Editor’s Note: To mark the 15th anniversary of The Astana Times, we are launching a special series of columns written by our newsroom. Over the days, members of our team reflect on their journeys, the stories that shaped them, and the evolution of The Astana Times. We began with a column by our editor-in-chief Zhanna Shayakhmetova, followed by contributions from colleagues in the order of their years at The Astana Times. This time, our managing editor Assel Satubaldina shares her personal reflections on the eight years she has been part of The Astana Times family.
Assel Satubaldina with a print edition of The Astana Times newspaper, 2018. Photo credit: personal archive
Do you all remember your first day at your first job? Well, I do, and quite vividly. I remember taking a bus on a sunny June day in Astana to the office, walking along the beautiful alley with trees, feeling nervous, but in a good way.
I remember walking into the newsroom, carrying a bag with a notebook, pen, pencil, and a laptop, pretending I wasn’t nervous. I was 22, young and naive, just a few weeks after receiving my diploma, unsure of myself, hoping I wouldn’t say anything too silly in front of editors and reporters who had already built their careers. I didn’t know it yet, but at that moment, I had just stepped into the place that would shape me more than any classroom ever could.
Seven years earlier, in November 2010, The Astana Times had published its first edition, founded on the belief that Kazakhstan needed a clear, reliable English-language voice. I joined long after the foundation was laid, but this place immediately felt to me as if I had been here since day one.
The Astana Times gave an opportunity to hone my skills across many dimensions – writing, video production and social media. Photo credit: personal archive
This newsroom saw me at my worst and best. The Astana Times honed my skills to look at every topic from different angles, which also perfectly applies to life. It taught me to ask sharp questions, explain complicated things in simple terms, think fast, be creative, and face uncertainty, which could actually be the name of the chapter humanity is living through today.
It gave me opportunities to have a voice, a voice that spoke from a humanitarian mission in Baghdad, the UN climate conference in Baku, the youth conference in Delhi and Tashkent, and many more.
Assel Satubaldina, managing editor at The Astana Times. Photo credit: personal archive
I was also lucky to witness how we have evolved from a biweekly print newspaper (yes, I still remember that scent of fresh print newspaper) to a digital newsroom that reaches readers across continents.
We are present on every social platform and tell stories not only through words but also through video, reels, and a YouTube channel that keeps expanding with every new episode we create. This year, our YouTube channel celebrated its second anniversary, and I can’t quite grasp how fast those two years passed and how we built an entire platform from scratch with nothing but determination and curiosity.
Growing from a reporter to a managing editor at The Astana Times is something I could never have imagined when I first walked into the newsroom in 2017. Eight years later, I am still here.
Covering the Rusafa humanitarian mission in November 2019. Photo credit: personal archive
The Astana Times raised me not only as a professional but also as a person. But none of that would ever be possible without a dedicated team. Leadership that didn’t treat me as just a typing machine, but as a person with a voice, potential, and vulnerabilities. Colleagues who support, listen, and trust. And like in any other place, trust is what keeps you going.
Covering the return of Przewalski horses to Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan, June 2024. Photo credit: personal archive
I always believed that for every human being, finding a place where they belong is important. We spend part of our lives searching for this place, one that sees us, values us, challenges us, and lets us grow. Some search for it for years. I was lucky to have found it in The Astana Times.
Over the past 15 years, The Astana Times has chronicled major local and global events, breaking news, crises, and human stories. We have witnessed the resignation of the first president, the events of January 2022, the double renaming of the Kazakh capital, the proud victories of our athletes, new leadership, and the concerts of world-renowned artists.
Covering the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku in November 2024. Photo credit: personal archive
And through it all, we have grown and continue to grow, learning to be flexible, courageous, and resilient.
So today, as we celebrate our 15th anniversary, I feel grateful. Gratitude to our readers for their trust. Gratitude to my colleagues for shaping my path. Gratitude to the leadership who valued me as a human being first. And gratitude for being part of such a brilliant team.
Kazakhstan is in a decisive decade, and so are we. The world is faster, more challenging, more uncertain, but our mission remains the same: tell Kazakhstan’s stories accurately, fact-based, and with heart. To help our readers, both in Kazakhstan and abroad, understand the pace of change. And for us, to remain curious and brave.
Fifteen years might not sound big, but for me it feels like a lifetime. And it also feels like we are just getting started, and so am I. Here’s to the next chapter, for all of us.
