watch out for pickpockets. But the Zelyony Bazaar is one of a kind and popular for locals and tourists alike.

4. Ramstore

Address: 226, Furmanov Street, 2nd floor Phone: +7 (727) 330-55-01 Hours: Daily 9 am-11 pm www.ramstore.kz The Ramstore Supermarket was the first of its kind to open in Almaty back in 1999. Located on one of Almaty’s busiest streets

– Furmanov Street in the Samal Two Micro District – it includes a skating rink, more than 50 boutiques, a food court, movie theatre, pharmacy, beauty salon, dry cleaner and other shops and services. If what you need are groceries, head to the supermarket on the second floor. “One great thing at Ramstore is the fresh-cut meat at affordable prices! And another thing is that you never have to wait in line for too long. There are always enough cashiers, always smiling and nice to the customers,” 24-year-old Almaty resident and Ramstore regular Almira Zhumatova told EdgeKz. If you decide to become a regular at the Ramstore chain, you can join their Ramstore club for discounts. There are 21 Ramstore outlets throughout Kazakhstan.

DECember 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 33

evraziya

artyom

Green supermarket

5. stolichny

Address: 121 Abylai Khan Street Phone: +7 (727) 266 2555 Hours: Open 24 hours stolichny Almaty is called the best supermarket in Almaty by some of its regulars. First of all, it’s conveniently located in the city center at the intersection of Abylai Khan street and Kabanbay Batyr street. secondly, it’s open all day and all night. then there’s the famous kitchen, with Kazakh fast food, salads and light snacks like sandwiches for hungry night owls. Add its pastries and cakes, which are always fresh and which Almaty locals swear by, and you can see why this place is popuyou can even order unique pastries, lar. y such as custom birthday cakes. “I ordered a cake for my daughter’s birthday in the shape of a castle, and I must admit I was impressed. It was designed well and it was delicious! All in all, it’s a great supermarket. It’s always nice to shop there,” says a stolichny regular who identified himself as Konstantin. stolichy’s two drawbacks? Prices are a bit higher than other stores and there’s no parking lot.

Ast nA AstA 1. Evraziya

Address: 24 Petrov Street Phone: +7 (7172) 343 462 Hours: Daily 10 am – 7:30 pm, 10 am – 7 pm Mondays evraziya (“eurasia” in russian r ) is located on Astana’s right bank and is one of the most visited supermarkets in the city. evraziya offers a huge variety of goods, from home appliances to makeup, cell phones, clothing and food. the food is a major attraction. In-the-know local pub-

34 EDGEkZ.Com No. 8 DECEmbEr 2012

lic relations manager Ainur Karabayeva loves it. “I’ve gone to evraziya just for the meat ever since I moved to Astana and now I am not only a customer there, but I’ve become friends with some vendors. even my aunts now all go to evraziya to buy meat. I can tell you, they know much more about that than me,” the-21-yearold said. Besides the fresh meats, evraziya offers alcoholic beverages, freshly made Korean salads, spices, pastries, fruits and vegetables. evraziya keeps its prices pretty high, but as the only one of its kind in the country, it can afford to.

2. Artyom

Address: 47 Seifullin Street Phone: +7 (7172) 216 589 Hours: First floor open 24 hours Artyom is referred to as the Green Bazaar of Astana – you can find everything here. the supermarket is on the first floor of the six-story complex, which includes a food court on the top floor and other floors filled with furniture, barbershops, tailors, clothing, kitchen appliances and more. Artyom is famed for its fresh fruits and vegetables. Here you’ll find stall after stall packed with nicely sorted pyramids of apples, pears, watermelons and melons, as well as beautiful greens like parcel, coriander and dill. “When I used to live in the neighborhood, I thought that Artyom was very much like the Green Bazaar (Zelyony) in Almaty. everything is cheap and fresh,” Assel Bimisheva, a 33-year-old homemaker, told edgeKz. Unfortunately, also like the Green Bazaar, Artyom can get crowded, dirty and you’ll want to watch for pickpockets. But the slight inconveniences are well worth the trip. Artyom is conveniently located on the right bank at the intersection of Valikhanov street and seifullin street. Its low prices and large selection are unique in the capital.

3. Green Supermarket Address: 20 Valikhanov Street Phone: +7 (7172) 580 541 Hours: Open 24 hours www.greenmart.kz

Green is Astana’s busiest supermarket. There are shopping cart traffic jams and long queues. Green is another one-stop shop with home and kitchen wares, bed and bath supplies, DVDs and garden tools in addition to food. Green is so popular because it has the most affordable prices in the city. It’s also conveniently located across the street from Artyom on Valikhanov Street. “My husband and I come to shop here at least once a week. The prices are the best in town and the products are not bad. What else would you want?” said Karla Nurseitova, a 44-year-old school teacher. With its location and its own parking lot—a rarity for supermarkets here—Green wins for convenience and price. Green has five outlets in Almaty and three in Astana.

4. Astana food store Address: 2 Bukeikhan Street Phone: +7 (7172) 324 107 Hours: Open 24 hours

Astana is probably one of the oldest stores in the Kazakh capital. It was built in the early 20th century by peasant-nomads from Russia and is today one of the few buildings in town to boast Old Russian imperialist architecture. The building is in the old city center on the right bank, across the street between the Congress Hall and the Ministry of Agriculture. The building may be an antique, but Astana has kept up with times and today you can find

Astana food store

a blend of European and local products on its shelves. Everything is fresh in Astana, especially the baked pastries, since they have their own confectionary. “Cakes really define this supermarket,” 33-year-old web designer and Astana resident Marina Khassanova told EdgeKz. Since Astana is open 24 hours, the prices are a bit higher than those of its competitors. To this day, Astana Supermarket is thought to be one of the best in the Kazakh capital.

5. Sputnik

Address: 80 Kenessary Street Phone: +7 (7172) 374 123 Hours: Open 24 hours Sputnik is located on Astana’s right bank, along central Kenessary Street. It used to be called “Kazakhstan Supermarket” and has served Astana residents since Soviet times – but it’s greatly improved since then. Now, there’s a mix of products from Europe, Russia and China. This supermarket’s claim to fame is its fresh seafood, such as its live, still-crawling crawfish. Sputnik is also known as a place for kvas, the Russian non-alcoholic beverage made of fermented wheat, which it has on tap. It looks like beer and tastes similar to dark beer, but has negligible alcohol content. Another big plus for Sputnik Supermarket is that you don’t have to wait: cashiers are always fast and the staff will take your cart for you after you check out, an unusual perk. Sputnik also has standard dairy products, some vegetables and fruit, cold cuts and meat, and basic kitchen, bathroom and bedroom items. “You can find anything you need at Sputnik. It’s just a nice store with a lot of products,” says Talant Meyrambekov, a 20-year-old regular customer.

Astana food store

Besides the fresh meats, Evraziya offers alcoholic beverages, freshly made Korean salads, spices, pastries, fruits and vegetables

Sputnik DECember 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 35

culture

Hunters setting up decoy geese

36 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 December 2012

Hunting in Kazakhstan A Tradition Continues Text by alex lee

In the days when what Is now astana was just empty steppe, huntIng

skills were vital. Getting food for the dinner table and making sure your family would not starve were top priorities for men in the steppe. “Hunting always played a key role in the lives of nomads,” Abdinur Nuskabai, a leading researcher at The Nazarbayev Center’s Institute of Statehood, Problems of Security and Development, told EdgeKz. “Due to the vast territory of Kazakhstan, there is quite a variety of different animals that live here. These animals were hunted for food, skin and fur, and horns,” Nuskabai continued. The most widespread types of hunting were with falcons, eagles, hawks, merlin and peregrine falcons. However, such accompaniment could be afforded only by the wealthy, so many hunters turned to hounds to round up their prey. And though the equipment has changed, the tradition of hunting in Kazakhstan continues. Modern Kazakhstan is home to more than 500 animal species, including five endangered ones. The Kazakh steppes are home to populations of wolves, foxes, lynx, bears, Caspian tigers, roe deer, Siberian stags and deer. They are also home to 100,000 passionate Kazakhs registered to hunt them.

December 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 37

Through the Generations “I think it is in our blood. It runs in the family, all our relatives were hunters: my father, uncles and now I have been hunting for over 38 years now. And I taught my son to hunt as well,” 50-year-old Evgeny Glushakov told EdgeKz. Evgeny Glushakov and his son Sergey Glushakov both started hunting at early age. Evgeny was taken on hunting trips by his father when he was around 12 years old. And Evgeny continued the tradition by taking Sergey to hunt at around the same age. “I always asked my dad to go hunting with him when I was a kid,” said Sergey. “I remember the first time we were out there

38 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 December 2012

to hunt a grouse. It was my first prey and I felt so proud in front of my father.” Today, Sergey is 27 and he and his father now hunt more dangerous game, such as bears and wolves. And like the hunters who came before them, they say that hunting is about more than just the kill. “To be a huntsman takes a lot of virtues, like patience, courage and honor,” said Evgeny. “Sometimes in the winter it can be freezing cold. In Eastern Kazakhstan, cold snaps are ruthless, reaching to minus 40o-50o Celsius. But we are out there hunting, wearing snow-white camouflages, and waiting on our prey. We are not out there to just shoot animals. It is a delicate process… setting the traps, be-

ing invisible to our prey, being smarter than our prey, faster and more intelligent. Sometimes they are smarter than us.” Evgeny is a car mechanic and hunting for him is another full-time job and a lifestyle he can’t give up. Sergey is a local fireman and shares his father’s destiny. This family duo based out of Astana also helps arrange hunting getaways for both Kazakh citizens and foreigners. The agency they work for can also handle the licensing and permits necessary for visitors to hunt. See information box for contact details. Another long-time Kazakh hunter is Alexander Antipov, who says that he always wanted to be a hunter when he grew

The Kazakh legend of the Greedy Hunter

Far left: Evgeny Glushakov with his prey Left: Local hunter with geese

up. “Astana was still called Tselinograd in those days and it was completely different from now. Quite frankly, it was a swamp. When I was 16, my school friends and I would hunt ducks, said Antipov, now 60 years old. “Back in the Soviet era, every man had to learn to shoot and fight for his motherland and they had to fight back to back. Today, the hunting spirit is still alive in Kazakhstan.”

Modern Day Hunts “Hunting used to be free and far less regulated in Soviet times. In those days, anyone who owned a rifle could go out hunting. However, since independence

One upon a time, goes the Kazakh hunting legend, there existed a renowned hunter who was able to feed his whole tribe with the meat of wild animals. His people were grateful, and the hunter returned their gratitude by providing more and more prey. One day, however, while hunting a herd of wild mountain goats, the hunter got caught up in the thirst for blood and began shooting arrows at all creatures indiscriminately. His fellow tribesmen, not being able to stop the hunter, fled in terror as the hunter continued his killing spree. And when the hunter saw a small, white female mountain goat that appeared lame, he immediately went after her. But the goat, like a specter, eluded his arrows, climbing over rocks, higher and higher into the mountains and leading hunter further and further from his village. Suddenly, the goat disappeared, simply vanished into thin air. And the hunter, according to legend, found himself on the top of tall glacier. The glacier was too tall for him to climb down, and soon he died of hunger and fear. As a result of his greed and disrespect for the creatures that had helped the tribe survive, the hunter’s fellow tribesmen were scattered around the world and their homeland remains empty – a place even animals fail to roam.

we’ve had to create new regulations to prevent poachers from hunting rare animals to extinction,” Alexander Lyalchenko of Astana told EdgeKz. Lyalchenko works for the Akmola regional office in Astana of the Kazohotrybolovsoyuz, or Kazakh Hunters’ and Fishermen’s Union. In 2010, the government began enforcing the requirement for hunting and fishing licenses. The fishing licensing has since been abandoned as authorities and the Kazohotrybolovsoyuz “couldn’t handle the massive numbers of fishermen trying to obtain licenses,” said Lyalchenko. Today, much of Kazakh hunting is divided up into territories where hunters can set up small tent camps or stay

in established lodges, said Lyalchenko. And hunting licenses are still required to help stop poachers who face fines of up to $3,000. Hunting endangered species outside hunting seasons can also lead to up to two years in jail. In fact, Kazakh hunters have to complete a 16-hour course and pass an exam to get their hunter’s license. Many hunters, said Antipov, don’t mind the regulations because they have always had respect for the creatures they hunt. “A good hunter should remember not to abuse their power and skills in any way. You are not out there to shoot some animals that can’t protect themselves. You have to respect the weaker species,” said Antipov.

DECEmber 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 39

Info

Hunting for Visitors With a little planning, visitors to Kazakhstan can also enjoy the country’s hunting culture. To hunt in Kazakhstan, visitors must apply for a permit up to two months in advance. They also need a permit from their home country demonstrating that they are allowed to carry a firearm in their country of origin. And they must bring their own firearms, as firearm rental is not allowed in Kazakhstan. Finally, they need to register with the Ministry of Interior Affairs and register their firearm at a local regional state office. Hunting trips can also be booked through www. argymak-tour.kz, which has English speaking staff.

Hunting Seasons

To plan your Kazakh hunting trip, contact the Hunters’ and Fishermen’s Union Astana office 4 Otyrar Street Phone: +7 (7172) 21 50 57 +7 (7172) 21 72 20 Almaty office 22B Manas Street Phone: +7 (727) 242-32-83 +7 (727) 242-27-85 For help arranging the hunt and completing the required paperwork, contact The Altai Hunting Company, +7(7232) 24 99 02 / info@altay-hunting.com or visit www.altay-hunting.com

Bird hunting season starts the first week of September and lasts until November 15. The spring hunting season for birds starts April 1 and lasts only 12 days. Deer season begins August 1 for bucks and September 20 for does and lasts till the end of year. And wolf, fox, lynx and rabbit season starts on November 1 and lasts until February 15 and all hunters must be accompanied by a second approved hunter.

Top: A local hunter with his prey Left and above: Evgeny Glushakov with hunting clients

40 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 December 2012

IPo s Come to

KAZAKHSTAN KAZAKh PublIc To InvEST In nATIon’S PRoSPERITy Text by AlEx WAlTERS l lTERS 2012 has been an historic year in Kazakhstan and one which has brought a fundamental change in the work workings of the Kazakh economy. In 2012, Kazakhstan initiated the first wave of People’s Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), in which some of the largest and most profitable corporations in the country went on the market. The campaign involves the gradual public listing of

up to 10 percent of the shares of the biggest and most stable state companies through 2015. KazTransOil was the first company to float its shares in November 2012. It will be followed by KEGOC, Air Astana, KazMorTransFlot, Samruk-Energo and KazTransGas in 2013. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, KazTemirTrans, KazAtomProm and KazMunaiGas are to be listed in 2014-2015.

he aims of the program are ambitious. Kazakhstan is already the most dominant and prosperous economy among the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Its annual gross domestic product (GDP) is 74 percent of the combined GDP total for the five Central Asian nations and it has attracted 85 percent of all the foreign direct investment into the region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And upon completion of the People’s IPO campaign, it is expected that Kazakhstan will have attracted unprecedented domestic investment into the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KSE) in Almaty. This will make the country the most dominant investment and stock trading center for all of Central Asia. The program is also designed to share the wealth of the nation and significantly expand the middle-class sector of society. The middle class is expected to enjoy additional income from stock value increases and from dividends paid by the stocks. Kazakhstan’s prime minister, Serik Akhmetov, has said several major aspects of the People’s IPO program still need to be worked out. However, he stressed that the development of the national stock market would be unthinkable without the involvement of the citizens of the country. Among the challenges facing the People’s IPO is the fact that the companies directing the issue of shares are state corporations, but have to be managed as private companies that can be listed on the stock exchange. Also, in the 1990s, during Kazakhstan’s first period of privatisation, the main emphasis was different and directed to attract strategic investors.

“In the sale of shares, we do not pursue the aim to maximise the state’s profit,” Karim Massimov, Kazakhstan’s prime minister in 2007 — 12, said. “We think more about the investor — the citizen and the pension funds. This is a unique opportunity which does not occur often, but sharing of revenues and the establishment of a medium-size investor in the country is very important, not only as an economic, but also as a political and a social aspect of this issue.” On October 30, the government of Kazakhstan launched the People’s IPO program. “Today, we have launched the People’s IPO program. This decision was preceded by preparatory, organizational, technical and financial work. A wide range of issues with international experts, consultants, banks and financial institutions were discussed. Our people will get an opportunity to direct their savings not only for the purchase of real estate and into banking deposits, but to invest in modern financial institutions,” Akhmetov said on the day of the launch. International analysts believe the People’s IPO will have a positive impact both on the stock market and the overall development of Kazakhstan’s economy. And stock market analysts are optimistic that the initial IPO offerings will boost the KSE’s value significantly through 2012 and into 2013. The “Big Bang” deregulation of the City of London by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her government in 1987 ensured a quarter century of prosperity and growth for Britain. As a young and growing nation with vast natural wealth and resources, Kazakhstan has even more to hope for from the generation that follows its coming wave of IPOs.

How tHe IPos Program works The People’s IPO campaign is a program to gradually list shares in the country’s most stable state companies for purchase by Kazakh citizens from 2012 to 2015. KazTransOil was the first company to float its shares in November 2012. It will be followed by KEGOC, Air Astana, KazMorTransFlot, Samruk-Energo and KazTransGas in 2013. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, KazTemirTrans, KazAtomProm and KazMunaiGas will follow in 2014 and 2015. The People’s IPO program currently allows only Kazakh citizens and pension funds to purchase shares and more than 160,000 Kazakhs are expected to take part. The program was developed and is being implemented by the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund jointly with the Kazakhstan Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. A much smaller version of the program was launched in 2006, allowing Kazakh citizens to purchase a limited number of stocks

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in KazakhTelecom and KMG EP. That process proved to be highly successful. During the first trading of those shares on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) in Almaty, the total volume of transactions was greater than 156.143 million tenge (than one million dollars). The closing share price reached 12,600 tenge per share, which was 12.9 percent higher than the offered price. The success of those share issues confirmed the popular demand for investing in major companies. The new wave of IPOs will be available to large numbers of people who were not eligible to buy shares in 2006. The initial price set for each new share is expected to range from ten dollars to 100 dollars. The government is also considering the creation of a state investment fund that will buy blue chip issues of the companies and then sell values of them in different formats to the general population. It may also approve the

discount selling of shares that are volatile in the short term, but profitable in the long term. Other options include selling shares in return for repayments in installments over an extended period of time to permit people with low incomes to have access to the benefits of ownership. Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund Deputy Chairman Kuandyk Bishimbayev has stated that legal entities and foreign citizens will be able to buy the shares in the secondary market after citizens and domestic pension funds have had the opportunities to purchase them. “The investors will get their profits in two ways: the cost of the shares that one can sell or the dividends to be paid annually. All the Samruk-Kazyna companies generate profits and pay dividends annually,” he said.

Numerous major state companies, such as Astana Airlines, are participating in the People’s IPO

People’s IPO Aims for Long-Term Security Kazakhstan’s People’s IPO program is the first major attempt to expand the participation of a large proportion of the population of a Central Asian nation in the free market economy by making ownership of shares of major prosperous national companies widely available. Martin Hutchinson, a financial columnist for Reuter’s Breaking News and the former senior vice president in charge of derivative operations at Creditanstalt-Bankverein is an expert on emerging markets. He told EdgeKz in an exclusive interview that the strongest element of the People’s IPO was the fact that the companies issuing them would have the option of paying dividends on their profits to the stockholders. “The key factor that will generate secure income for shareholders is the fact that the IPO issues will permit companies to pay dividends,” Hutchinson said. “Paying dividends is a far more secure and attractive form of income in the long run to middle-class investors than rises in share prices.” The payment of dividends on IPO shares in successful companies “will make the shares much more attractive as long-term assets for retirement and the building up of assets,” the analyst said. “The paying of dividends is attractive to large-scale institutions as a sign of long-term investment stability, too.” During the pre-crisis years, Kazakhstan’s citizens gained some experience with the IPO concept. They were able to purchase some stocks of KazakhTelecom and KMG EP on the stock exchange. The People’s IPO, how-

ever, is the first major effort in Central Asia to attempt what British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher successfully accomplished in Britain in the 1980s — to attract unprecedented numbers of people into the investment arena and thereby spread and distribute wealth through the free market process on a previously unprecedented scale. This has the potential to give Kazakhstan the largest and most prosperous propertyowning middle class in the history of Central Asia. That in turn would greatly contribute to the long-term stability of Kazakhstan’s society and make far smoother the expansion of democracy in coming generations. Political analyst Andranik Migranyan has documented that process throughout the past century. He’s found that successful and stable democracies have only been established after long, prosperous and successful periods of capital consolidation and the spreading of wealth and property among a confident middle class. Hutchinson said that in the long term, Kazakhstan should also allow foreigners, especially institutions, to invest in their profitable companies as that would encourage an additional lucrative flow of outside investment into the country. “The Kazakhs are much more likely to attract foreign investment capital into their country if they establish a share system in which foreigners can buy. It is much more preferable to attract portfolio investment than private investment into any developing country,” he said.

But with more than $150 billion in foreign direct investment already successfully attracted into the country since independence, it’s easy to see why the government of Kazakhstan is encouraging domestic investment to spread the profits and benefits more widely now. It’s a policy that combines the market with social vision.

Kashagan, oil gas-field

DECEmber 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 43

educatIng a newly InvestIng PublIc The People’s IPO program offers a unique opportunity to the people of Kazakhstan to invest in the success of the country’s largest and most successful companies. But the organizers of the offering recognize that the public has to be educated about the opportunities and potential pitfalls of investing. “Our task is, on the one hand, to tell people about the advantages of investing in securities, and on the other, to explain the risks that people can face,” Chingiz Kanapyanov, the deputy chairman of the National Bank’s Committee on the Development of the Regional Financial Centre of Almaty (RFCA) said in an interview. “An important characteristic of the People’s IPO program is the state’s desire to protect common investors against market fluctuations and other risks. So only the securities of enterprises in which the state owns all the shares or a majority of them are put up for sale,” Kanapyanov said. Kanapyanov said IPOs there are part of the program and will continue until 2015. They are being launched in a favorable period of economic growth after the national economy has successfully emerged from the global financial crisis and following the slower economic growth in 2008 and 2009. This strengthens the likelihood that the shares would grow in value, he said. “As a rule, the People’s IPO is issued in favorable economic conditions, rather than during an economic downturn,” the banking expert said. “In Kazakhstan, the IPO is scheduled to be held in the wake of economic growth. Our country has successfully overcome the global financial crisis. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts

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the growth of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012 at about 6 percent. So there is every reason to expect that the shares of high liquidity state companies or of companies with state participation will grow. That, in turn, allows us to predict the growth of the market value of securities and dividends on the shares. Both trends favor the interests of investors in IPOs.” Kanapyanov said larger state enterprises offer more security with their share offerings and first-time investors are advised to start with them before acquiring shares of companies that offer more lucrative returns, but also more potential risk. “The People’s IPO offerings allow ordinary citizens to become shareholders or part owners of large companies, and to lawfully be engaged in the redistribution of national wealth. This growth in the number of minority shareholders increases the transparency of companies and the level of corporate governance in them,” he said. “Having acquired some skills of investing in in the less-risky securities of quasi-state companies, then IPO holders can start investing in other securities. It may be riskier, but potentially more lucrative.” “The process of issuing the shares to a wider market will make the public more financially sophisticated and skillful and add liquidity and strength to the national stock market,” the expert added. “First, the ownership of shares of successful companies gives citizens an opportunity to gain profits from their development and growth through the rise in the price of shares and through the payment of dividends. Second, the People’s IPO contributes to the development of the national stock

market,” he said. “The program provides citizens with the opportunity to purchase shares of leading companies. This expands the range of investors. The increasing demand for shares then leads to the growth of their liquidity, which in turn has a positive impact on the stock market.” “Third, the state-owned companies can invest the funds attracted through the People’s IPO in their further development, in the acquisition of assets and in modernization and the expansion of production,” he added. “Our Committee for the RFCA Development has worked to improve the overall financial literacy of the population,” Kanapyanov said. “Investment activity requires some training and understanding,” the financial expert added. “We, therefore, recommend that anyone who intends to participate as a private investor in the People’s IPO program begin preparing ahead of time. They need to get the basic knowledge to study the opportunities and the risks.” Information about the People’s IPO can be found at www.fingramota.kz, www.profinance.kz, www.kase.kz and www.halyk-ipo.kz.

On The GuardinG

the Border of the

Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s larGest

landlocked

country Text by coLIN BERLYNE

View from Big Bogdo mountain, border of Russia and Kazakhstan

FrOnTier ier

order security is a huge challenge for Kazakhstan and the scope of the task is enormous. The world’s ninth largest nation is entirely landlocked and has 12,012 kilometers of borders with Russia, China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. But in the 20 years since the country achieved independence from the Soviet Union, it has risen to the challenge. “Two decades have passed in the work of creating and developing an army that is capable of solving multiple complex tasks to ensure military security in all circumstances,” Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov said. Kazakhstan has a population of only 16 million people, so it does not have the numbers to raise a large conscript army to tightly control its borders. On top of that, the country’s multivector diplomatic strategy towards the rest of the world established by President Nursultan Nazarbayev has been based on open borders and maximizing trade, investment and good relations with the rest of the world. But the policy has been successful both for the benefit of Kazakhstan’s development and limiting the attraction of external threats. Kazakhstan’s border security forces work particularly closely with those of its neighbors in their ongoing struggle to combat international terrorism, religious extremism, separatism and drug trafficking in the Eurasian region. They also work together on nonproliferation issues concerning weapons of mass destruction.

The per capita income of Kazakh citizens has also grown 12fold in the two decades of national independence. Kazakhstan has developed a tolerant, stable and open society, embracing the best of culture, science and technology from the West and the Asian Northeast while expanding its civilizational and spiritual ties also with the Middle East, Russia and other former Soviet republics. That free market, open society policy has also helped solve the problem of border security. The threat of extreme Islamist and other terrorism from domestic sources has been minimal since national independence was achieved in 1991 (until the country was hit by a spate of terrorist acts in 2011 with which the government has since dealt effectively). And Kazakhstan has not suffered the major ethnic clashes or outbursts of violence that have shaken neighboring countries in Central Asia. It has also escaped any threat of civil war and sustained infiltration by terrorists that cost scores of thousands of lives in the five-year civil war in Tajikistan from 1992 to 1997. When individual extremists have tried to enter Kazakhstan and set up extremist cells and movements, their efforts have failed. But Kazakhstan’s leaders know they cannot afford to be complacent, as the events of 2011 have shown. “They know it’s a challenge. They have to keep their eyes open in every direction and prioritize where they put their (security) resources,” Thomas Sanderson, co-director of the Transnational Threats assessment program at the Center for Security and International Studies, a prominent Washington think tank, told EdgeKz magazine.

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Training exercises are a regular part of keeping Kazakhstan’s borders secure

Each of fIvE BoRDERS offERS UNIqUE chaLLENGES What could be more difficult to defend than the heart of Eurasia, particularly if you are the largest landlocked country in the world with a policy of open borders and free markets? But through a combination of diplomacy, strategy and preparedness, the job gets done. The key to the success of Kazakhstan’s border security policies lies in the recognition that each border with its five neighboring nations is different in nature, even when the geographical conditions may be similar. Therefore, each border represents a different kind of challenge and must be dealt with differently. The border with Russia alone is a colossal 6,846 kilometers – more than half of Kazakhstan’s total land frontier. However, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have just formed a Customs Union (CU) and Single Economic Space (SES), and this effectively removed the challenge of preventing smuggling across the country’s longest border. Businesses now have easy and legal access to the strong and emerging Kazakh economy. Although relations are excellent with China, the challenges on that 1,533-kilometer border are the opposite of those with Russia. Smuggling is not a problem with Russia as both nations are members of the same trading blocs. But it is a growing challenge on the border of China. There, a far-reaching new communications and transportation infrastructure has been created and trade between the two countries is booming. But because Kazakhstan is a member of the CU and SES and China is not, smugglers have a strong temptation to illegally transport goods across it into the Central Asian nation and beyond. Kazakhstan’s 1,051 kilometer of land borders with Kyrgyzstan present a different, but equally complex series of challenges. Relations between the two countries are excellent and large numbers of Kyrgyz migrant workers cross it to work in prosperous

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Kazakhstan and then send their earnings back to their families as remittances. Both countries welcome this traffic. It brings needed income and foreign currency into Kyrgyzstan and helps defuse social and economic tensions in that small country. However, Kazakh authorities have to remain alert to prevent extremists from further beyond in the region from crossing the border to spread their radical ideologies. This concern has grown over the past two years after fierce ethnic riots between Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks shook the Kyrgyz cities of Osh and Jalalabad in the summer of 2010. However, the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border is essentially one of hope and optimism. It is the road for scores of thousands of Kyrgyz migrant workers who find better-paying work and growing job skills in Kazakhstan’s booming economy to support their families at home. And it is also witnessing ambitious joint hydroelectric power-sharing projects that will benefit the economies of both nations. Turkmenistan has the shortest land border with Kazakhstan, a mere 379 kilometers, and the Turkmens maintain tight control over their side of it. Relations between both countries are good, so there is little concern about problems on it. With Uzbekistan, relations are proper rather than warm, but both governments share the same concern that Islamist extremists who in the past have tried to destabilize Uzbekistan – the most populous country in Central Asia – will attempt to cross it in significant numbers. Since Uzbekistan has the longest border with Kazakhstan of any Central Asian nation – 2,203 kilometers – the concern in Astana and Tashkent is understandable. With all its neighbors Kazakhstan follows the principles of its multi-vector diplomacy strategy. The country’s leaders recognize that their nation’s best security lies in constructive cooperation on every side.

REGIoNaL coopERatIoN KEY to BoRDER SEcURItY A major contribution to meeting the challenge of safeguarding Kazakhstan’s enormous borders across the traditionally-open steppe of the Eurasian heartland has come from the nation’s embrace of the region’s security structure. Together with Russia, Kazakhstan is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and, together with Russia, China and three Central Asian states, Kazakhstan is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Kazakhstan regularly participates in annual SCO joint military exercises and security initiatives, especially against the threat of transnational terrorism and drug smuggling in the region. “Kazakhstan also works with the CSTO and its other member states to improve the interaction of forces and means of the system of collective security. These include forms and methods of joint actions and improving the CSTO joint air defense system and its regional components,” Kazakh Defense Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov said. Dzhaksybekov also noted that “Kazakhstan and its CSTO allies also make united efforts to combat international terrorism, religious extremism, separatism and drug trafficking in the Eurasian region. They also work together on non-proliferation issues concerning weapons of mass destruction.” The CSTO and SCO structures are crucial in assisting Kazakhstan meet its border security challenge. The Kazakhs recognize that international cooperation is also key to maintaining their security at the heart of the world’s largest land mass. Therefore, it’s no coincidence that Kazakhstan has welcomed major regional security cooperation and coordination organizations to locate their headquarters in the country. The Kazakhstan-initiated 24-nation Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), for example, is located in Almaty. It includes a highly specialized secretariat that focuses on a variety of security related issues, including cross border cooperation. The Central Asian Regional Information &

Border with Kyrgyzstan

Coordination Centre (CARICC), which is established under the UN auspices and fights the scourge of drug trafficking is also based in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. Central Asia contains the main smuggling routes of opium and heroin from Afghanistan to the markets of Russia and Western Europe. The countries of Central Asia, and CARICC in particular, are on the frontline of fighting that particularly virulent form of transnational crime. And the Kazakh government strongly supports the organization’s efforts. CARICC is a classic example of the need for international and regional cooperation in addressing transborder security and criminal threats that no single country has the scope or resources to tackle. Supported by the United Nations, CARICC was founded on March 22, 2009 and helps coordinate the efforts of the governments and security forces of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Its headquarters in Almaty opened on December 9, 2009. The organization already has a global reach: Afghanistan, Austria, Canada, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Interpol and the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) all enjoy observer status with it. CARICC works to co-ordinate the efforts of its individual member-states to fight illicit drug trafficking at the regional level. It creates cooperation mechanisms between the relevant police, border enforcement and military forces of its member-states. It helps to organize and carry out joint international operations and investigations. Perhaps the organization’s most important role is to collect, record, analyze and exchange information between different forces in the execution of the battle on drugs. CARICC’s crucial mission confirms that in the 21st century, Kazakhstan’s ongoing commitment to maintaining its border security is part of a much wider mission to combat the forces of extremism and transnational crime in Central Asia.

Fences are a low-tech way to help safeguard vast border regions

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Kumay Ancient Site ReveAlS SecRetS of the Steppe Text by Alex lee

or centuries, pilgrims, traders and travelers have crisscrossed the regions that make up modern-day KazakhKazakh stan. The Kazakhs themselves didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay still, wandering in the steppe and beyond in search of shelter and food. This constant stirring together of cultures may explain the hospihospi tality of this vast Central Asian nation. It has certainly contributcontribut ed to a fascinating blend of structures, settlements, and priceless artifacts hidden under Kazakh soil. As the past is slowly revealed from beneath the soil, the image of the many cultures that have called this place home is deepened and made more complex. The newly established Nazarbayev Center in collaboration with the Lev Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana has been digging into the history of Kazakhstan. Since 2009, a joint archaeological expedition, run by the Nazarbayev Center, the Lev Gumilyov Eurasian National University and representarepresenta

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3D projections of an ancient KZ settlement

tives of the Turkish government, has been operating to excavate and preserve a particularly important site at Kumay.

The Legacy of Centuries in Kumay Many secrets are buried in the Kazakh steppe, and they are only now beginning to be unveiled. One current project is working to bring to light a recently discovered burial site just 124 kilometres east of Astana near the Kumay River (which has given the site its name). So far, the site has revealed layer upon layer of unique findings: Bronze Age burial sites and enclosures from 17th-18th centuries B.C.; a monumental installation probably used in cult worship practices, dated to the Hunnic period (around the first century A.D.); significant cult sites and an-

cestral stelae from the first Turkic Kaganate (sixth and seventh centuries A.D.); a large settlement site, still unexcavated, that is probably no later than the Medieval period; and a stone structure not unlike Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stonehenge.

Homes for the Living, Houses of the Dead Viktor Novozhenov, a 51-year-old UNESCO expert, talks about the incredible history buried at Kumay. He says within a tenkilometer perimeter, there are probably thousands of graves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Graves of the ancestors have been discovered throughout the steppe in the Kumay Valley. Among them is the unknown grave of a 23-year-old woman of the Bronze Age that, through hard work by the archaeologists here, has been restored. Supposedly, 23

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Many secrets are buried in the KazaKh steppe, and they are only now beginning to be unveiled years of life at that time equaled about late 60s our time and she died an old woman. The physiology of the individual tells us that the skull was that of a woman in her early 20s, the anthropoloanthropolo gists have confirmed that,” Novozhenov told EdgeKz. Not all of the area was devoted to the dead, however. One interesting finding, still not completely excavated, appears to be a settlement for the living. “We have also found the ruins of a medieval settlement. Surprisingly, the foundation is still standing. There are a few houses, streets. It’s all visible from a bird’s eye view,” Novozhenov said. A Polish-born professor from Finland was invited to study and excavate the ruins of the town in Kumay. Professor Zbignew Fiema, from Helsinki, has studied the ancient stone city of Petra in modern-day Jordan. He will be joining the expedition in 2013.

the KAZAKh StonehenGe? A little way down the road from the main excavation site is a complex mound of rocks shaped something like a cambered moustache. It’s been nicknamed ‘the Moustache.’ “This rock formation probably served as an observatory, just like the famous Stonehenge in England,” Novozhenov says.

heRitAGe in the open AiR It is hoped that the Kumay site, located as it is in a valley so near Astana, will attract tourists and local visitors to learn more about the nomads who once lived in these lands. The plan is to organize the 15-kilometer open steppe area in an open-air museum, in which visitors can walk from site to site, era to era. The project director, Doctor of Historical Sciences Aiman Dossymbayeva of the Nazarbayev Center, discussed the future of the site with EdgeKz. “The concept of the Kumay open-air museum is to protect and properly exhibit the archaeological remains which will serve to present the practical aspects of ancient life to the public,” she said. The complex at Kumay will consist of the area with archaeological sites, some of which will be further excavated, consolidated, signposted and exhibited to public; a circular open-air museum and exhibit area; and a research center which will house the administration and work spaces for archaeological and ethnographic fieldwork and research. The research center will contain conservation labs, a documentation center and areas for storing archaeological material. “The importance and the role of this museum for the new generation is evident. This project will create more jobs and will be a source of income for the local population in the adjacent village,

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which only has about 14 families left. They would be able to make Kazakh felt products during the winter, for example. The infrainfra structure would develop as visitors start coming. [The project] will increase national pride and enlighten the population on the rich history of the nomads that lived in the Kazakh steppes. The Kumay open-air museum will attract foreigners and tourists and broaden the cultural values in the region,” Dossymbayeva reflected. For all the excitement surrounding the project, some challenges remain. “The challenges will be the climate of the region: the winds, rain and snow. The museum will have to have a good drainage system that will function all year round and building dome-shaped stands to protect the priceless artifacts during the winter… is being seriously considered.” After that, the project will need people who will brave the climate. “Another major challenge for the project is hiring qualified staff – guides, administrators, maintenance staff, et cetera. These certainly could be locals from the neighboring village; however, in that case, special training must be provided for them. And perhaps the most significant challenge of the project is financing of the large-scale project.” But these remnants of a nomadic life may be crucial to a more complete understanding of the steppe ancestors who once made this place their home. And while other cultures have made their mark on modern-day Kazakhstan’s soil, so have Kazakhstan’s nomads left their traces far from home. Stone monuments and Bronze Age petroglyphs show that nomads reached parts of Bulgaria and Hungary. An open-air museum will give visitors a chance to see the way Kazakh culture has evolved and the way different cultures have made their mark on the same patch of ground. This richness and diversity of history, perhaps, is symbolic of Kazakhstan today.

t left corner: Kos Batyr monuments, Turkic Kaganate, 6-8 A.D. top Bottom left: One of the two moustache mounds Bottom right: Reconstructed body armor, reconstructed by the Eurasian University

destination

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Ski Kazakhstan

What you Need to Know to hit the Slopes Text by Alex lee

K zAKhstA KA hst n mAde A splAsh At hstA A this

year’s Summer Olympics, winning seven gold medals and coming in 12th overall, despite having a population of just over 16 million. But with a huge landmass containing vastly different terrains, four full seasons, and a rapidly growing economy, Kazakhstan isn’t just about summer sports. Kazakhstan is blessed with mountains, including the Tian Shan Mountain Range, which has been a bridge between East and West since ancient times. And this new nation’s peaks are finally coming to the world’s attention and attracting skiers from inside and outside of its borders. Kazakhstan was also host to the 2011 Asian Winter Games, which spurred the country to build some of Central Asia’s most cutting edge winter sports facilities. So if you find yourself in Kazakhstan this winter and want to hit the slopes, here is all you need to know.

Shymbulak:

Where Kazakhs Go to Ski Shymbulak is nearly synonymous with skiing in Kazakhstan. The resort is about 30 minutes by taxi from Almaty. The area is surrounded by mountains so tall that they can be seen from most points in Almaty’s city center and the region’s moderate winter and summer temperatures make it a year-round hub of activity. Due to the recent Asian Games, which were hosted by

Shymbulak and Medeo–the skating rink that is about a 10-minute car ride from Shymbulak–the local municipality has also spent millions of dollars revamping the area’s facilities. “New cafes, restaurants, a school and a new chalet type three-star hotel have been constructed,” Shymbulak Marketing Manager Sabina Ainakulova told EdgeKz. “We have four lifts and a new one is under construction now, and hopefully by December we will launch it. We are also building a new gondola run.” Nearly the entire complex has been upgraded due to the Asian Games. The Shymbulak and The region’s ski season extends from about November to May, with winter temperatures ranging from -5 to -10 Celsius, which is average for the region and good for skiing. The weather is mostly sunny during the winter, though the high altitudes occasionally mean foggy days. There are four lifts at Shymbulak, passing between snowy mountains and spruce trees. At an altitude of 3,140 metres above sea level, skiers can catch a long-range glimpse of nearly the entire Tian Shan range. From there, you can access the resort’s wealth of ski runs, which range from long to short, easy to challenging and gentle to steep. Guests can bring their own equipment or rent or buy what they need at the pro shop on the premises, which is stocked with skis, snowboards and skiing accessories. Rentals range from 3000 tenge for children to

Shymbulak Location: 25 kilometers south of Almaty Estimated Driving Time: 30 minutes Phone: +7 (727) 390 93 93 Email: chimbulak.hotel@bk.ru; Website: www.shimbulak.kz There are 4 lifts: From “ShymbulAK” to “CroSSroAdS”

Altitude difference: 2260-2640 meters Length: 1250 meters Estimated time to top: ~ 9 minutes From “CroSSroAdS” to “20th PillAr”

Altitude difference: 2630-2920 meters Length: 948 meters Estimated time to top: 7.5 minutes From the “20th PillAr” to “tA t lgArSKy PASS” tA

Altitude difference: 2930-3136 meters Length: 860 meters Estimated time to top: 8 minutes From “ShymbulAK” to “CoNe”

Altitude difference: 2260 – 2785 meters Length: 1730 meters Estimated time to top: top 14 minutes

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Altay Alps Location: 22 kilometers from oskemen, eastern Kazakhstan Estimated time: 40 minutes by car Phone: +7 (7232) 243 026 +7 (777) 401 53 40 Email: iz_altay@mail.ru The resort has two lifts with six ski runs for beginners and experts: liFe oNe: estimated time to top: 4.5 minutes. From there guests can choose one of four ski runs; 1,350 metres for amateurs, 660 and 700 meters for experts, and an intermediate 900-metre run. liFt tWo: estimated time to top: Five minutes. From here guests can choose one of two runs, one 800 and the other 900 meters long. these runs are recommended for beginners. Website: www.altay.kz

5000 tenge for adults’ accessories. Adult ski lessons run about 6000 tenge per hour. To best experience Shymbulak, EdgeKz recommends booking a hotel in Almaty City and taking a taxi to the resort as it is only a 30-minute ride from the city. Skiers can also book a luxury ski chalet at the resort itself. For more information about luxury ski chalets please contact staff with the contact information provided. Shymbulak is truly an outdoor wonderland. So if you find yourself returning to Kazakhstan in the spring, summer or fall you can also enjoy the resort’s camping, horseback riding and trekking. But no matter the weather, Shymbulak never suffers from a lack of visitors. “Locals, for foreigners, students and businessmen come to Shymbulak to have fun and enjoy the high-end environment,” said Ainakulova.

Altay Alps Altay Alps is located on the Altay Moun Mountain Range in a beautiful remote section of eastern Kazakhstan. Altay is second in popularity only to Shymbulak. But be because it is located nearly 1,000 kilometres from Astana, just outside the city of Os Oskemen, it doesn’t get nearly as crowded as some other Kazakh ski resorts. This doesn’t mean it should be missed, how however. Altay Alps mesmerizes with its pic picturesque natural beauty: gorges, mixed woods and rivers under clear blue skies attract visitors from nearby Russia as well as locals. The weather here is mild but

windy. Average temperatures during the winter vary between -7 and -12 Celsius, which is great for skiing or snowboarding. “We have been coming here for over a decade,” 57-year-old skier and father of two Sergey Larionov of Omsk told EdgeKz. Larionov has been skiing for more than 30 years in Russia and Kazakhstan. “I have two sons and one daughter; they all love skiing,” he said. Larionov’s family, however, is not the only one that has discovered Altay Alps. Thirty-seven-year-old Russian entrepreneur Oleg Khramov from Samara, Russia often visits the resort and other Kazakh skiing areas. “I was born in Kazakhstan. It is my motherland, even though I have been living in Russia for 20 years now. Shymbulak and Altay Alps are my favorite ski resorts in Kazakhstan,” he said. “They offer completely different experiences. Shymbulak is more European, I would say, some staff members even speak English and live in Europe. Maybe this is the reason it is very upscale. But Altay Alps is more extreme and the snow is better here; it’s crisper. For real skiers and snowboarders, I would say - Altay Alps,” said Khramov. Altay Alps also has one night-time ski run that is lit up along its 1,350-meters length. And since you probably didn’t bring your ski equipment to Kazakhstan, you can also rent skis, helmets, ski goggles, sleds and snowboards here. Trained instructors are also available for novice skiers to get started. Altay Alps is also Skiers at the Shymbulak Resort

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Above: Heliskiingaccessible slopes Left: Skiers in the Altay Alps

famous in Kazakhstan as the location of national-level ski tournaments, which attract sponsors from across Kazakhstan and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The resort has a hotel that provides standard and luxury suites year round, or you may opt for alpine cottages. In the evening, after a day on the slopes, you can also shake the chill off in the resort’s café or bask in the hot steam of Altay Alps’ Russian Banya.

Heliskiing If regular skiing and snowboarding don’t provide enough of a challenge for you, Kazakhstan also offers the the adrenalinefilled sport of heliskiing. Heliskiing tours – both extreme and slightly more sedate – can be arranged by the K2 Tour Company. K2 will pick you up in their 12-person MI 8 MTV 1, fiveperson B4 or four-person Eurocopter B3 helicopters. Among the most popular trips are heliskiing in the 4,250-metre Dmitriev glacier, which is one of the

tallest and most famous in the Zailiskii Alatau Mountain Range. Another popupopu lar trip is to the Korchenevsky glacier, also in the Zailiskii Alatau range at an alal titude of 4,400 meters. Less vertical and high-altitude trips are also offered in the mountains immediately around Almaty. Either way, Sergey Guriev, the 54-year-old director of the K2 Tour Company, profesprofes sional guide-instructor and mountain rescue worker, told EdgeKz that anyone who is going to try heliskiing must “be sure of his abilities. He must be good on pristine, untouched and crisp snow and he needs to be in a good shape.” The price will vary according to the route the client chooses. “We can alter any itinerary. It is all up to the client really, the price will change with it, but our main, one-day program includes two hours and 30 minutes of flying to the destination and then an hour and a half of skiing, with lunch included and a return trip to the city. A trip for 1-12 people coasts approximately $14,000 (for more information see contact details below). So if you think

your skiing skills are up to the challenge, give K2 a call or send them an email to arar range one of the most unique adventure experiences available in Kazakhstan. “I can’t recollect anyone complaining about our trips. Seriously, this is a life changing experience! The first timers are afraid, of course, but once you give it a try you can’t stop, and you can’t go back to normal skiing. Most people scream at first because they are afraid, then they scream because there are enjoying it so much… It is pricey, but after the trip everybody just forgets about the money, it is all about the adrenaline,” concluded Sergei.

To Contact K2: Location: Almaty Phone: +7 (727) 375 83 42 Email: k2@k2.kz English language website: http://www.k2.kz/index.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=43

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he new Fall / Winter 2013 collection of Almaty-based Tdesigner Sergey Shabunin is bold, unique and above all goth.

“Almost all of the dresses have long sleeves, which symbolizes our attitude towards ourselves. We, ourselves, tie up our hands, not willing to understand that we are born free. Freedom in the collection is expressed through spacious floating dresses and skirts. Small red blotches, a sacrifice, symbolize blood,” Shabunin told EdgeKz. The collection’s gothic elements also come out in its primary colors: black, gray and beige. Shabunin’s latest designs utilize girdles of rough leather, coarse woolen cloth, leather, lace and black embroidery on black obsidian natural and Venetian beads.

Designer Sergey Shabunin

Shabunin’s newest designs are the culmination of a long path of decision making and creativity. The now 37-year old didn’t originally set out to be a fashion designer. Shabunin wanted to be a film director, but his parents insisted on a skilled profession and he has made the most of it. When he was 15 years old, he went to vocational school to be a specialty seamstress-machine operator. After graduation, he enrolled in the Omsk Institute of Technology in the Artist-Designer program from which he graduated in 1998. But most importantly, says Shabunin, his success has been based on “practice, practice, practice.” His underlying design philosophy can best be described, he adds, as eclectic. “I have been looking for a long time to find my own style. And now finally, I found it. It is communication between different textures and colors that do not seem destined to communicate.”

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And that style is paying off. Twice a year, Shabunin participates in exhibitions in Paris, and last year he won an award for creative design in Milan. His designs have also graced catwalks in Hong Kong, Russia and Barcelona, and he has worked with the French firm, Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oreal.He also works regularly in the entertainment industry in Kazakhstan, including an ongoing collaboration with Kazakh pop star Aizhan Nurmagambetova and concert outfits for Kazakh star Sitora Nazarova. Shabunin says he prefers to work on the production side of fashion and let others worry about selling his work. But you can check out his latest designs by visiting www.sshop.occ24.com or emailing Shabunin at fs_ss@inbox.ru.

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Model Model Thrives Thrives Kazakhstanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in

EmErgiNg FashioN

Model iNDusTry

Thrives Text by Michelle Witte

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T T

wenty-three-year-old Albina Berisheva has always been a clothes horse. As a child, she says, “I frantically changed clothes, tried on my mother’s and sister’s shoes, dresses and accessories. Even if we went somewhere to visit family friends, I always took extra clothes to change into in order to show my new outfits or favourite outfits … I just remember that I adored everything related to clothing, fashion and all that stuff.” Now she doesn’t have to borrow her mother’s shoes, or bring her own outfit changes on visits. But she’s still into everything having to do with fashion and now everything having to do with modelling. “I am open to everything that is related to fashion,” she says. “I even try to be an assistant to photographers or organizers of photo shoots or runway shows.” The Almaty-based model has done runway shows, but most of her work is in photo shoots right now. She’s enthusiastic about both. “It is so exciting to feel that spirit – when you know what the photographer or the people you’re working with want from you, you do everything really well and they are happy with the finished product, when everyone is satisfied and you feel that you did a good job.”

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She manages to keep her positive spirit even under sometimes difficult conditions. “One of the last photo shoots was for an English lingerie designer in Almaty. It was unique and challenging in that we took pictures in December in below-zero temperatures and it was snowing outside. And may I remind you that it was a photo shoot for a lingerie collection.” Being part of the Kazakh fashion scene has also given Berisheva insight into this country’s growing fashion industry. “Kazakhstan’s fashion is still in its very early stage. Yes, there are some designers who work in the United States, the United Kingdom and maybe other countries in Europe, and they distribute their collections and are there quite successfully. And there are many young people studying fashion or who have graduated and now work in Kazakhstan. But in general, it’s impossible for me to compare Kazakhstan fashion with, say, fashion world powers like Paris, Milan, New York or London, where every single thing, starting with magazines and finishing with haute couture collections, establishes everything in the world of fashion,” she said. “I think that nowadays people connected with the fashion industry in Kazakhstan are trying to spread and expand the idea of fashion to the general public

“I am open to everything that is related to fashion,” she says. “I even try to be an assistant to photographers or organizers of photo shoots or runway shows ”

and cultivate and develop it in our country. The major trends come from the West – from U.K. and U.S. fashion. What is popular and fashionable there today, according to street fashion, bloggers, fashion mavens, et cetera, is promoted here as well.” Kazakhstan may not yet be a fashion powerhouse, but living in a country with a small but expanding fashion scene isn’t a bad thing for a young model. “Today, fashion in Kazakhstan is very young, though it’s a fastgrowing sphere, and it’s not as competitive as in the U.K. or the U.S., so it’s quite easy to get a good photo shoot or get a work with good photographer.” That’s lucky for Berisheva, because she’s got big ambitions. Her goals, she says, are “to become a Vogue cover girl and be the face of my favourite fashion brand!” Though Berisheva has studied law and has a Bachelor of Sciences degree in technology and enterprise management, she intends to stay in fashion after her modelling career winds down. “I have so many ideas about how to use all of my great experiences in the fashion industry. Some things I want to do are to be an organizer of unique fashion shows, to release my own clothing line and to work at Vogue as a fashion editor.” DECEmbEr 2012 No. 8 eDGeKZ.coM 65

Radisson Hotel

hink of Kazakh food and your thoughts might go first to the old standby—horse meat. And though horse meat dishes are among the country’s most traditional, it’s now also showing up wrapped in pandan leaves at the nation’s new Thai restaurants. Kazakhstan has opened itself up to a dizzying variety of new foods and fusion cuisines. Dining in Kazakhstan’s major cities is now an experience both traditional and international. Astana, the nation’s capital, has discovered a taste for East and Southeast Asian cuisines. The venerable restaurant Princess Turandot and its large portions of Chinese delicacies now have company: Zhybek Zholy’s menu is dominated by Chinese and other East Asian favorites, Korean House does a roaring business with expats, locals and Kazakhstan’s well-established Korean

66 EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEMBER 2012

population. And Il Patio/Planet Sushi covers two trends at once. Almaty is also hungry for flavors from the East, and restaurants like the Japanese Sumo San aim to satisfy. But Almaty’s dining scene is full of global flavors. At Alasha, diners can eat traditional Uzbek food while seated Uzbek-style on raised platforms—and enjoy live music, dancing, and acrobatics at the same time. Avlabar serves fantastic Georgian food under the trees in the foothills of the Zhailisky Alatau Mountains. Safran brings together Turkish, Moroccan and Georgian cuisines, while Boudoir’s wild fusion spans the globe. As the nation’s main languages are Russian and Kazakh, that’s what you’ll find on most menus, especially at traditional restaurants. But if you’re prepared to listen, gesture, point, and take advice, you can be assured of a satisfying culinary trip around the globe.

Austeria

here the sense of being wrapped in a delicious sensory cocoon.

Think classic Russian dishes with a good dose of French haute influence, recreating the culinary traditions of late-Czarist Imperial St. Petersburg. Expect a menu of clay-baked lamb and veal, a steak list with more than 20 entrees, seafood, plus bar food and a children’s menu. Takeout and delivery is available. Cuisine: European Address: 9 Dostyk St. (Keruen shopping mall, 3rd floor) Phone: 8 (7172) 79 55 13 Hours: 10 am - 12 am Price range: $

Al Fresco

If you crave traditional Italian food—whether favorites common in Europe and America, or authentic specialty dishes— this menu is sure to satisfy. Al Fresco is perfect for a power lunch, a business dinner, a date or for a child’s birthday. Service is fast, though you can choose to linger the afternoon or evening over wine and/or coffee.

Address: 2 SaryArka Avenue Phone: 7 (702) 220 44 00 Price range: $$$

Beerhoff

Barkhat Address: 2 Aykayryn Street Phone: 8 (7172) 29 20 36 Hours: 10 am - 12 am Price range: $

Assorti

This popular chain has many outlets across Kazakhstan and an impressive range of cuisines at reasonable prices. It serves a mixture of Italian, Japanese, Russian and European. You can consistently count on good food and good service. Assorti has some of the best pizza, pasta and salads compared to similar franchises in Kazakhstan.

Cuisine: Italian Address: 14 Kunayeva Street Phone: 8 (7172) 50-83-85 Hours: 10 am – 12 am Business lunch: 12 pm – 4 pm Price range: $$

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: $$

Arbalet

Astana Nury

If you would like to forget the mundane for a while and pretend you are back in the Dark Ages or in the Arctic North, this is the place for you. Arbalet has a Viking theme with traditional tall, heavy chairs, swith swords and axes on the walls. It is easy to get to and stays open 24 hours a day. Arbalet is not cheap, but the ambiance is wonderfully romantic, and the food is consistently good.

When you have something to celebrate, this is the place to come. It offers a splendid range of shish kebabs (45 different varieties of shashlyk, including vegetarian). In all, it has 150 selections on the menu. It also has delicious desserts. The restaurant is located on the new embankment of the Yessil River with a spectacular view.

Cuisine: European Address: 16 Beibitshilik Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 32 40 60 Hours: Noon - 3 am Price: $$$

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

Arystan Restaurant

Augustin Restuarant

Most European-style restaurants in Astana are relatively expensive. This one is not, even though it has an impressive interior. Anyone looking for casual dining will like Arystan, and students can afford it. Cuisine: European

Cuisine: European Address: 13 Dostik Ave. Phone: 7 (7172) 579 090 Hours: Daily 10 am - last customer Website: www.abr.kz Price range: $$

Bagrationi

Bagrationi is one of Astana’s most authentic Georgian restaurants. They import all ingredients, including the bottled water, from Georgia and recruited their chefs from top restaurants in Georgia. The restaurant features traditional Georgian food such as Khachapuri and features unique Georgian art, photography and crafts. Live Georgian music is also played most nights. 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: $$$

Barkhat

Barkhat, the “silk velvet” restaurant, delivers on the sensual promise of its name. Rich, stylish interiors, supremely private VIP rooms, bar options to suit any taste, and the freshest of European and Japanese dishes all give guests

As the name suggests, prepare for a genuine culinary journey through Deutschland and Mitteleuropa (Central Europe). The owners have captured the spirit of these regions’ famous beerhouses superbly, presenting an earthy atmosphere and a hearty selection of juicy sausages, steaks and grilled meats. If you are a beer connoisseur, or simply a beer lover, this is your place: You’ll find here one of the better selections of draught beer in Astana, especially beers of the German persuasion. Cuisine: European Address: 44 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 00 10, 8 (7172) 21 00 40 Hours: 11 am - 2 am Price Range: $

Bochonok Brewery

For German and Mitteleuropa visitors seeking gemutlechkeit cuisine, or American and Russian engineers thirsty for good beer and food (especially meat), we recommend the Bochonok. Styled after an old European brewery, this restaurant offers a wide variety of beers and has solid and a large, solid menu. It sometimes offers grill specials, and it is not too pricey. Cuisine: European, mixed Address: 75 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 37 16 66 Hours: 10 am - 4 am Website: www.abr.kz Price range: $$

Augustin Restaurant is a new eatery in downtown Astana that will transport you back to old Europe. From its authentic interior to its self-brewed German beer, Augustin is the place to go if you’re in the mood for a taste of Europe.

(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.) DECEMBER 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 67

Barkhat restaurant A Feast for the Senses Barkhat is a rich, voluptuous, indulgent experience—fitting for a restaurant named after the Russian word for “silk velvet.” Located in the same building as the Radisson Hotel, under the bridge that leads to Astana’s left bank, the restaurant opened in 2008 and since then has become one of the most prestigious lounge-restaurants in Astana. The chic, eclectic interior is marked by custom lighting, tall armchairs, unique plant-like chandeliers, and other stylish pieces. The aesthetic sense extends to Barkhat’s VIP rooms, where special guests are cossetted away in dens with separate bathrooms, private televisions, and deep plush furnishings. There are hookahs available in a variety of flavors. Decadence is the mantra here. Russian and Western music stars often choose Barkhat as their hangout when they’re in town—and perform there too, of course. Its reputation attracts stars from around Kazakhstan and sometimes as far away as Hollywood. Don’t get so comfortable, though, that you forget to eat. “We offer an extensive menu from two different chefs: European cuisine from Russian chef Dmitry Pavlov, using fish and seafood products imported from Turkey twice a week to preserve freshness, and Japanese cuisine from Korean chef Vladislav Pan,” Sultan Kasenov, Barkhat’s 29-year-old manager, told EdgeKZ. Barkhat also has an extensive bar with over 120 kinds of whiskey and fine wine. As an overall sensory experience, the silk velvet restaurant lives up to its name.

capital music and Pub Restaurant

For middle-aged partiers in search of a good time, you can’t do better than the Capital. Located in Astana’s spectacular new left bank, not far from Baiterek Tower, it has live music featuring popular Russian and international songs. You can also sing Karaoke in the VIP room. The VIP room gets booked early on weekends, so call early if you want to sing with your friends. 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: $$

chilli Peppers

No local atmosphere here! This is as Western frenetic as they come, which makes it a very popular pizza place for young people. The low prices and good value for por-

tions don’t hurt either. The main room seats about 30 people, and it has a small VIP hall for 10. It’s conveniently located close to the Baiterek Tower, and they deliver as well. Cuisine: Pizza, European, Italian Address: 33 Sarayshik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 50 37 73 Hours: Noon - 1 am Price range: $

East West

A fascinating mix of 21st century sophisticated cuisine and 20th century caution in its décor, East West offers both general international and excellent Indian cuisine. The interior retains a preindependence style. A must see if you are interested in Soviet décor. 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: $$

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Egorkino Derevnya

the Soviet Union – and revels in it. Old Russian-made cars are parked inside and out. This is a great theme restaurant with public and private rooms depicting Soviet-era flags and icons. Some areas have glass floors with memorabilia underneath. The food is bold and innovative, and the menu includes whole-cooked fresh fish, goose and rabbit, all at reasonable prices. It’s a great place to party with live music and dancing on the weekends. A very good value.

Cuisine: Russian Address: 33 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 21 81 Hours: Noon - 1 am Web site: www.egorkinoastana.kz Price range: $$$

Cuisine: European, Kazakh, Russian Address: 9 Valikhanov Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 01 57 Hours: 11 am - 1 am Price range: $$

Epoch Anyone who misses the Cold War or still loves old John le Carré novels has to make a stop here. Epoch has a décor evocative of

With its big yurt-shaped building, this place is great fun, and the perfect place to bring kids. Serving traditional Kazakh and Uzbek food, with excellent service, it

Located in Restaurant Alley, Egorkino Derevnya is a part of a hotel with the same name. It’s not cheap, but you can get good Russian food here, usually much better than you would find in many parts of Russia. It has excellent meat and very good salads, as well as fish. Since it opened, this restaurant has maintained a high standard of cuisine. It has two floors and a garden area with a Russian-village theme and heavy wooden doors. It is open from 12:00 to midnight.

Farkhi / Ali Baba

is over-the-top festive nomad in décor with the wait staff in traditional costumes. The garden terrace is popular in summer, with fountains and private cabins. It’s known to get busy, especially on weekends. No trip to Astana is complete until you’ve dined there. Cuisine: Caucasian, Kazakh, Middle Eastern Address: 3 Bukeykhan Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 04 06 Hours: 10 am - last customer Web site: www.arka.kz Price range: $$$

French Brasserie Capri

Located in the Radisson Hotel alongside the Yessil River, this is another one of the best restaurants in Central Asia. Cuisine is limited in scope and there is no ethnic taste to it. But if you fly in straight from Cannes, you’ll feel right at home. The Mediterranean cuisine is outstanding. This is also one of the prime locales for sophisticated partiers on a Friday night. Expensive, but worth every tenge. Cuisine: Mediterranean Address: 4 Sary Arka Avenue, Radisson Hotel Phone: 8 (7172) 99 00 00 Hours: Noon - 3 am Price range: $$$

Fusion

Another five-star location for the social set and hard partiers, Fusion combines traditional world cuisines. It also sports three main rooms with different ethnic menus in each (American Steak House, Italian Grill and Japanese), so select your preference before sitting down. The Japanese room is particularly interesting with small wooden bridges over “rivers” of small white stones. Cuisine: American, Italian, Japanese Address: 4B Mailina Street

Phone: 8 (7172) 22 27 77 Hours: Noon - 2 am Price range: $$

Gauchos

Gaucho’s interior puts you in the middle of a romantic Argentinian “villa.” Near the entrance, there’s an open grill where you can watch your meal being cooked and savor the smells of Argentinian beef. Cuisine: Argentinian Address: 20 Mirzoyana Street Phone: +7 (7172) 61 85 85, +7 (7017) 07 07 60 Hours: Noon - 1 am Price range: $$

Il Patio and Planet Sushi

This is part of a chain of ItalianJapanese restaurants, which means you get reliability and predictability. Il Patio was the first restaurant with a nice salad bar in Kazakhstan, and offers good pizza, pasta and other Italian favorites, as well as a great dessert menu. At all Il Patio locations, you can order sushi on the pizza side, or pizza on the Planet Sushi side, or mix it up. Cuisine: Pizza, Italian Address: 24 Turan Avenue (Saryarka Shopping Center) and 10 Respublika Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 79 22 03 Hours: Week days until midnight, weekends until 2 am Price range: $$

India Gate

India Gate recreates the experience of dining in a local Indian city restaurant. The interior features Indian souvenirs, banners and posters. The menu also includes Thai and Chinese food. Cuisine: Indian Address:15/2, Abai street, Phone: +7 (7172) 32 48 95 Hours: 11:30 am – 11:30 pm Price Range : $

Radisson Hotel

Izumi Tay

Sushi, sashimi, miso soup and other Japanese tasty favorites are served in the best Japanese tradition. Located on the left bank at the foot of the KazMunaiGaz building. Cuisine: Japanese Address: 32 Kabanbay Batyr St. Phone: +7 (7172) 24 27 23 Hours: 10 am to last customer Price range: $$$ Web site: www.arka.kz

Korean House

Another stop on Restaurant Alley. There are now a lot of South Koreans working at any one time in Kazakhstan, not to mention the fact that there are a lot of people who simply adore Korean food, so this restaurant does a healthy amount of business. It also offers a good introduction to Korean cuisine. The restaurant says its chefs have been trained by great masters from South Korea, and the service is excellent. Cuisine: Cuisine: Korean, European, Japanese Address: 19/1 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 20 99 Hours: Noon - midnight Price range: $$

Krushovitsa

You can enjoy live music and various types of shows at the Krushovitsa, as well as Czech food with your beer. Address: 8 Abai Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 72 52 Hours: 12 pm – 1 am Cuisine: European Price range: $$

La Riviere

One of the most expensive restaurants in Astana, but worth every penny for its exclusive atmosphere and exquisite food. It has a cigar

room and two VIP halls, one seating 12 people, and another small one for four. A live pianist provides atmosphere. The only stipulation for the dress code is “no sportswear”. La Riviere also has a children’s menu, a nice fireplace and you can also order Kalyan. Cuisine: French, Kazakh Address: 2 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue (near Quay Park) Phone: 8 (7172) 24 22 60 Hours: Noon to midnight Price range: $$$

Line Brew

Line Brew offers the unique opportunity to enjoy your meal in a medieval castle. The eatery is easy to spot as it is the only one in Astana with a three-story castle turret which can be rented for special occasions. The restaurant also offers a great selection of steaks and its own brewed beer which can be found in local shops. Line Brew also offers billiards tables and live music daily except Sundays. It’s a unique dining experience in the heart of Eurasia. Cuisine: European, Caucasian Address: 20 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 23 63 73 Hours: Noon - last customer Price range: $$$

Maghreb

Dining at Restaurant Maghreb is like spending the evening in an Arabian palace. The upstairs is designed in the style of an Arabian castle with tents, flowing fabrics, carved furniture and live music. The first level is designed like an Easter garden and perfect for a romantic dinner. The menu features Eastern and European traditional dishes and is accompanied by a cocktail and wine menu. Cuisine: Eastern, European

DECEMBER 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 69

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

Medved

This is a very Russian style restaurant with rustic décor. Gazprom executives may not dine here but you could easily imagine they would. Cuisine: Russian Address: 46 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 28 75 Hours: Noon- 2 am Price range: $$

Melnica “The Windmill”

Located in Restaurant Alley, Melnica offers traditional Ukrainian country home-cooked style food. Decorated like a traditional Ukrainian farm house, in the summer the garden is used to grow vegetables, including tomatoes, corn, pumpkins and herbs. Tables and private dining areas are scattered about the garden among the vegetables. The maître d’ is well known as a character in the Astana restaurant world. When you leave, you get a small bag of sunflower seeds. Cuisine: Ukrainian Address: 31 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 21 68 Hours: Noon - 2 am Price range: $$

Migen

One of the oldest “new” restaurants in Astana, Migen opened after the city became the new capital 14 years ago. Reliable Korean cuisine at reasonable prices. Cuisine: Korean Address: 2/1 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 24 29 04 Hours: noon to 2 am Price range: $

Mojo

This places offers a diverse menu

ranging from Italian ravioli to pizza to Greek salad to traditional shashlyks. And the location is perfect: Just a one-minute walk from the King Hotel on Imanov street. Cuisine: International Address: 20 Imanov Street Phone: +7 (7172) 94 60 60 Price range: $$$

Most

If you love to cook but hate to clean, you’ll love Most Restaurant in Astana. Customers at Most have access to tableside grills where they can prepare their own meat, fish and vegetables. These dishes are then served with a fine whiskey or wine chosen from Most’s extensive drink menu.

German food and beer. The restaurant is decorated in a traditional German country atmosphere, but the music is livelier. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can enjoy live jazz and blues. On weekdays there is an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Cuisine: European Address: Saraishik Street, Turkestan Street corner “Arailym” housing estate Phone: 8 (7172) 51 40 44 Hours: 12 am -2 am Price range: $$

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

Muller

Portofino

If good German sausages and a beer are what you’re looking for then Muller is the place for you. The venue is separated into two main halls providing live jazz and serving a variety of European and German staples. A relaxed place, Muller is great for lazy weekend afternoons over a beer and a snack while enjoying some sporting favorites on giant TV screens. Music: wallpaper music, jazz, alive Cuisine: German & European Address: 12/1 Gabdulina Phone: 7 (7172) 41 19 30, 41 19 32 Opening hours: Mon.-Fri: 11 ammidnight, Sat:11 am-2 am Average price: $

Pivovaroff

If you’re feeling cold or blue, this is the place to come to replenish your soul with traditionally hearty

Opened in 2008, Portofino has developed a consistant reputation for offering some of Astana’s best Italian food. The menu offers quality standards such as arabiatta, primavera, Bolognese spaghetti and ravioli, as well as more exotic seafood dishes. It also has a quality wine cellar and cigar room offering a selection of cubanos. Its atmosphere is family friendly and customer service oriented. Portofino is simply a great place to enjoy quality Italian food. Cuisine: Italian, Japanese Address: 27 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 40 20 34 Hours: Noon - last customer Price range: $$$

Princess Turandot

Reasonably-priced and a magnet for visiting Chinese businessmen and engineers, the Princess Turandot chain is famous for offering large portions of very good Chinese food. Princess Turandot first opened in Almaty at the Auezov Theater in 1998, and because of its high value-for-money, it is also one of the most popular take-out restaurants. Everything is prepared by skilled chefs from China. Located on the Right Bank of the Yessil River. Cuisine: Chinese

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

Regine’s

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. 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

The L’Olivo Restaurant is the Rixos’ Hotel’s new signature eatery. It opened in September 2011 and offers modern Italian cuisine. Its Milano-born chef uses classical Italian ingredients to produce modern Italian and Mediterranean dishes. Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean Address: 7 Kunayeva Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 50 50 Hours: Hours: 10 am - last customer Price range: $$$

Samovar

Samovar is another place with two locations that are very popular with locals. The layout gives you a bit of privacy, as it’s divided into small sections with curtains covering the booths. It serves up home-cooked style traditional Russian food. It has quite a selection of soups, meats and blini,

while compote is always available. It’s often packed for lunch. Cuisine: Russian Traditional Address: 22/2 Kabanbai Batyr 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

This is a good restaurant with good portions of delicious food, and also features special entertainment programs. The center of the restaurant is beautifully decorated like an opera stage, and offers excellent acoustics for entertainers who sing both traditional Kazakh and popular international ballads. 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

If you’ve eaten in one of these in any airport in the United States, you know what you’re going to get. Far from haute cuisine, but honest Italian staples, competently cooked and reasonably priced. Sbarro is a quick place to get an inexpensive meal, and is situated in the Mega Centre shopping mall.

taurant/pub serves up northern European cuisine in a romantic setting that the 19th century poets would have loved. Located in Restaurant Alley, you can’t miss it: It looks like a Scandinavian traditional house from the outside. Very expensive, but nonetheless a popular lunch and weekend spot. Also a good choice for doing business. 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

Anyone dreaming of char-broiled, Latin American style grill will not be disappointed by this authentic replication of Latino fare – simply muy bueno! Cuisine: Mexican, Italian Address: 5 Beibitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 01 21 Hours: Noon - 2 am on Friday and Saturday - 5 am Price range: $$

Venice

Located in the Sine Tempore shopping mall, Venice is one of the oldest restaurants in “new” Astana. Fantastic pizza, as one might surmise from the name.

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

Cuisine: Italian Address: 9 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 75 39 06 Noon - midnight Price range: $$

Tiflis

This lively establishment is a testament to Astana’s growing appetite for diverse Asian cuisine. While the overall menu includes traditional Kazakh and European fare, it clearly caters to Chinese and other mainland Asian palates. You can also rack up some billiards before or after your meal, and on select nights, your ears will be treated to themed live music. All told, the place most certainly has the stuff for a full night out.

This traditional Georgian restaurant has been open since 2001 and has become a local favorite. You can watch your shashlyks being prepared over hot coals or sip tasty Georgian wines in the summer on its traditionally themed terrace. Tiflis offers a quality meal in a unique environment. And every taxi driver in the city will know how to get you there. Cuisine: Georgian Address: 14 Imanov Str. Phone: 8(7172) 53 70 33 Hours: Daily 10 am - last customer Price range: $$$

Tre Kronor

This traditional brewery/res-

Zhybek Zholy

regine’s Feast Your Eyes, Then Your Palate Regine’s in Astana is part of an internationally known chain of fine restaurants spread over 21 world capitals. Regine’s found its way to Astana in 2008 and made its home in the Astanalyk Trade Center, right across from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The chain is renowned for its rich interiors and the Astana branch’s interior theme is “Art Déco, or French 50’s style,” said Donat Bimukanov, the restaurant’s 32-year-old deputy director. The furniture has been imported from France and includes eye-catching chandeliers at the entrance. Further back is another stunning feature – a panoramic city view from the back terrace, from which you can see the iconic Baiterek Tower. The food, however, is still the restaurant’s focus. “Our goal is to introduce a variety of dishes to our menu, like Kazakh cuisine, European steaks and salads. We want to make a mix of different cuisines to suit all our guests,” Bimukanov explained. “Our menu is available in both Russian and English for our foreign guests. Our French menu is quite unique, with classical steaks and a presidential salad, which includes roast beef, champignons and cherry tomatoes. We also plan to introduce some salmon and sea bass dishes.” The ambitious menu is in good hands. The chef, 35-year-old Oleg Medvedev, was one of Almaty’s top chefs specializing in European cuisine, and he’s has now come to conquer Astana. Despite being open to anyone, Regine’s keeps a strict dress code: business wear only. “We have to keep the dress code strict, as most of our guests are businessmen and government officials.” Sumptuous food in such a sumptuous setting calls for nothing less.

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: $$

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Bon Bon

azakhstan is a country of hospitality. Spending time with family and friends is an important part of life here. And one of the best places to do that – especially in the heart of Kazakhstan’s chilly winters – is the local coffee shop. Hot tea had long been the toasty drink of choice to get Kazakhs through the long winter, but international coffee culture has arrived and you’ll find a variety of flavors and coffee house styles to choose from. In Astana, it’s often hard to draw a line between restaurant, café and bar. Indiana is one of the most relaxed café venues you’ll find in the capital city. There’s lunch, beer on tap, sports on the screen, and a comfortable atmosphere. And, of course, coffee. Éclair is a proper French bakery with baked desserts galore, some of the

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city’s best bread, and a social conscience: they deliver free pastries to the poor and elderly twice a week. Café Rafe serves up Italianstyle food and drinks for those hankering for authenticity. The city has a variety of other cafes—Turkish, Indian, Tibetan, Kazakh, even one designed like a coral reef. You won’t lack for caffeine options. If you’re in Kazakhstan’s business center, Almaty, and want to get some work done, you can head to the WiFi offered at the Coffeedelia, Madlen, or Gloria Jeans coffee shops. If, on the other hand, what you’re craving is a properly made cappuccino, you’ll want to visit Segafredo Zanetti Café or Marrone Rosso, which uses top quality beans and bills itself as a “gourmet” coffee shop. So no matter what the flavor, shake off the cold and spend a few hours with friends at one of Kazakhstan’s cafés and coffee houses.

Bon Bon Sweet Desserts, Quality Coffee

Caféla

Bar Fontan

A lot of people in Kazakhstan go to shopping malls just to have something to eat because of the wide selection usually present. For a small café in the middle of a shopping mall, Bar Fontan is surprisingly popular whatever time of the day you visit. Often packed with people, it is especially known for its delicious pizzas, but also has a full Russian-style menu, nice salads, fresh juices, alcoholic drinks and some good cakes. Its coffee is pretty basic–Americano regular and cappuccino. Address: Kenessary Street, Sine Tempore Shopping Mall, 1st Floor, Phone: 8(7172) 75 38 80 Hours: Daily, 10 am–10 pm Prive range: $$

Bon Bon

Bon Bon’s location, décor and cuisine tell the same story as its superlative home cocktail and desserts. When you want to feel like a million dollars, this is the place to come. It’s a gathering place and symbol for the movers and shakers of the new go-getter Astana. Address: Khan shatyr mall Phone: 7 (7172) 57 09 75 Hours: 10 pm - 1 am Sat – Sun: 10 pm- 2 am Price range: $$

Brioche café

This unique one-year-old café is known for offering a mix of French and Italian desserts. It also features two main halls, one designed in a French motif and the other in an Italian style. The café also offers hookah and lounge music in the evenings. It’s a great place for cocktails and unique desserts. Address: 28 Zhenis Ave.

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

Bukhara

This café offers a wide selection of European, Kazakh, Eastern, Caucasian and Asian dishes. It also has live music and shows. It comes complete with 25-, 15-, and 10-seat VIP halls available. Address: 7, 3rd Microdistrict Phones: 8 (7172) 35 19 32 8 (7172) 36 57 32 Hours: 12 pm - 2 am Price range: $

caféla

Caféla has some of the most unique drinks in Astana. So if you’re looking for a break from the summer heat, head over and try Caféla’s unique Cucumber Lemonade. All of Caféla’s drinks are made with fresh freshly squeezed ingredients with no artificial additives. The bartenders are even known for letting customers think up their own unique cocktails. Caféla is truly unique among Astana’s café scene. 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: $$

Bon Bon means candy and very good (literally, “good, good”) in French, which covers anything sweet and tasty. And this coffee house lives up to its name. It opened in 2009 and is located across the street from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Nursaya condominium complex. The upscale interior with its boldly-colored theme enchants whoever steps inside. Chairs, couches, wallpaper, doorways and even napkins are carefully designed to convey an aristocratic feel. “Our cafe is famous for its quality desserts. We have Italian, French and American desserts and cheesecakes,” Manager Saule Mamytbayeva told EdgeKz. “Our window panes and panels are made of olive wood, the furniture is imported from Italy and the sofas are specially designed. We care about the comfort of our customers.” Bon Bon is another high-quality cafe contributing to the sophisticated, confident identity of Astana as the hub of the flourishing new Eurasian energy economy and international society. It offers European cuisine and an extensive cocktail list including its own specialty Bon Bon cocktail combining Bailey’s, Kahlua, Cointreau and coffee. Hookah with a wide variety of soothing and sweet flavors are also available. The café’s main area holds 30 people, and there is a VIP room for parties of up to eight. The menu is bilingual in English and Russian. Bon Bon offers high-quality coffee and an exquisite range of desserts for high-powered achievers and policymakers in the heart of the government quarter and futuristic new city complexes near the Baiterek Tower.

café Star

Some people would consider Café Star more of a restaurant than a café. But we will go with the name and call it a café, although a rather fancy one. The atmosphere here is high class, with photos of movie stars on the walls. While pricey for a café,

the outstanding food is worth the price. A perfect choice for inviting guests to a pleasant evening with good food and wine. Address: 13 Dostyk Street (Nursaya-2 Residential complex) Phone: 8 (7172) 79 54 12 Hours: 9 am until the last visitor leaves Price range: $$

caramel

Caramel Café opened in 2008 and has since 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 young people escaping the bustle of their homes to international business people catching up on work. The coffee is imported and tasty and the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. Address: 10 A Imanov Street

Phone: +7 (7172) 537 388 Hours: Daily 9:30 am-midnight, Fri and Sat 10 am to 1 am Price range: $

chili Peppers

If you like your coffee high-tech and Western, head to Chili Peppers Café. This well-established cafe on the left bank was opened in September of 2008 and has been thriving since with young people, locals and expats looking for a taste of the West. As one Chili Peppers employee put it, “No local atmosphere here! This is as Western frenetic as they come!” And to make sure their expat visitors feel welcome, the waiters speak English and have been trained to meet the often demanding natures of its Western guests. Address: 33 Sarayshik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 50 37 73

Hours: 12 pm – 1 am Price range: $$

coffe Nova

This new coffee house just opened in the heart of downtown Astana. It is not too large, and has a very intimate feel to it. Even though it is a relatively new addition, already you can find quite a few locals and guests spending the day talking or working on laptop computers. Free Wi-Fi is provided. Cuisine: European Address: 15 Sagynak Street Phone: 8 (7172) 79 52 55, 8 (7172) 56 69 34 Hours: 09 am – 12 am Price range: $

coral Reef café

The beauty of the marine world is on display at this uniquely decorated café. The interior

was handcrafted by artists from northern Kazakhstan using clay and other materials. Children and adults alike will have tremendous fun eating and admiring the intricate designs on its walls. Address: 171 Abay Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 83 93 Hours: 12 pm – 12 am Price range: $

corso

Located on the right bank of the river not far from Tiflis, the Corso coffee house bills itself as “A small part of Switzerland in Astana.” Comfortable and diminutive, it’s better for good conversation on a date or lunch, rather than with a big crowd. Corso is at its busiest during lunchtime and at night. It gets a decent crowd drinking cocktails and beer, and it can feel a bit more like a bar than café. Its

Pryanik A Café to the World With numerous cafés and coffee houses opening each month in Astana, it gets harder to choose between them. But Pryanik (“biscuit” in Russian) has already established an impressive reputation just a year after opening beside the Highville condominium complex. This has become a favorite gathering place for foreign visitors and local business people. The atmosphere is exceptionally cosmopolitan with people socializing in different languages including Korean, Russian, English and Mandarin. “The idea of this place was to be a coffee house, but since opening our clients have given us a lot of requests and our clients are our top priority, so we have slowly transformed into a lounge-café,” Manager Assem Miller told EdgeKz. “We hired a chef and extended our menu, mostly European with some Kazakh dishes, while maintaining our top quality coffee and soft drinks.” The interior décor is relaxing and makes anyone feel at home with comfortable couches, soothing lights, lounge music and even toys and souvenirs on the shelves. You can buy any of them. “Everything you see is for sale at Pryanik,” Miller said. Large screen TVs are on each of the walls. Pryanik’s identity has evolved significantly since it opened. It has developed as a restaurant and lounge bar, in addition to its original coffee house role. This combination of functions is unusual and attractive. Because of the responsiveness of its owners and managers to the evolving tastes and requirements of their customers, Pryanik gives the impression of still being fluid, a work still in process. And in this way, it reflects and channels the ever-growing dynamism of Astana itself.

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Del Papa

cappuccinos are really good, and so are the cookies and cakes. It also serves a nice breakfast. Free Wi-Fi is available.

Eastern cuisine, including shashlyk (shish kebabs). This is a well-known place for hosting conferences and exhibitions.

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

Daisy Café

Daisy Café sits in the heart of Astana’s business district, so it is a great place to hold out-of-office meetings or to get some work done away from colleagues. But its comfortable interior and location near major tourist attractions also make it perfect for an after sight-seeing coffee and dessert. Address: 17 Kabanbai Batyra Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 79 30 20 Hours: 9 am – to the last visitor Price range: $$

Del Papa

The Del Papa Café is new in Astana and worth checking out. The cafe opened August 2011 and has been receiving rave reviews. Del Papa’s interior greets you with the warmth of a neighbourhood Italian joint with its checked red-andwhite table clothes and bistrostyle seating. This cafe caters to families, children and couples. It even has toys out and ready for children to play with. It’s not high tech or fast paced. It’s just a place to relax and enjoy a warm coffee and good food with friends. 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: $$

Demalys Complex

This café offers European and

Éclair

Éclair is a new franchise, with branches in Almaty and Astana. It is the city’s first real French bakery. This is another spot with a nice, elegant atmosphere (like a real French bakery), and you will probably find it ideal for treating someone to a business lunch. You can choose from a wide variety of cakes and desserts similar in texture and taste to what you can find in Europe. They also have good, simple sandwiches. Sandwich lovers will be happy to find that the bread is nice and fresh as well as soft. The bread alone is a reason to come here, if you like it baked-fresh and piping hot. This is also a good place for takeouts, including coffee to go. Some of the things you probably want to try are their muffins, pies, cookies, croissants, rolls, cheesecakes, and tarts. This company is socially interesting and they deliver free pastries each Thursday and Saturday to poor and elderly older people in Astana. Cuisine: French Address: 14 Kunayeva Street. Phone: 8 (7172) 50 83 85, 8 (7172) 50 83 81 Hours: 8 am - 12 am Website: www:éclair.kz Price range: $

Indiana

This is a nice café with largescreen plasma TVs and beer on tap. Sometimes they hold entertaining shows to accompany

Chili Peppers

the tasty European and American food on the menu. There is no dress code, and you will see people in jeans, etc., capturing the down-to-earth nature of the residents of the middle-American state Indiana the place is named after. Offering a business lunch for 1,000 tenge, it’s also a good place for take-outs as well. Check for their special promotions and get a regulars discount cards. Address: 22 Sary Arka Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 34 63 Hours: 12 pm – 1 am Price range: $

Kvartal (Quarter)

This inexpensive, friendly café has live music (mostly traditional) to entertain its patrons. The main hall is spacious, seating up to 70 people, and VIP rooms are available. Offering European-style cuisine, you can get a decent business lunch here during weekdays for a low 500 tenge. It also has secure parking. Address: 24, 3rd Microdistrict Phones: 8 (7172) 34 11 25 Hours: 12 pm – 12 am Fri – Sat 12 pm – 2 am Price range: $

Library Café

Description: This is a great little café where you can get good American-style coffee, tasty desserts and cocktails. Then you are welcome to kick back and read from their big selection of fiction and classics in three languages, including English. Wi- Fi is available. 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

The Madlen company opened its first pastry shop 15 years ago and continues to be a leader in Kazakhstan’s emerging coffee culture. The company has 16 coffeehouses across Kazakhstan and its Astana outlet is intimate and inviting. Small tables for two and plush

La Belle

Located in Old Town Astana, La Belle is usually crowded with young people. It has two main rooms with plasma TVs, and patrons can watch soccer and other sports. In the summer, they open their terrace area, which is complete with tents and comfortable pillows where customers can sit back, smoke flavored tobacco from a hookah and sip some drinks. Address: 12 Irchenko Street Phone: 8 (7172) 23 06 00 Hours: 12 pm - 2 am Price range: $$

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sofas ideal for private conversation as well as the smell of cinnamon, croissants and fresh brewed coffee greet guests the moment they walk through the door.

They often run specials, so whenever you decide to visit, it’s possible you can try something you’ve never had before, or get a nice discount on one of your favorite items.

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

Address: 7 Respublika Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 43 92 40 Hours: 11 am – 1 am Price range: $$

Mr. Coffee

Pizza City

This coffee house is well-known in the city for using only 100% organically grown Arabica beans, while the cakes and cookies are reputed to be the best in Astana. Patrons can also order sushi and request VIP rooms. It is right next to MEGA Centre, across the street from the Duman Hotel. Address: 15 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 90 10 33 Hours: 10 am – last visitor Price range:$$

News Café

A diverse menu and accommodating feel makes this a great place to grab a meal any time of day. You can pick and choose from a variety of European, Eastern and Russian cuisine. 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: $

Oasis

While Oasis offers a nice fixed menu with very good European cuisine, the management also tries to keep its offerings fresh.

This American-style pizza joint is one of the most popular pizza spots in Astana. It has a steady stream of loyal and stylish clientele, partially due to its huge pizzas and its famous pasta. Lots of people come here during late hours for a bite. It has an interesting design with a dark red interior, and comfortable sofas mixed with hard metal tables you might see at many pizza parlors in big U.S. cities. They also have good breakfasts, and their croissants are a big hit. Address: 17 Imanov Street (between Respublika Avenue and Valikhanov Street) Phone: 8 (7172) 20 09 65 Hours: Daily, 8 am–2 am Price range: $

Pryanik

Enjoy Pryanik’s deliberately cozy décor that skillfully evokes memories of childhood and hobbies. This is a café where Astana’s business elite come to unwind, but also to talk business. At heart, this is a multicultural, cosmopolitan gathering place where business gets done. Observe and enjoy.

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Address: 1 Baitursynova Street Phone: + 7 (701) 900 95 98

Redford

This moderately-priced café seats up to 45 people in its two main rooms, one smoking, one nonsmoking. You usually find people dressed relatively casually here. It has a VIP room with 20 seats, and a separate nonsmoking room. The traditional fare includes European cuisine and shish kebabs, with both shashlyk and other kebabs, and features a 1,000 tenge business lunch. They also offer draft beers and pies to order. Not only is Redford good for take-outs, they also deliver. Free Wi-Fi is available. Address: 43 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 82 36 Hours: 12 pm – 1 am Price range: $

Rivas

The new Rivas café boasts a great view along the Yessil River and is located right across the bridge from the Central Park in Astana in the Grand Alatau apartment complex. Cuisine: Italian Address: 2 Zheltoksan St Phone: +7 (7172) 51 75 06 Hours: 10 am to midnight, Sat to 1 am Price range: $

Shambala

Shambala has an Indian/Tibetan design, and was recently expanded to three floors with a dance floor, live music, and 30-seat VIP hall. Moderately priced, the cuisine is a mix of Kazakh, European and Tibetan. It serves a good business lunch for 900 tenge, and

stays open 24 hours a day. Address: 30 Republic Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 33 32 25 Price range: $$

The “Rafe Coffee & Food” Coffee House

This is a very friendly, intimate café where you can really relax and forget about work and worry. Popular with Astana residents and visitors alike, Italian designers created the interior, and all materials were imported from Italy. You can enjoy some of the most delicately and artfully prepared Italian food you will find in Kazakhstan. If you are a pasta lover, this is the place for you. The servings are not huge, but they are delicious. In the Italian tradition, they treat each dish like a work of art. You can’t go wrong with the ravioli, the tortellini, or the beautifully done risotto. The lamb chops, the red fish, and the veal are also wonderful. The pizza is one of the best in the country and the calzone is the most authentic we have found. The chefs use all fresh and natural ingredients, with no preservatives, meaning salads are made the way they are supposed to be made – with green and ultracrisp lettuce, really flavorful plum tomatoes and real parmesan. Their coffee is also authentic and rich. A large banquet hall is available, and free Wi-Fi is provided. Cuisine: Italian, Halal Turkish (emphasis on Italian dishes). Rafe serves breakfast from 9am to 12pm Address: 14 Tauelsizdik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 49 00 Hours: 08 am -12 pm Price range: $

Guns n’ Roses

azakhstan’s nightlife may seem to be dominated by seeand-be-seen, dance-until-dawn nightclubs, but the country also has a wide and varied bar scene where you are more likely to play billiards than shake your booty. In Almaty, Line Brew, Guinness Pub, and Shtab are all relatively relaxed venues where beer, rather than fashion, is the focus. And at Tinkoff you can get your homemade brew with some Japanese snacks. Or give the suds a break and try one of Cinzano Bar’s 130 cocktails. Astana also has its quotient of UK bars, with Chelsea’s English Pub and Cigar Bar Radisson-Astana (where you can suck a stogie in the atmosphere of a British library). Live music is also a common component to Kazakhstan’s

bar scene. Astana visitors can drop by Rixos Irish Pub or Guns and Roses, which are both major parts of the capital’s live music scene, as well as places to get familiar pub food. In Almaty, jazz fans will want to check out Members Bar and Soho, where live jazz and other kinds of music are on tap nightly. And no discussion of bars in Kazakhstan is complete without a mention of Karaoke. Particularly in Astana, wannabe stars can belt out tunes in the VIP room at Prime, at Orioke, and at 8 Drops Music Club, where tables sing as teams and the crowd votes for winners. So if you prefer live music and good conversation to pulsing lights and packed dance floors, you’ll find plenty of joints that will greet you with a smile rather than a velvet rope.

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8 Drops music club

8 Drops is a karaoke club with two locations. The song list includes Russian, Kazakh, American and European numbers. 8 Drops holds competitions between tables. Those at the tables sing as teams, and the crowd votes for their favorite. The host eggs people on to jump in. Address: 29 Abai Street and 6/4 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 46 70 18 Hours: 8 pm – 4 am Price range: $$

Albion

This billiards bar has 12-foot pool tables or, if you’re in the mood for a challenge, Russian billiards. 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

Bar Boss is a sparkling new gathering spot in the Ak Kaiyn Hotel for Astana’s young, ambitious and upwardly mobile. It’s beautifully designed with interesting colors and subdued lighting, mirrors and comfortable furniture. Boss has three sections, each in a different

color. The crowd includes young local professionals and expats. Bar Boss DJs plays modern dance, lounge and trance.

chelsea English Pub

walking distance to the Radisson Hotel is part pub and part restaurant. On weekends the place pulses with the sounds of a DJ mixing house and lounge music, and during the week Astana’s business class comes here to share drinks after work. But Cinzano is also a top restaurant with a large sushi menu and international menu.

Address: 7 Respublika Avenue Phone: No phone listed Hours: 12 pm to last visitor

comfort Hotel Astana Bar

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

Chelsea offers European and Chinese cuisine. Patrons can watch live sports on one of its large TVs. Its VIP room is terrific.

cigar Bar-Radisson Astana

This bar has comfortable leather chairs that give it the feel of a traditional British study. It also has numerous TVs. There are all types of cigars, including Cubans, along with great coffee and service. Address: 4 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 99 00 00 Hours: 8 am – 4 am Price range: $$$

Address: 5 Zhenis Street Phone: 8 (7172) 39 07 89, 8 (7172) 39 08 79 Hours: 4 pm – 4 am Price range: $$

This bar is popular partly because Kazakh celebrities often stay at the hotel. Patrons linger, hoping to run into one of them. The hotel is elegant, with a feel of old Europe. 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: $$

contrabass

cinzano Bar

This beer bar offers great shashlyk and live music.

Cinzano Bar offers something for everyone. This locals hangout near the Yessil River and within

Klava Davai

Address: 25/3a Ablai Khan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 56 15 01

Klava Davai Hours: Mon – Tue 5 pm – 4 am Fri-Sat 5 pm – 5 am Price range: $

Fair Play Bar

This is the bar to go to if you’re a diehard sports fan and don’t want to miss your home team or any Olympic action. The bar offers six large televisions and two wall screens to make sure everyone has a good view. It’s styled like an English soccer pub and is a great place whether you’re a sports fanatic or just enjoying the exciting atmosphere.

Kyoto bar A Good Time and Refuge from Shopping Kyoto Bar is ideal for men who hate shopping, but end up spending the afternoon trailing their wives around to stores anyway. And that’s because it is located inside the Keruen Shopping Mall. Kyoto opened in March 2011, offering a haven with its quiet, sophisticated atmosphere. It is a good place to bring a date, conduct business meetings and enjoy intimate family dinners. The interior décor is done primarily in violet and offers a Japanese theme with bright wooden chairs and tables. The restaurant is designed to appeal to visiting businessmen and tourists from North America, Northeast Asia and Western Europe, as well as to local families out for the day and harassed husbands wanting a leisurely break from all that shopping. The cuisine is mostly European and Japanese,

but the chef is from South Korea and will prepare anything you like. Its light menu is ideal for lunch. “Go ahead and challenge our chef,” 31-year-old Manager Assem Miller told EdgeKz. “What makes our restaurant unique is that he will prepare anything that we have available that you can come up with. We offer our famous local hookah pipes as well.” Kyoto also boasts of its service. “Our waiters are knowledgeable about the history of any drink. They undergo special training and can make any cocktail in the world for you,” Miller said. “Our bar is comfortable and offers a snacks menu. We don’t admit anyone under 23 years old.” The bar’s specialties include Limonchino, based on grappa and lemon cedar, and its own specialty tea. This watering hole could become one of your regular stops.

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

Graff Lounge Bar

Graff is a relaxed lounge conducive to making connections and discussing deals. Part of the Astana Park Hotel, Graff is quiet and discreet. Patrons can order from the big menu of the Chalet Restaurant. The venue includes a karaoke bar, VIP zones, saunas and billiards. Graff has a more mature crowd than many bars – upper 20s and older. Address: 2 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 55 63 33, 8 777 11534 25 Hours: Lounge bar on Friday and Saturday Daily 7 pm - 4 am Hotel and saunas – around the clock Web site: www.astanapark.kz Price range: $$$

Guns n’ Roses

Guns n’ Roses is an up-market Irish pub serving draft beer and ale. The house band, Silently Screaming, gets the crowd moving. Both expatriates and local professionals dig the music. You can spot any Guns n’ Roses in Kazakhstan easily because all have red British Telecom boxes outside their main entrances. Guns n’ Roses recently decided to add an on-location butcher, so its steaks should be some of the best in Astana. Guns is a bit pricey. But you can find some of the pub grub you enjoy in the West at an affordable price. Address: 11 Samal Microdistrict Phone: 8 (7172) 59 18 09 Hours: 11 am – 3 am Price range: $$$

Han Bel

This is the place for people who love Karaoke. Han Bel sits right on the Yessil River and was opened in April 2011 specifically as a Karaoke

bar and restaurant. It features eight differently themed rooms were you can get your song on, including an Arabic room, a Korean room and a “glamour” room. If you like Karaoke, this is the place to go. Address: 1 Sary Arka Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 51 79 79 / 8 (7172) 51 80 13 Hours: Daily noon – 4 am Price range: $$

For those who missed the Soviet era, you can still get the feel of it here. Opened in June 2012, Klava Davai is already creating a buzz. It doesn’t appeal to the nostalgia of the elderly, but instead transforms Red Soviet-era icons and antiques into fashionable chic for the stylish hipster set. Klava Davai is only 15 minutes from Astana’s Left Bank along Zhenis (Pobeda) Avenue and is packed with Soviet-era antiques. The décor includes an early cosmonaut’s spacesuit and early Soviet TV sets and radios. The wood has been artificially aged to create the atmosphere of communist grunge. They even have ancient kerosene lamps and a Soviet heating furnace. The two-story restaurant can hold 90 people. “There are two open bars on the first floor. The second floor is designed as a lounge-type restaurant. There are different themes, depending on where you are seated and they all have to do with the Soviet era, of course,” Restaurant Director Amir Bodanov, 29, told EdgeKz. “We have a Soviet space theme, mass media in the communist era and a huge old vending machine that used to sell mineral water for five kopecks.” Prices are inexpensive and the menu caters to economy budgets. The bar serves Klava beer brewed in Almaty and imported Belgian Hoegaarden. Snacks with beer, salads and Kazakh and European-style soups are available on the menu, alongside pizza and shashlyk. Live retro music is performed every evening on the first floor and a huge TV on the second floor shows sporting events.

Jelsomino Karaoke

This is one of, if not the most, luxurious Karaoke bars in Astana. Whether you love Karaoke or hate it, you’ll feel comfortable in Jelsomino’s ultra-chic lounge. Plush red, U-shaped booths offer intimate seating and liberally placed flat screens make sure you won’t miss your friends’ high notes. It has a small bar and a VIP room. But be prepared. Reservations are required. Address: 26 Imanova Street, “Rakhat” Residential Complex Phone: 8 701 216 38 88 Hours: Daily 6 pm – 6 am Price range: $$$

Kazbar

This place used to be a nightclub, but was converted to a bar because neighbors complained about the noise. It quickly became popular in its new role. One attraction is its reasonably-priced steaks. Its restaurant is at street level, with the bar on top. Address: 18 Mirzoyan Street Phone: 8 (7172) 92 88 49 Hours: 8 pm – 4:30 am (Tue-Sat) Restaurant - 11 am – 2 am Price range: $$$

Kega Sports Bar

This is a large venue full of bigscreen TVs showing sports from across the globe. Popular among young people, it is linked to the Kega beer brand. 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: $$$

Klava Davai

Bar Boss

Klava Davai Wine and Dine in Soviet Chic

Good beer and tongue-in-cheek nostalgia for the days of Soviet pride and power guarantee a good time. A great location for dates

or for partying with friends after a long work day. Just the place for today’s hipsters born just when the Soviet era was fading. Address: 56 Beibitshilik Street Phone: + 7 (7172) 31 09 69 Price range: $

Kyoto

Kyoto operates on a bold and original concept – a bar in a shopping mall for those who hate shopping. But it works. And of course, the bar attracts a lot of happy and

grateful shoppers as well. The atmosphere is carefully designed to be soothing and relaxing. Address: 9 Dostik, Kereun Shopping Mall Phone: (+7) 701 900 8006 Price range: $$

Little Goats (Priyut Bodlivoy Kozy)

This Americana style bar will please fans of America’s famed Coyote Ugly bars. Like Coyote Ugly, this bar has beautiful “little goats” female bartenders who

Phone: 8 (7172) 39 01 82 Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 1 pm – 3 am Friday-Saturday: 1 pm – 4 am Sunday – Monday: 1 pm – 2 am Price range: $$$

Staut bar

Staut Beer Bar is a great place to catch live music. On Thursdays, Staut offers an “Americano” band and on Sundays features a jazz oriented Saxophone band. But like any good pub, Staut is also equipped to show the latest football matches on its numerous TVs and offers tasty spicy sausages and grilled steaks.

dance, drink and chat with customers. Customers are also encouraged to dance on the bar and enter dance contests with the beautiful Little Goats bartenders. This is the place for a high-energy good time. Address: 12 A Konstotutsiya St. Phone: 8 (7172) 38 38 29 Hours: 7 pm to 5 am Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun Price range: $$

expat-style bars. Address: 4 Sary Arka Ave. Phone: 8 (7019) 00 02 06 Hours: Noon - 2 am Price range: $$$

Q Night Bar

Mindal is a good place for meetings. You can do business at the same time you’re relaxing. Or you can celebrate a special event.

The Q Night Bar follows a Kazakhstan tradition of bars changing to nightclubs as evening wears on. It can be a lot of fun to watch the scene evolving from subdued to people dancing like crazy. Q Night caters to the young, with loud house music and flashing lights.

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: $$

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

Orioke

Rang

Mindal

In addition to having a name rhyming with karaoke, this venue is known for its huge song menu, ranging from Kazakh folk to rap. Have fun! Address: 9 Aliyev Street Phones: 8 (7172) 34 20 59, 8 (7172) 34 22 59 Hours: Mon – Tue 5 pm – 7 pm Fri – Sun 5 pm – 3 am Price range: $$

Pivnitsa

Lots of cities have Irish bars, but if you want to taste a bit of the Czech Republic, head to Pivnitsa. Not only is this bar designed like an old Czech village, but it serves its own award-winning beer brewed on site. It’s a great place to take a break from the usual

This popular grill’s menu has European, Japanese and Caucasus meals. The Rang is across the street from Cafestar in the Singing Fountains alley near Baiterek Tower. It has 25 types of shashlyk (shish kebabs) and steaks. Customers can watch the cooks using an open fire, which not only adds to the taste, but also to the atmosphere. The bar has two levels with large plasma TVs and quiet background music.

a pool table and live music. Some of Kazakhstan’s hottest bands play there. The Rixos is Astana’s premium hotel, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the menu is a bit expensive. The Irish Bar is often the location of a post-event cocktail party. Don’t be surprised if you see well-known faces. The food is also excellent. Address: 7 Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (7172) 24 50 50 Hours: Around the clock Price range: $$$

Sky Bar

Astana’s skyline is known internationally for its 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 three-year-old bar’s extensive cocktail menu and techno music while taking in the full view of Astana through floor-to-ceiling windows. Address: Kabanbai Batyr Avenue (Asia Park shopping center) Phone: 8 (7172) 97 87 70 Hours: 12:00 pm – 1:00 am Price range: $$$

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

Sligo Irish pub

Rixos Irish Bar

Address: 45 Abai Avenue (close to the Ramada Hotel)

Rixos’ Irish Bar is spacious and has

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This is a two-level pub with an Irish and continental European menu, and Wi-Fi. You can catch live music here on Fridays and Saturdays.

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

Stolichny Pub

Stolichny offers a wide range of ethnic food, including Italian, Russian, Uygur, Kazakh and Eastern. Address: 47 Kenessary Street Phone: 8 (7172) 21 91 21 Hours: 12 pm – 1 am Sun 6 pm – 1 am Price range: $$

Triumph Pub

A nice, quiet bar with background music. It has a VIP room and Wi-Fi. Address: 11 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue (residential complex Triumph Astana) Phone: 8 (7172) 68 91 04 Hours: 12 pm – 2 am Price range: $$$

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octurnal breeds should find themselves right at home in Kazakhstan’s two major cities, where there’s as much to do from dusk to dawn as there is from sunrise to sunset. Nightclubs are a major part of social life here, and not just for the student crowd. Everyone gets in on the action, from business people shaking off a day of negotiation to young artists seeking a shot of inspiration. Astana’s club scene is young, growing, and high-energy. Big clubs often bring in DJs from Russia or other neighboring countries and music styles change with the trends. Astana clubs also have fun with themes and concepts—Oscar Lounge Bar and Nightclub welcomes guests along a long red carpet, for example. Other clubs fit other niches—Che Guevara attracts a creative crowd,

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while Jimmy’z has perfected the attitude of exclusivity. Almaty’s well-established club scene comes in many flavors. Clubs like Esperanza, which plays hip hop and R&B as well as house, avoid the teen scene by only allowing men over 25 to enter. Rai also provides VIP cabins for those who want to hide from the crowd. Latin beats, progressive house, rock, rap—somewhere in Almaty at four am, it’s playing. While freedom of expression is now a part of Kazakhstan culture, that sentiment doesn’t extend to the velvet rope. Clubs enforce dress codes, age restrictions, and “face control.” You don’t necessarily have to be a beautiful young thing to get in (though it will speed up the process), but you do have to look like you can afford your drinks. Shine your shoes, put on a collar, and get ready to stay up late.

Azure Nightclub

Upscale but not pretentious, Azure is the place to go to if you like a relaxed nightclub atmosphere. You’ll need to dress well and look good to get in. But once inside, you’ll enjoy excellent food, wine, music and Astana’s young and beautiful. And there’s no cover charge. Address: 27 Turan Avenue Phone: + 7 (7172) 40 20 34 Price range: $$$

Chocolate

Chocolate is known locally as being home to Astana’s most beautiful party goers and practices strict dress code and face control. But once inside, it’s a great time. The city’s hottest DJs keep the smallish dance floor packed and there are plenty of intimate seating areas to make new friends. If you want to see and be seen in Astana, go to Chocolate. Address: 2 Saryarka Avenue Phone: +7 (701) 550 00 17 Hours: Friday and Saturday 11 pm - 5 am Website: www.goodproject.kz Price range: $$$

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

Fashion

Fashion is one of Astana’s top nightclubs. With its big and bold dance floor, the club caters to the under-30 crowd via a number of rotating, big-name DJs. High-profile international DJs mostly come from Russia, with a few from Western Europe. The club is also known for throwing inventive theme parties, and also hosts fashion shows and parties with well-choreographed stage shows. The club is connected with Fusion, one of the top restaurants in Astana (see our review in restaurant listings), so you can eat at Fusion, and party your way into the night downstairs at Fashion – but it will definitely cost you. Fashion is considered an expensive club, so those on a budget beware. It has its own food menu, but portions are on the small side, and pricey. Cuisine: Italian, American, Japanese Address: 4 Mailin Street Phone: 8(701)888 52 82 Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10:00 pm to last visitor Website: www.fusion.com.kz Price range: $$$

Imperial Nightclub

Kazbar

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.

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 which 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: $$$

Jimmy’z

Jimmy’z VIP Decadence in Astana Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan and the new union of East and West, is a hub for international business people, diplomats and government officials. And they all need a place to cut loose in luxury and style. Jimmy’z nightclub was established for just that purpose: to make sure important guests feel comfortable and cared for. Jimmy’z opened in 2007 on the 12th floor of the Astanalyk Trade Center, and has been drawing guests from Astana’s highest echelons ever since. A fabulous, panoramic view of the left bank can be seen from every vantage point of the club, which was built in a circular shape to capitalise on its location. In addition to the view, Jimmy’z boasts one of the most sophisticated wine lists in the capital, with some wines reaching $7,000. There’s a bar, cigar room, restaurant serving European and Kazakh cuisine from the neighboring Regine’s, and, of course, a dance floor. Guests can get down to whatever is the music of the moment. The club plays a lot of 80s music, though musical styles are always kept in tune with trends and guests’ desires. Jimmy’z is meant to be a “little France” within the capital of Kazakhstan. Its Versace furniture was imported from France and contributes to the atmosphere of aristocratic decadence. Guests can add to the atmosphere themselves by writing on the club’s centre wall. Since its opening, Jimmy’z has gotten personal graffiti from Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, among others. Very special VIPs who prefer privacy can also slip in and out of the place through a back elevator. When it comes to accommodating VIPs, Jimmy’z has thought of everything.

Jimmy’z is where the suits go to cut loose. Upscale, aristocratic,

Azure A Relaxed, Upscale Nightclub Like many things in Kazakhstan’s young capital, Astana’s nightlife scene is just getting started. And Azure nightclub is an integral part that emerging after-dark lifestyle. Located on the lower level of Portofino Restaurant along restaurant alley on Turan Avenue, Azure opened in March 2009. The interior offers a large dance floor, tall, luxurious chairs and thick, richly textured curtains at each private seating area. Large TVs hang on the walls and the club’s ceiling is covered with an eyecatching flame pattern. Azure also offers a VIP room for 15 people. “Our nightclub is a complete chill-out place for those who seek to have a good time,” Azure’s 30-year-old Art Director Dmitry Newman told EdgeKz. “On weekdays, Monday through Thursday, we have karaoke nights. Friday night is the beginning of the weekend for us. We create a light atmosphere, chill and relaxed. We let people talk and socialise [and] have fun basically.” Azure practices strict face and age control: no men under 25 years of age and no women under 21 are allowed. There’s no written dress code, but as the management puts it, you’ll need to “dress to impress.” The club also offers Italian food until midnight from the Portofino Restaurant upstairs and access to Portofino’s impressive wine cellar. Sushi and light snacks are available after midnight. The club’s music also varies with Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Jazz on Fridays with house music on Saturdays. But, adds Newman, the DJs always check with the crowd and play what they want. Anotherunique thing about Azure is you don’t have to pay to get in. “You just have to make it through the face and age control and look sharp,” advises Newman. So if you’re looking for a nightclub full of young, beautiful people, head to Azure.

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Jimmy’z

attentive and private, the club knows what VIPs need and provides 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.

house DJs usually mix club, house and techno music. Club Oscar is open on weekends until 5 a.m.

Address: 33 Kunaeva Street, 12th floor Phone: +7 (7172) 50 20 33; +7 (775) 682-34 41 Price range: $$$

Cuisine: European snacks Address: 2a Kurgalzhinsk highway Table reserve by phone number: 8 (7172) 79 15 67 Website: http://www.nc-oscar.kz E-mail: info@nc-oscar.kz Price range: $$$

Kazbar

White Hall

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: $$$

Oscar

Oscar’s nightclub might be located in the luxury Duman Hotel, but this is no hotel lounge bar. This new addition to the Astana nightclub scene attracts the capital’s young and beautiful with hot music and packed dance floors. Its value is in its music and its high-energy vibe. The club, which opened in February 2011, is spread out over two levels and three VIP rooms. The main dance floor is surrounded by comfortable couches where you can watch some of the hottest go-go dancers in the city do their thing. There’s also plenty of room to dance for the rest of us with two bar areas to ensure quick service. The club’s

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: $$

8 Kapel

8 Kapel opened in 2008 and is centrally located on the left bank across from the UFO-looking Astana Circus building. The club is designed to appeal to a variety of tastes with both Karaoke and a dance floor and DJ. The DJs mix mainly techno and rock. 8 Kapel also offers national and European food and a moderately priced wine list. Address: 6/4 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 467 018 Hours: Daily 9 am - 3 am (Until 4 am holidays) Price range: $$

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DJ Posh Music that Breaks the Glass Ceiling By Alex lee

Kazakhstan is a multicultural country. More than140 nationalities live within its vast territory. And though the most prevalent religion in this officially secular country is Islam, you’ll also find churches, temples and synagogues in its major cities. Another group making major strides in the newly independent country is women, and among them is DJ Posh. DJ Posh, aka Aigerim Tanekeyeva, went to music school when she was only four years old and graduated at 17 as a choir conductor. This was when she realized that she wanted to dedicate her whole life to music. “The music is what got my attention and it was clear to me then that I wanted to play good music,” Tanekeyeva, who prefers not to reveal her age, told EdgeKz. “I don’t have a specific style. It all depends on the crowd. For my friends, I prefer magical music, the music that touches the furthest parts of our hearts.” Born and raised in a family of musicians in Almaty, Tanekeyeva confesses, “I do not think of myself as a highly professional DJ and musician yet, as I do not compose my own music. I only strive for it for now and for me it is a serious step because with my own music, I would like to change the perception of at least one person.” She travels a lot to watch other DJs work, to learn something new from them and share what she has learned with her audiences. She has been spinning for six years now, and DJ Posh is well known among Kazakh DJs in Astana and Almaty. She has been invited numerous times to Astana to perform at nightclubs and private parties, and she certainly gets attention as a female DJ. Among her influences are Kurt Cobain and Tom York. “These people changed the perception of several generations,” she told EdgeKz, adding that she still admires them. Among DJs, “I prefer Sebastian Ledger, Mark Knight and all those who compose real music.” The DJ industry is growing in Kazakhstan, with music that is evolving and adopting its own style. DJs like DJ Posh will make sure the scene in Kazakhstan remains cutting edge. Currently, DJ Posh is a house DJ at one of Almaty’s top spots, Barbaris Restaurant, which turns into a dance club around midnight every Friday and Saturday. She’s there from 9 p.m. onward, so be sure to stop by if you want to listen to one of Kazakhstan’s rising female DJs.

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Kristina Postnikova / Shutterstock.com

azakhstan offers many rich cultural and artistic traditions to explore. In addition to the nomadic cultures of the steppe, there is Muslim art and architecture; classic Russian painting; Soviet realism; German, Korean or Uzbek theaters; and a host of other artistic influences to enjoy. Art here runs the gamut from precious objects encased in glass to mud and mosaic mosques, all the way to the cutting-edge architecture of Astana’s skyline. For a history of visual arts in the country, Almaty’s Central State Museum is a good place to start. The museum’s exhibits cover the earliest cultures of the country through the topics of the modern day. Exhibits are in Russian, so English-speakers will want to hire a guide or bring a Russian speaker. For a sense of arts today, the independent and eclectic Arvest Gallery showcases work by talented painters, sculptors, and other visual artists. Exhibits change often, so there’s always something new.

Much of Astana’s most interesting art is visible just by walking down the street. The new capital is a designer’s playground, with fanciful buildings designed by today’s most interesting architects. “Modern” is the word of the day in Astana, and its museums and galleries focus on the here and now rather than the traditional. The Modern Art Gallery is the place to see what today’s crop of Kazakh painters are doing. The Museum of Modern Art branches out to include contemporary works by artists from the region and other CIS countries and the Kulanshi Modern Art Center shows off Kazakhstan’s modern European collection. The fact that these and other museums are housed in such interesting packages makes any trip through Astana like a gallery tour. So for a unique trip through the history of the country and its many multi-ethnic influences, take some time to sample its diverse art offerings. DECEmbEr 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 87

Nefertiti in Astana. Treasures of the Egyptian pyramids in the Palace of Peace and Accord

American Corners 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 17:00, discussion club at 15:00 and reading club at 16:00. 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

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 village Malinovka 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 1.7 hectare 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

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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. 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 Ave. 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

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 offered 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

Congress Hall Culture Hub Glows with Life So much depends on the atmosphere in any concert-hall or theatre and Astana’s Congress Hall doesn’t disappoint. It was originally built in 1963 on the old Right Bank side of the city across from the TsUM shopping center. It was named Tselinnik Palace after the former Soviet name for Astana, Tselinograd. In those days, it presented primarily classical concerts. However, in 1996, the building was completely reconstructed. It got brighter colors, a modern look and a completely different spirit. In 1999, it was renamed Congress Hall and now buzzes with activities such as seminars, exhibitions, concerts, conferences and even a Club of the Wittiest and the Funniest (KVN Club in Russian) where university students compete against other students from other Russian speaking countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States in stand-up comedy, satire and farce. Congress Hall has been imaginatively re-decorated in the new colors of Kazakhstan’s national flag, so its whole interior shines in an inspiring light blue and white glow that lifts the spirit. Inside the entrance, you will find a mini-bar on the left side offering light snacks, pastries and soft drinks, although no alcoholic beverages are sold. “Our food is not very expensive, but it can be different depending on the (performance),” Managing Director Anna Tsoy told EdgeKz. “In 2011, we merged with the Astana Philharmonic Orchestra and now we present its concerts too.” Congress Hall is one of Astana’s busiest cultural center and events take place there almost every day.

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

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 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.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Address: 10 Akzhaiyk Street Phones: 8 (7172) 39 27 60/61 Website: www.astana-anshlag.kz

Address: 52 Manas Street Phones: 8 (7172) 70 03 80/95/89 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (Closed Mondays) Website: http://tauelsizdik.kz

DECEmbEr 28-30, 2012 Goodbye Dragon! Long Live the Snake! Spectacle Zhastar Palace Address: 28 Respublika Street Telephone: +7 (7172) 57 50 93 Hours: call to confirm

DECEMBER 19-23 Winter Fairytale 2012 Concert Congress Hall Address: 32 Kenesary Street Telephone: +7 (7172) 75 23 60 Hours: Call for times

FEBRUARY 20-22 Education and Science of the 21st Century University Presentation Exhibition Complex “Korme” Address: 3 Dostyk Street Telephone: +7 (7172) 50 73 29 Hours: 9 am – 6 pm

DECEMBER 21-23 Christmas Exhibition Handmade Christmas toys, presentations and master classes Republic Palace Address: 56 Dostyk Avenue, Almaty Telephone: +7 (7017) 14 09 52 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm

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, 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.

DECEMBER 10-15 New Year’s Gifts Exhibition of New Year’s gifts for sale Congress Hall Address: 32 Kenesary Street Telephone: +7 (7172) 75 23 60 / 75 23 45 Hours: Call for times

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) 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

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The Russian Drama Theater named after maxim Gorky Although Astana is a young capital, it is also old enough to have a theater founded in 1899. Today it is one of the largest and most popular drama theaters, not only in Astana, but in all of Central Asia. It puts on an amazing number of performances for adults and children, including classic works of Shakespeare, Chekhov, Gogol, Mrozhek and others. Address: 11 Jeltoksan Street Phones: 8 (7172) 32 40 53 8 (7172) 32 05 70, 8 (7172) 32 24 49

The Saken Seifullin museum

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

nless you’re a polar bear, going for a jog outside in the midst of a freezing Kazakh winter may not be first on your exercise to do list. Luckily, you’ll find no shortage of modern, well-equipped health clubs in Kazakhstan’s major cities. You can take an aerobics class at Apriori Sport Club in Astana or walk your downward facing dog at World Class Fitness Center in Almaty, both of which have a variety of classes run by certified trainers. Other clubs specialise in particular activities, such as Astana’s Daulet, the country’s foremost tennis center and Almaty’s FitCurves, which has programs geared toward the entire family. Not all Kazakh health clubs offer day and weekly passes, so call ahead before going for a workout. It’s also possible to escape the snowy season entirely with a day in

the water at one of many indoor pools, including Astana’s Life Fitness and Fitnation clubs or Aprofit in Almaty. You can also ward off the cold by enjoying Kazakhstan’s diverse offerings of Finnish and Russian banyas at centers like Almaty’s Alligator Club, where they’ll heat and beat the toxins out of you. You can also try an Egyptian or Japanese sauna at Astana’s ZhetiKazyna and enjoy a Chinese or Swedish massage at the capital’s Beijing Soluxe Hotel Spa and Fitness Center. And if you happen to be in Almaty, skiers and snowboarders can raise their heart rates at the renowned Chimbulak Ski Resort, while skaters can test their stamina at the high-altitude Medeu skating rink. So whether you like the cold or not, you’ll have no trouble keeping in shape in Kazakhstan.

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Daulet

Type: Sports complex and tennis courts

The Daulet center is the premier tennis complex in Kazakhstan. The training complex includes locker rooms, showers and three cafés, as well as a small hotel and sauna facilities. It boasts three stadium courts, which can seat 583, 1,201 and 2,686 spectators for tournaments. Six training courts, three of clay and three hard, are scheduled to open in December 2011. Address: 6/3 Kabanbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 44-56-24 Hours: 8 am - 11 pm Keremet

Emir

Type: Banya

This banya is located in the Astana Park Hotel. Services include a pool, a Jacuzzi and showers. The facilities also include a diningroom and a billiards room. Address: 2 Sary Arka Avenue (Left Bank) Phone: 8 (7172) 55 63 33 Hours: Around the clock URL: http://astana-park.kz

Esil Fitness Center Type: Fitness centre

This unique health club is located above one of Astana’s most popular bars, Guns n’ Roses. But if you have the willpower to bypass the draught beer and live music, you’ll find a well-equipped fitness center. Esil offers a pool, multiple styles of sauna, two terraces overlooking the Yessil River and modern workout machines. It also features a juice bar and internationally trained fitness instructors. Day passes are available. Address: 8 Beibitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 59 19 01 Website: http://www.grandparkesil.kz/

Fitnation Network Type: Fitness centre

The Fitnation club in Astana includes a gym, swimming pool, sparring room and studios for martial arts and fitness classes. Group classes include dancing, cycling, yoga and aerobics, among others. Finnish, Russian and Turkish saunas are available, and the spa offers massage, a sun deck and the services of a manicurist and cosmetician. Fitness programs for children are also available. Address: 4/1 Turan Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 23 05 95 Hours: 7 am - 11 pm URL: www.fitnation.kz

FitNation Premium

FitNation Premium is one of two FitNation clubs in Astana and is the place for those looking for the ultimate health club experience.

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FitNation Premium’s memberships start at a steep $300 per month, but the club specializes in individualized quality attention and the latest in fitness equipment. If you want the best health club experience money can buy, then head to FitNation Premium.

participate in a variety of exercise classes. The Center provides towels and slippers, and there are locker rooms and showers. Address: 1, 23-21 Street Phone: 8 (7172) 51 32 69 Hours: 9 am – 10 pm

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

Zhety Kazyna

Fitness First

Address: 18 Bogenbai Batyr Avenue Phone: 8 (7172) 23 65 09 Hours: Around the clock Website: http://7kazyna.kz

Type: Fitness centre

Fitness First is one of the most modern fitness facilities in the country and is divided into various zones of training such as cardiac health, power training, and personal training. The cardio zone is among the most extensive with a running track, elliptical trainers and step machines. 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/

Highville Cultural and Community Center Type: Fitness centre

The Highville Cultural and Community Center includes 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

Type: Sauna complex

This sauna complex offers three styles of saunas: Coral, Egyptian and Japanese. They also offer massage services, a spa and a VIP cottage.

Keremet

Type: Banya complex

This is the largest banya complex in Astana. It has separate areas for men and women with their own pools. The complex includes a Finnish sauna, massage rooms and a hydro-massage area. For those seeking more privacy, there are seven VIP saunas with their own pools. For other types of relaxation, the complex also offers a café with European and Asian dishes, a billiards room and a gym. 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

Life Fitness Astana Type: Fitness centre

Life Fitness offers all the services

of a well equipped fitness center, including a gym with a variety of exercise machines, a lap pool, personal trainers, group classes and a children’s program. For post-workout relaxation, the centre also offers two Russian baths with bathhouse services and an attendant masseur.

treatments. And if you prefer more vigorous exercise, the Rixos also offers the latest in fitness equipment.

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

Type: Entertainment centre

Renaissance Beauty Salon

Kazakhstan is the fabled homeland of Shangri-La, the city of Eternal Youth, and of the legendary apples of immortality. And after a couple of saunas and workouts at the Renaissance Salon, it’s easy to see why. Experience your own renewal at the spa that lives up to its name. Address: 1 Kazhymukana Street Phone: +7 (7172) 36 91 12 Price range: $$

Website: www.life-fitness.

Republican Bicycle Track Sary-Arka Type: Fitness / Aquatic

The Republican Bicycle Track Sary-Arka is one of Astana’s most unique buildings. It’s shaped like a bicycle helmet and includes a state-of-the-art cycling track. It has hosted world cup level events and has been praised by the cycling community. But it’s also a fitness center open to the public with two pools, a cardio training center, and state of the art muscle training equipment. The complex also offers Turkish and Finnish saunas. Day passes are $15 dollars and three-months passes cost $136. Address: 5 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., kilometer five. Phone: 8 (7172) 707 179 Hours: Tues-Sun 9 am – 11 pm

Rixos President Type: Banya/Spa

The Rixos is one of the finest hotels in Astana and its spa and fitness facilities follow suit. A large and luxurious swimming pool helps loosen the muscles and a state of the art sauna will help you achieve ultimate relaxation. The Rixos also offers the full complement of spa services including facials, massage and other body

Address: 7 B Kunayev Street Phone: 8 (717) 241 38 38 Hours: 7am – midnight

Sharoban

Sharoban is a large-scale, modern entertainment center. It is listed here because it includes 20 bowling lanes. It also has a small café, a billiards room and karaoke club for corporate parties. Address: 38 Seifullin Street Phone: 8 (7172) 32 67 70, 8 (7172) 32 67 68 Hours: 3 pm – 3 am

Soluxe Hotel Astana Spa Center

Type: Fitness center and spa

The Soluxe is one of the few places in the city where a professional Chinese masseuse applies his trade. The hotel is also planning to add stone massage services. Your massage can then be followed by the ultimate relaxation of the spa’s Finnish and traditional steam saunas. The Soluxe also offers one of the city’s largest indoor hotel pools. Address: 27 Syganak, “Beijing Soluxe Hotel Astana” Phone: 8 (7172) 70 15 15 Hours: 10 am – 10 pm Website: http://soluxe-astana.kz/ru

World Class

Renaissance Beauty Salon For Fitness, Beauty and Renewal As Kazakhstan’s living standards grow, so does the demand of its population for a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating healthy food and working out regularly. The Renaissance Beauty Salon meets those needs. It opened originally in 2007 as a dance studio, and it still offers one of the best dance classes in the capital. However, now it also boasts a full range of fitness and beauty services. “We have a pool, with separate cubicles and low lights where food can be served, as well as a gym and a nutrition bar. However, we also offer beauty services such as a barber shop, manicure, nail polishing, peeling, Finnish- and Turkish-style saunas, massage and Jacuzzi. I am proud to say that we have the best masseuses in Astana,” Manager Madina Aiteva, 22, told EdgeKz. “Our regulars like us because we establish a good rapport with them. We treat our customers as old friends and make them feel important. We also have a restaurant with European cuisine that hosts banquets and parties.” Besides the wide range of services that Renaissance offers, its stylish building has become a striking architectural landmark in Astana. It’s constructed in the style of a classical Roman building and its main hall creates a sense of voyaging through history, with live plants and a spiral staircase in the center, as well as mirrored walls and fountains. Renaissance means being re-born in French and the Renaissance Beauty Salon provides a service in physical rejuvenation or rebirth for its customers. Few people visit Renaissance only once; the experience of being physically renewed is so invigorating, you always feel the need to come back.

Type: Fitness centre and spa

World Class is the most high-class fitness center in Astana. It is the number one network of clubs out of Russia in the premium/luxury market. It is the only Russian company to be considered one of the top 25 clubs in the world. It has a fully equipped gym, swimming pool and spa. It offers group fitness classes, including yoga and pilates, as well as personal training. The center also has a café. Address: 1 Pobeda Avenue (Next to the Radisson Hotel) Phone: 8 (7172) 39 13 69, 8 (701) 222 90 90 Hours: Weekdays: 7:00 am - 12:00 am Weekends 9 am - 12 am URL: www.worldclass.kz

Radisson SAS Hotel

enturies ago intrepid Kazakh travelers would seek refuge from the cold steppe winters in the warmth of a traditional yurt, or circular tent. And though Kazakhs still provide visitors with a warm welcome, you now have quite a few more accommodation options. In fact, the last ten years has seen a surge in hotels in Kazakhstan’s major cities that has brought everything from branded international chains to cool, independent boutique hotels. Astana’s overall aesthetic is gleaming, new, and cutting edge, so its most interesting accommodations naturally tend toward the luxurious. The five-star Radisson SAS Hotel overlooks the Yessil River, which curves through the center of the city, and contains one of Astana’s most popular nightclubs, Chocolate. The new Beijing Palace Soluxe Hotel and the Rixos President offer additional

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five-star options. Almaty has a longer tradition of hospitality and a somewhat more eclectic mix of accommodation possibilities. There are standard business options like the Holiday Inn, but there are also quirkier places, like the lemon-yellow Ambassador Hotel, billed as the country’s first boutique hotel. The Grand Tien Shan is another gem, housed in a beautiful neoclassical building looking out on Kunaev Park. And if despite all that, you’re still dying for a yurt, you can find one—at the five-star Hyatt Regency Almaty. Yurts are used to form the central café of the country’s first five-star hotel. So whether you are looking for cutting edge Kazakh luxury or more traditional accommodations, you’ll have no trouble finding a place to shake off the winter chill.

AstAnA PArk Hotel Astana’s Hidden Gem

Ramada Plaza Hotel

Abay Hotel H H H

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

Akku Hotel H H H H

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

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

Astana Art Hotel H H H

Website: www.diplomathotel.kz

Duman Hotel H H H H

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

Everest Hotel H H H

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

Grand Park Esil Hotel H H H H

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

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

Imperia G Hotel H H H H

Astana Park Hotel H H H H

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

comfort Hotel Astana H H H

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

Daniyar Hotel H H H

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

Diplomat Hotel H H H H

Address: 29/1 Konayeva Street Phone: +7 (7172) 550 001

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

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

Jumbaktas Hotel H H H H

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

Appearances can be deceiving, so don’t let the Astana Park Hotel’s unassuming exterior fool you. Tucked away on the left side of the bridge that spans the Yessil River, the three-story Astana Park Hotel isn’t easy to spot. But once you get inside, the hotel’s charms are immediately evident. “Our hotel was built for VIPs only and it is very private. Our guests are mainly businessmen and government officials,” said Front Office Manager Zhanat Shakenov. The Astana Park Hotel was established in 2007 and named the Park Hotel for its location near the city’s central park. The lobby has a piano, reception area, aquarium and bar. The first floor also holds the Graff Lounge Bar, an opulent hideaway with leather furniture, violet lights and velvet walls. Adjacent to the lounge is Chalet, the Astana Park Hotel’s restaurant, which features European, Russian and Kazakh cuisines. Reminiscent of a hunting lodge, with tall ceilings and large chandeliers, Chalet can hold up to 80 guests and happily hosts banquets, weddings and birthday parties. Entertainment options continue on the third floor, which features a Russian billiards table. There are more billiards tables in the hotel’s adjacent building, which also has a conference hall for 15 people and a VIP karaoke lounge. “The private karaoke rooms are in different styles: one is in a high-tech modern style and the other is more of a classy European style,” Shakenov told EdgeKz. Imported furniture gives them a luxe atmosphere. The hotel also boasts a two-story VIP sauna and pool that is said to be the best in the city. After taking a swim or getting a steam treatment, guests can walk up a spiral staircase for billiards or some other form of relaxation in any of the rooms upstairs. As for sleeping, guests have a choice of suites looking out onto the river or the courtyard. Each room, of course, meets international standards for luxury. The exterior may be unassuming, but the interior of the entire complex is up-to-date and upscale. The fact that VIPs keep coming back to this classy, quiet hotel says everything.

King Hotel Astana H H H H

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

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

Address: 57 Moscovskaya Street

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

Manhattan Hotel 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

Oasis Inn Hotel H H H

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

Prestige Hotel H H H

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

Radisson SAS Hotel H H H H H

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 Str. 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

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Radisson Hotel International Standards and Five-Star Luxury In a city of unique high-rise buildings and luxury accommodations, the Radisson still stands out. The hotel opened in 2007 directly on the bank of the Yessil River and offers amazing views of the city and steppe beyond. “We wanted to introduce this international brand to the Kazakh market. We are one of the leading brands in Eastern Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Our chain of hotels offers different styles. Here in Astana, it’s more of a classy, Italian, European style,” 45-year-old General Manager Jesper Francl told EdgeKz. The Radisson offers five-star luxury and caters to the business class. “We have mostly businessmen, a big mix of locals and Europeans and Americans, and an increasing number of Asian businessmen,” said Francl. The hotel has 181 suites, including standard, business class, junior suites, presidential suites and royal suites at the top of the hotel. Guests also have access to the adjacent World Class Fitness Center with its swimming pool and sauna. Other luxury touches include three-hour laundry service, 24-hour room service and a new Radisson concept called “Brain Food Packages” for busy business people. The concept is to have the best, most nutritious food available at the greatest convenience to the guests. “For people going to too many conferences backto-back, we offer a better nutritious experience, so they can be more focused and attentive … This is a brand new concept,” said Francl. So whether it’s the view, the luxurious touches or the international flavor, the Radisson offers five-star style in the heart of Astana.

Sary Arka

ith much of Kazakhstan’s population located around a small number of urban centers, it’s no wonder many attractions serve dual purposes. Restaurants become bars on weekends, nightclubs become Karaoke halls and bars reserve a small space for a dance floor. And the same is true of shopping centers. Shopping in Kazakhstan’s major cities is way more than high-end bags and a pair of winter gloves. Astana’s biggest shopping centers, Khan Shatyr, Mega Mall, and Asia Park have between them several movie theatres, a gym, an arcade center, a pool, and a sauna, real sit-down restaurants and fast food galore. And that’s in addition to dozens upon dozens of department stores, designer boutiques, and international brand-name shops. Almaty’s Ramstore supermarket has a skating rink, as does Mega Center, which, in addition to its several floors of shops, has a bowling alley and a climbing wall. Even

traditional bazaars like the Zeleny Bazaar or the vast Barakholka in Almaty have plenty of options for eating and drinking while you haggle. But if you want to specialise, you can. Astana’s Tulpar Shopping Center is where to go for homewares from couches to blankets to toothbrush holders. Empire Casa sells original, highquality souvenirs. Craving gourmet food and wine in Almaty? Stolichny fits the bill—and stays open 24 hours a day. Looking for a painting to remind you of the steppe? Local artists and artisans sell their creations in shops and stands along the pedestrian section of Almaty’s Zhybek Zholy street. Shopping in today’s Kazakhstan can be as quick and a simple as you want it to be. But even if you’re not a mall rat, you’d be missing out if you didn’t spend at least a few hours enjoying more than just the great deals.

DECEMBER 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com 97

includes a food court, restaurants, a full grocery store and shops. It is considered to have the best multiplex with seven movie theaters.

Asia Park

This mall and entertainment center is spacious (45,000 square meters), up to date, has a five-theater multiplex and an entertainment center for the kids. If offers 168 shops, a fully-equipped fitness club and a fun, friendly atmosphere. Address: 24 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue Phones: 8 (7172) 97 87 67 8 (7172) 97 86 00 Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm Website: www.asiapark.kz/ gorod_astana

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

Address: 9 Dostyk Street Phone: 8 (7172) 79 55 20 8 (7172) 79 55 22 Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

Khan Shatyr

The Khan Shatyr is the latest addition to the Astana shopping and entertainment scene. It has a unique design, like a large transparent tent, created to manage the extreme temperature range of the Central Asian steppe. Described as an urban-scale indoor park, shopping and entertainment venue, the shopping is upscale and varied. This is one place not to miss while in Astana. Address: Turan Avenue Phone: 8(7172) 57 49 40 Hours: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm Website: www.khanshatyr.com

men Style

Men Style is one of Kazakhstan’s most unique and international men’s clothing stores. This twostory outlet offers hip, colourful shoes, unique t-shirts and the best designer suits. It boasts 800 square meters of showrooms with leading European brands, such as Rene Lezard, Strellson and Lodenfrey. This is the place to find something stylish and international.

Address: 6 Barayeva Street Phone: 8 (7172) 20 42 10 Hours: Daily 10:00 am – 9:00 pm Website: www.menstyle.kz

mega Shopping center

Mega is an all-in-one entertainment and shopping complex. Its three levels are packed with international brands and both fast food and sit-down restaurants. On the entertainment side, it also offers a skating rink, rock climbing wall, movie theatre and children’s arcade. It’s the place to go if you are looking to do more than just buy a new dress shirt. Address: 1 Kurgaldzhinskoe Highway Phone: +7 (7172) 79 09 90 www.astana.megacenter.kz

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.

singular in that it does not have a multiplex cinema or entertainment center. The Venice Pizzeria on the premises, however, is quite popular. This mall is convenient to the Right Bank. Address: 9 Beybitshilik Street Phone: 8 (7172) 75 38 07 Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

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 10:00 am – 9:00 pm Website: www.tulparcenter.kz

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

Address: 24 Turan Avenue Phone: +7 (7172) 515 603 Hours: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm Website: www.saryarka.com

Sine Tempore

This is the oldest shopping center in the city and boasts the most prestigious, and expensive, stores and boutiques. This mall is

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Sary arka Shopping Mall Shopping, Dining and Entertainment

The Sary Arka Shopping Mall is a place where families mingle, children laugh, and the shopping experience is international. World-famous brands like Mexx, Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Timberland, Nine West, Polo and others come to Kazakhstan through this international retail hub, and they certainly draw consumers. But Sary Arka is more than simply a place to buy clothes and sundries. It’s a one-stop shopping, dining and entertainment center. The three-story Sary Arka Mall features shops on its first two levels, but the mall is more than that. For hookah lovers, a small kiosk on the first floor under the escalator sells hookahs in a variety of flavors from $80 to $200. For a more energetic experience, there’s the Relax Dance Studio where you can learn hip-hop dancing and break dancing. On the third floor is the KinoPark movie theatre, which shows the hottest movies of the season. The adjacent food court is open until 11 pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends, so you won’t go hungry waiting for your showtime. Among the food court options are Caféla Café, Bibigon Burgers, Burgerland, Krusty Krabs and Slavyanka for Russian food. And the Il Patio Restaurant offers all of these options in one with a mix of Italian and Japanese dishes like sushi, tempura, pizza, pasta and more. For your convenience, Sary Arka also offers underground parking.

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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: $$

www.diwang.kz Price range: $$

Asian Wok

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

Bibliotheque

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: $$

Safran

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: $$

Primavera

Cuisine: European /Japanese Fusion Address: Koktem Business Centre, 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: $$

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: $

Di Wang

Cuisine: Japanese / Chinese Address: 75 Zhambyl Street (corner of Tchaikovskovo Street) Phone: +7 (727) 272 38 10 Hours: Daily noon-midnight

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: $

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

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

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: $

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

arts & culture

Address: 64D, Satpayev Street Phone: 8 (727) 3920234, 8 (727) 3920233 Website: www.dta.kz

Kasteyev State Museum of Arts

Arvest Art Gallery

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

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,

102EDGEKZ. EDGEKZ.CO COM M No. 8 DECEMBER 2012

Deutsches Theater Almaty

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

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

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

Ambassador Hotel H H H H

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

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

Nordik Fitness club

Phone: 8 (727) 250 89 44 Website: www.hotelkazzhol.kz

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

Almaty Sapar Hotel H H H H

Hotel Premier Alatau H H H H

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

Uyut Hotel H H H H

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

Voyage Hotel H H H H

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

Jeppesen Hotel H H H

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

Almaty 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

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

Gold Dragon Hotel H H H

Grand Hotel Aiser H H H H

Astra Hotel 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,

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

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 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

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

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

oazis

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

Luxor

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

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

Alligator club

Bella

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

Type: Banya Address: 106A Gurileva Street Phone: 8 (727) 234-46-74, 8 (701) 335 88 38 Hours: Daily 24 hours

Arasan Banya

Fitcurves

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

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.

DECEMBER 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.coM103

Phone: 8 (727) 309 21 21, 309 20 20, 8 (705) 999 30 30 Hours: Daily 24 hours

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

Barskye Zadvorki

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

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

Anira Silk Way City

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

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

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

nightclubs 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

Medved

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

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

104EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEMBER 2012

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

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), Bostandyk 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

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

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 St (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

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

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

Vitalita

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

cafés

Cafe Coffee and Toffee

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

Madlen

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

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

L’Affiche

Cafemax

4A Coffee

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

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

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

DECEMBER 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ. EDGEKZ.CO COM M105

Useful Information i

Altay Alps

DECEMBER 2012 No. 8 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 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. 8 DECember 2012

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 dial code: 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.centralasianewswire.com (ENG) Leading English language newswire covering Central Asia www.inform.kz www.inform.kz/eng (ENG) Official site of KazInform Information agency

www.khabar.kz Official site of Khabar News Agency www.kazpravda.kz www.kazpravda.kz/l/eng (ENG) Official site of the “KazPravda” daily newspaper

www.astanatimes.kz Official site of the Englishlanguage monthly newspaper The Astana Times out of Astana, updated regularly.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES AS OF NOVEMBER 8, 2012 TENGE USD 150.885 EUR 191.987 RUB 4.781 AUD 157.046 GBP 241.111 BYR 0.017 HUF 0.675 DKK 25.749 AED 41.077 CAD 151.473 CNY 24.123 KWD 534.863 KGS 3.193 LVL 276.184 LTL 55.667 MDL 12.237 NOK 26.305 PLN 46.14 SAR 40.232 XDR 230.552 SGD 123.267 TJS 31.669 TRY 84.494 UZS 0.076 UAH 18.434 CZK 7.553 SEK 22.552 CHF 159.346 ZAR 17.324 KRW 0.138 JPY 1.888

DECember 2012 No. 8 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

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

T 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

110EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEmbEr 2012

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, Kabanbai-Batyr ave., 10 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 edical Emer 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

DECEmbEr 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com111

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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

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

Consulate of Turkey

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

ALMATY

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 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

114EDGEKZ.com No.8 DECember 2012

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 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

DECember 2012 No. 8 EDGEKZ.com115

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

116EDGEKZ.com No. 8 DECEMBER 2012

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

Embassy of Turkmenistan

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 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

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

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

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

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates 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

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

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. 8 DECember 2012

Kazakhstan The Future Is Wide Open

NAZARBAYEV CENTER www.nazarbaYevcenter.kz

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DECEmbEr 2012

KAZAKHSTAN DECEmbEr 2012

NO. 08

SKIING KAZAKHSTAN

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CONQUERING THE COUNTRY’S BEST SLOPES

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HOME COOKING LOCAL KNOWEDGE ON FINDING THE BEST INGREDIENTS

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