ASTANA – Astana celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Burkasyn winter festival on Feb. 14, bringing together families, amateur athletes, and sports enthusiasts along the Yessil River embankment in Central Park.
Photo credit : The Astana Times / Nargiz Raimbekova Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Since 2005, the event has featured competitions in 13 sports, ranging from cross-country skiing and kettlebell lifting to arm wrestling, belt wrestling, tug-of-war, winter mini-football, snow tossing, winter volleyball, mas-wrestling, tubing races, motorsports, and auto contests. Family and children’s categories were additionally included as well.
This year, it brought nearly 1,000 athletes across all disciplines.
Photo credit : The Astana Times / Nargiz Raimbekova
“Today’s event is held annually as a winter festival,” said Yerzhigit Osserbay, deputy head of the city’s directorate for organizing mass sports events.
“This year, we included seven to eight categories covering a total of 13 sports. Looking ahead, we intend to broaden the program by adding curling and full-format ice hockey in addition to the existing hockey events,” Osserbay added.
The festival also served as a show of support for Kazakhstan’s athletes competing in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
For many participants, the festival carried both social and athletic value.
Aysulu Mussenova. Photo credit : The Astana Times / Nargiz Raimbekova
“I’m a physical education teacher at Astana’s Gymnasium No. 38, and I follow the Ministry of Sports on Instagram. I’ve previously run marathons, and today I decided to compete in the ski race alongside my sister,” said Aisulu Mussenova said in a comment for this story.
“Events like this are crucial, first and foremost, for the health of our younger generation. I moved to Astana approximately four years ago, and while this is my first time participating, I plan to return in future events,” she said.
What began as a winter sports festival to encourage healthy living has now grown into a citywide celebration of athleticism, family fun, and community pride. The 25th anniversary edition highlighted Astana’s robust winter sports culture and encouraged citizens to support Kazakhstan’s Olympic athletes competing in Italy, demonstrating that the city’s passion for sports extends far beyond the Olympics.
For more details on how to spend your winter in Astana, the world’s second coldest capital, check the latest episode on our YouTube channel.
