ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the new building of the Nazarbayev Centre on Dec. 1, which is the Day of the First President of Kazakhstan. The Nazarbayev Centre is a public multifunctional scientific, analytical, humanitarian and educational institution.
During the visit, Nazarbayev familiarised himself with the building and the purpose it serves.
He congratulated the people of Kazakhstan on the occasion and said that the Day of the First President is celebrated in other countries as well, such as the U.S. and various European and Asian states.
“The Mazhilis of Kazakhstan set the holiday on this date. This day begins a string of important holidays in Kazakhstan; Independence Day, which is the country’s most important holiday, is among them. All these events are interrelated. I declared our nation’s independence after receiving the support of the people, which is the ultimate mandate. We celebrate this day as one of transition to a path of development and prosperity. Today, Astana and the regions are able to provide the country’s citizens with housing and new public facilities that will only benefit the population and future generations. Today, Eco Taxi, as the first step in an early preparation for EXPO 2017, was launched in the capital. The service aims to improve the environmental situation in Astana, we will bring what we learned to Almaty and other cities,” Nazarbayev said.
The President also stressed that the centrally located building is a new unique addition to the capital.
“This building is the work of world-renowned architect Norman Foster. Such centres are being built in many cities around the world. The concept behind the Nazarbayev Centre is not too different than that of the presidential libraries constructed by U.S. Presidents. This building will be a venue for conducting research on the history of our independence, the world economy and politics. Youth will acquire new knowledge about national history and learn languages here. The building represents a huge eye looking up to the sky. I came here to thank the designers and sponsors who participated in the facility’s construction. The centre was built not with state funds, but rather through private means. Congratulations to all, I wish you prosperity and I wish success to every family in Kazakhstan,” he concluded.
During the visit, Nazarbayev viewed a special design that incorporates historical presidential decrees that have had a major impact on the formation and development of modern Kazakhstan.
That same day, the Nazarbayev Centre hosted a presentation of Nazarbayev’s book, “Yerkin Eldіng Ertengi” (Kazakh for: The Future of a Free Country.) The pocket sized book was published in three languages – Kazakh, Russian and English. The collection includes popular quotes of the President on unity, human values, patriotism, the state, globalisation, politics and the economy, civilisation and culture. This collection is intended to serve as a guide for young people working to make the Kazakhstan 2050 strategy a reality.
Twenty thousand copies of the book have been published. It is also available for free download to all users of modern internet compatible mobile devices.
During the event, audiobooks of Nazarbayev’s Oi Bolistim Haqymen (Kazakh for: I Will Share My Thoughts with the People) were presented on all popular internet shops and mobile applications.
The multifunctional building, with an area of over 28,000 square metres, consists of nine floors. The library is designed to hold 460,000 items, including up to 200,000 items in special, limited access funds.
