Kazakh jewellery designers make women feel unique with “affordable luxury” products
NUR-SULTAN – AZEL Urban & Unique Jewelry is the fashion project of two creative friends, stylist Asel Junus and architect Zauresh Kazybayeva. The duo created the line “for active and bright women who want to emphasise their individuality and lifestyle,” according to the brand’s motto. “AZEL is not for income – it is for pleasure.…
Capital Rotarians open second inclusive playground
NUR-SULTAN – U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan William H. Moser cut the red ribbon Oct. 3 to officially open Kunshyaq, the capital’s second inclusive playground accessible to children with special needs. “Since 2015, the start of Rotary Club activities in Nur-Sultan, our club has been actively trying to make our city a better place. This playground…
Madrid hosts Spanish-language presentation of Kazakh literature anthologies
NUR-SULTAN – The Cervantes Institute recently hosted a presentation of anthologies of modern Kazakh prose and poetry published in Spanish at its headquarters in Madrid, Kazinform reports. The anthologies were translated into Spanish as part of the Contemporary Kazakh Culture in The Global World project, under which modern Kazakh literature anthologies, which feature works of…
First President’s Foundation, Kazakh government outline renewable energy project plans at International Renewable Energy Summit
NUR-SULTAN – The First President’s Foundation will support green economy development in Kazakhstan by implementing new renewable energy projects such as wind and solar-powered stations, training specialists to develop new standards for energy preservation and establishing a green thinking mentality, said First President’s Foundation Executive Director Asset Issekeshev at the third International Renewable Energy Summit…
Person with visual impairment dedicated to helping others is among Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces
NUR-SULTAN – The founder of an organisation that assists people with visual impairment, such as himself, meet the challenges of everyday life has been named one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces. The 100 New Faces programme is a government project highlighting the personal stories of inspirational Kazakhs from all walks of life. 100 New Faces…
British Library hosts English-language presentation of Kazakh literature
NUR-SULTAN – The British Library in London hosted Sept. 25 a presentation of modern Kazakh poetry and prose anthologies, which were translated to English as part of the Contemporary Kazakh Culture in The Global World project. The project promotes internationally modern Kazakh literature, music and visual arts, choreography, cinema and theatre. “The project Contemporary Kazakh…
Astana Opera presents “Don Carlos” opera for first time in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera will present for the first time Oct. 11 and Oct. 13 “Don Carlos”, a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi based on the eponymous drama by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, according to an Astana Opera press release. The opera will be staged at the Astana Opera Grand Hall…
Ambassadors Spouses Association vice president to host charity auction in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – Ambassadors Spouses Association (ASA) Vice President and wife of United Nations Resident Coordinator Hitomi Shimomura will host the JP to KZ (Japan to Kazakhstan) charity event Oct. 13, 2 p.m., at the Rixos President Astana Hotel. “There are two things I want to accomplish with this event. The first is to support children…
British Council to present moving image exhibition of contemporary British artists
NUR-SULTAN – “Old World Order / New World Orders,” a new moving image work and media art exhibition presenting the works of six contemporary British artists from the British Council’s art collection and international art agency LUX’s archives, will be presented Sept. 21-Oct. 20 at the Artmeken Gallery in Almaty. “With ‘Old World Order /…
Innovative Kazakh photographer draws inspiration from art, music and connecting with his subjects
NUR-SULTAN – One of Kazakhstan’s most innovative photographers Aióny Haust says he draws his inspiration from films, art, other photographers, and, definitely, music. “I have a playlist for every photo shoot, depending on the mood and the style. If it’s a calm photo shoot, I play blues and jazz. If it is something energetic and…
Turkestan Region legislators add $76 million to regional budget
NUR-SULTAN – Turkestan Region deputies and regional governmental body heads agreed on the way to distribute the budget, which increased by 29.6 billion tenge (US$76 million), at the Sept. 17 maslikhat (local representative body) session. The meeting began with an awards ceremony. Regional Akim (Governor) Umirzak Shukeyev presented letters of appreciation to regional deputies Onalbay…
Designer uses fashion to instil love of Kazakh culture
NUR-SULTAN – Capital fashion designer Nagima Kaidarova is devoted to instilling love of Kazakh culture and traditions through her ethnically-stylised clothes. Although she studied graphic design at Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kaidarova never considered being part of the fashion industry until her last year in 2014 when most of her friends started living abroad. “I…
Astana Opera offers performances for children in September
NUR-SULTAN – Astana Opera musicians and artists will present in September projects for children and perform Gioacchino Rossini’s one-act operatic farsa comica “La Scala di Seta” for adults. “Music Draws and Tells,” a concert from the “A Visit to the Theatre” series, will be Sept. 15. Designed to instil aestheticism and a love of classical…
Kazakh pianist, British actors to perform at Astana Concert Hall
NUR-SULTAN – Sell-out and critically acclaimed British concert “Byron: Angel and Outcast” is coming to Astana Concert Hall. The performance, slated for 7 p.m., Sept. 21, recounts Lord Byron’s life through poems, journals and letters interwoven with piano works by contemporaries Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Schumann. It celebrates the poet, campaigner, pariah and man…
Saryarka gas pipeline construction to be finished in December, will begin supplying gas in 2020
NUR-SULTAN – Construction of the Saryarka gas pipeline, which will increase the gas supply to the capital, central and northern regions will be finished in December and begin supplying gas in 2020, the Kazakh Ministry of Energy announced Aug. 27. The pipeline is one of the Five Social Initiatives of Kazakhstan’s First President, Nursultan Nazarbayev.…
Apartment with yurt room for rent in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – Capital residents may have noticed an unusual advertisement posted on the real estate website krisha.kz about a five-bedroom apartment in the Skazochnyi Mir (Wonderland) residential complex. Large groups of travellers now have the option of residing in an apartment with a yurt room. The rental offers the option of living like a nomad…
French family tours world in campervan, enjoys Nur-Sultan’s people and architecture
NUR-SULTAN – A family of three from Normandy, France sold everything they owned to go on a trip around the world in a campervan they lovingly named Le Daciel Tour. Like true nomads in a mobile house not unlike the yurt, the Pereira family travelled around the south of Kazakhstan on their way to Mongolia,…
Ukrainian archaeologist solves mystery of ancient silk cloth
NUR-SULTAN – A Ukrainian archaeologist recently solved the mystery of an ancient silk cloth from the era of the Golden Horde found in 2008 on the site of an ancient necropolis near Ekibastuz. “Judging by the type of gold threads that were used in the embroidery of the fabric; it comes from the Eastern Mediterranean.…
Kazakhstan’s social media sensation and pink-coloured lake is just two hours from the capital
NUR-SULTAN – Social media is flooded with images of Lake Kobeytuz, which has turned pink. The waterway is conveniently located two hours of driving from the capital and visitors cannot get enough of it. Famous for its healing mud and colour change every several years, Lake Kobeytuz is a landmark of Ereymentau, a city in…
Kazakh sisters seek to instil love of art with Instagram-based business
NUR-SULTAN – Two sisters, Arna Jan and Dana Sarsenbayeva, launched in August the Instagram-based brand Uncool.Store, which promotes art appreciation and freedom from societal boundaries. “We labelled our brand as uncool because people are often ignorant of art or simply negatively react to it. It might be a question of religious tolerance or intolerance, for…
Kindergarten for children with special needs appeals for financial support
NUR-SULTAN – A kindergarten in the nation’s capital for children with special needs, including those on the autism spectrum, is appealing to the public for funding to stay open. The kindergarten opened in 2018 and teaches 75 children, 20 of which are on the autistic spectrum. The kindergarten includes six educational groups, of which three…
Kazakhstan appoints Elvira Azimova new Human Rights Commissioner
Diana Vassilenko NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Senate unanimously approved Sept. 2 former Deputy Minister of Justice Elvira Azimova as the new Human Rights Commissioner of Kazakhstan. The rights commissioner, which carries the title of Ombudsperson in Kazakhstan, is a government official appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. The Human Rights Ombudsperson coordinates requests…
Kazakhstan, Russia to manufacture Mi helicopters in Almaty
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development (MIID) Roman Sklyar and Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov discussed implementing joint projects during an Aug. 27 meeting at the 14th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019 in Zhukovsky city in Russia. “An agreement to start making large assemblies of civilian Mi-class helicopters…
Caravan of Kindness contest seeks to award Kazakhstan’s most caring people
NUR-SULTAN – The second annual national contest Caravan of Kindness will begin its search for some of Kazakhstan’s kindest people Sept. 2. The contest awards those who have done charitable works and will be accepting applications for the awards from Sept. 2 to Nov. 29. “We are looking for kind people again… The competition aims…
Kazakh President to increase teachers’ salaries twofold to improve national education quality
NUR-SULTAN – Teachers’ pay will be raised twofold, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced at the August teacher conference. Educators will no longer need to go to school on Saturdays, which they were required to do despite the new five-day system. Tokayev also forbade akimats (city governments) from involving educational institution employees in their events. “Despite…
Kazakh tennis players win first round matches at US Open
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh tennis players Mikhail Kukushkin and Alexander Bublik won their Aug. 27 first round matches at the United States Open Tennis Championship. Kukushkin defeated Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in five sets 3:6, 6:1, 6:4, 3:6 and 6:3, Vesti.kz reported. The match lasted more than three hours. Bautista Agut is the sport’s 10th…
Kazpost launches online chatbot to assist customers
NUR-SULTAN – The Qpost postal operator’s first online chatbot recently began helping customers on the post.kz website and Facebook page. On Aug. 28, it will also appear on the instant messenger Telegram. “Our new virtual assistant that was developed by using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and algorithms is able to quickly and efficiently track mailings…
Golovkin to face Derevyanchenko in New York for vacant IBF World Middleweight title
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh professional boxer Gennady Golovkin will face Sergiy Derevyanchenko from Ukraine for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Middleweight Championship title at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York on Oct. 5. “Everyone knows that I consider Madison Square Garden as my home away from home, and there is nothing better than fighting…
Emoji Café gives Kazakhs with hearing loss opportunity to thrive
NUR-SULTAN – Emoji Café, which only employs individuals with hearing difficulties, is the idea of Azamat Bazylov. An anaesthesiologist-resuscitator at Nur-Sultan Oncology Centre, he sold his house in the country and took a loan to start the social project. “I was once listening to the radio and heard the famous proverb ‘Give a man a…
New theatre in Nur-Sultan sets new standard with trilingual performances
NUR-SULTAN – The unique contemporary theatre Astanalyq Zamanaui Teatr (AZT) recently opened its doors to the public in the House of Friendship in Nur-Sultan with the support of the capital’s Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan. The new art centre opened with the premiere of a creative take on Shakespeare’s plays called “Shakespeare’s Dream.” What…
National Museum hosts ArmandaStar exhibition to celebrate young Kazakh artists
NUR-SULTAN – The ArmandaStar exhibition, designed to support the work of young artists as part of the Year of Youth in Kazakhstan, opened Aug. 2 at the National Museum. “Kazakhstan’s First President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, declared the year 2019 as the Year of Youth. In this regard, various events are being held to support our youth.…
Kazakh PM visits Kostanai Region, examines region’s industrial development
NUR-SULTAN – Prime Minister Askar Mamin visited the Kostanai Region Aug. 14-15 where he was briefed on the progress of the region’s industrial and infrastructure development. Mamin visited the Severnyi microdistrict in Zarechnoye village, where, as part of the Nurly Zher Housing Programme, 279 houses are being built. “Now, there are 279 houses with an…
Nur-Sultan top-notch specialists hold master classes for Akmola Region doctors
NUR-SULTAN – The capital’s top medical specialists held two master classes at the Akmola Region Multidisciplinary Hospital. The operations and surgical trainings at the leading capital clinics concerned pancreatic cancer and polytrauma. In the first class, surgical oncologist and National Scientific Medical Centre surgical department head Yerzhan Shayakhmetov, who is also a student of one…
Budget-friendly summer trip to Burabay – capital’s favourite retreat
NUR-SULTAN – Burabay is the most popular getaway for capital citizens and one of the most picturesque, budget-friendly and entertainment-filled mountain resorts in Central Asia. Burabay can be accessed by train from the Nur-Sultan 1 or Astana Nurly Zhol railway stations. The trip to Burabay takes two to four hours and the cost varies according…
Almaty-based institute introduces advances in diagnosing heart condition
NUR-SULTAN – Almaty-based Scientific Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases made two major advances in heart disease diagnostics and management in July. Its scholars improved the standards for the management of patients with chronic heart failure using modern telecommunication systems, and introduced a new method to diagnose heart ischemia (a restriction in blood supply…
Atameken offers free business training to women across Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs is providing free training courses for businesswomen with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 15 regions of the country. “Now ADB, together with Atameken, is investing in workshops that take place in all regions of Kazakhstan from June to October. We believe it is…
Kazakh university to produce reduced salt bread to improve health
NUR-SULTAN – The Saken Seifullin Kazakh AgroTechnical University experimental bread and bakery production plant will start supplying reduced salt bread for its students and teachers. The action will be one of the key measures in preventing noncommunicable disease. “Excessive salt intake leads to metabolic disturbances in the body, such as water-salt balance disturbances, salt accumulation…
Nur-Sultan’s first free social store revives Kazakh tradition of mutual help, support
NUR-SULTAN – Qarqyn.kz is the capital’s first free social store, where people in need, large families, single-parent families and families of those with disabilities can choose anything from clothing and shoes to toys, furniture, appliances and food. “The first store was opened in Shymkent last year. We opened the second one in the capital on…
Astana Ballet theatre to host presentation of modern Russian literature
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Ballet theatre will present Sept. 19 Russian actor Konstantin Khabenskiy and writer Alexander Tsypkin who will read sad and funny stories about daily life. The evening’s programme is called Best & Seller and is part of the Bezprintsipnye Chteniya (No Principles Readings) Project, which involves prominent actors and writers reading modern…
FlyArystan reaches 200,000 passenger milestone in three months
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s first and only low-cost airline FlyArystan, which launched its first flight May 1 from Almaty to Nur-Sultan, recently carried its 200,000th passenger. The airline also reported the passenger load factor has been 94 percent, and 93 percent of the airline’s flights have been on time. More than half of the tickets sold…
Teachers, waiters among most popular and in demand jobs in Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – The most numerous professions in Kazakhstan are secondary school teachers, accountants and store clerks, according to a labour market statistical analysis of the first-semester of 2019 data conducted by the Human Resources Development Centre of the country. The most in-demand jobs are security guards, waiters and orderlies. The estimated amount of hired workers…
Seventh Tour of Almaty professional bike race will take place Aug. 30-31
NUR-SULTAN – Central Asia’s largest professional cycling race, Tour of Almaty, will take place Aug. 30 and 31. The race will be the seventh time Kazakhstan’s largest city has hosted the event. “Though we kept the two traditional stages, we slightly modified the route this year. As before, we attempted to cover different terrains –…
