Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, which a few decades ago looked like an average Soviet city, and today surprises tourists with high-specular skyscrapers, luxurious modern hotels, fashionable restaurants, wide avenues and beautiful embankments. The city, located in the north-east of the country, received the status of the capital only in 1997. The view that there is not much to see in Astana, because poverty (and in general) is poverty in the country (in general) is erroneous. And we will prove it to you.
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Excursion to the history
The territory that the capital occupies today was inhabited in the Bronze Age. This is evidenced by archaeological findings. Astana itself was founded in 1830. It is believed that this Cossack outpost, founded by the participant of the Battle of Borodino, Fedor Shubin, allowed to avoid the conquest of these lands by Kokand forces. Over time, the post turned into a city that was called Akmola. Once again the name was changed in 1961 - Akmolinsk was renamed into Tselinograd. And only in 1998, when the city was given the status of the capital, it returned its name - Astana.
City of the future
Despite the thousand-year history, Astana has preserved the sights of two epochs - the times of the USSR and the modern ones. If lovers of antiquities are not here to "profit", then to fans of futuristic style the trip to Astana will be remembered for a long time. What's the only appearance of the symbol of the city - the tower "Baiterek"! "Poplar" (so translated the name of the building), towering 150 meters, symbolizes Astana, which is constantly evolving. The top of Baiterek is decorated with a huge ball. It changes color depending on the lighting. In the panoramic hall you can see a large globe next to which is the "Machine of Desires". At the four-meter depth, the lower floors of the tower leave. There are numerous cafes, an aquarium and a gallery.
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Another modern architectural miracle in Astana is the Palace of Peace and Harmony, built according to the original project of Norman Foster in the form of a huge glass pyramid. Its top is decorated with figures of pigeons. These birds symbolize the people living in Kazakhstan. Today in the palace there are exhibition halls, galleries, a large concert hall. Nearby to the building are the Palace of Creativity and the Palace of Independence. In these buildings, meetings of heads of state and other official events are held.
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From 2009 to 2012, the construction of the mosque "Hazret Sultan" continued in Astana, which today is the largest not only in Kazakhstan, but throughout Central Asia. The classical Islamic architectural style is surprisingly in harmony with Kazakh ornaments. But four years earlier in Astana the largest mosque was the mosque "Nur Astana" with four 62-meter minarets and a 43-meter dome. Both buildings, without a doubt, are outstanding sights.
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The cultural life of the capital is thriving today. In numerous museums of Astana you can always see visitors, not only tourists, but also townspeople interested in art and history. The most famous institutions in Astana are the Museum of Modern Art, Saken Seifullin, Museum of the First President of the RK, national ethno-memorial complex. In the near future, the National Museum of the History of Kazakhstan will be opened in Astana.
Entertaining centers, cinema attractions, aquarium, aqua parks, circus, oriental bazaars, theaters - the capital of Kazakhstan will not make you bored! And there is no work to get to Astana - there is an international airport, and a railway service, and the intersection of two international highways.
It should be noted that Kazakhstan is a country of visa-free entry for Russians.