Articles by Lyazzat Shatayeva

ASTANA – Wade Shepard, the author of “Ghost Cities of China,” is currently working on his new book about the New Silk Road, China’s effort to strengthen trade ties with Europe and Central Asia. He sat down with The Astana Times to talk about Kazakhstan’s role in the trade development and geopolitical changes in the region. Shepard is…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government is trying to relieve banks of non-performing loans by transferring bad debts from the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the country’s central bank, to the government. To put the necessary legal framework in place, the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, has approved the first reading of a new draft law.…

ASTANA – A new non-profit organisation launched in January to help journalists working in Kazakh-language media improve their professional skills. More than 70 people attended the Feb. 11 first meeting of the Kazakh-speaking Professional Journalists public association, during which the group identified the key work areas, brainstormed on the priority activities, outlined the action plan…

ASTANA – In the past two and a half decades, Kazakhstan and France, though separated by a great distance, have maintained friendly, cordial and cooperative relations. This has allowed the two states to build strong and solid business ties. Jean-Yves Kozak, vice president for Astana of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry France Kazakhstan (CCIFK) sat down with…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Finance is planning to reduce inspections and ease the bureaucratic pressure related to doing business in the country. The information came from Finance Minister Bakhyt Sultanov. At a government meeting in February, he spoke about the measures aimed at reducing red tape for business owners. “The following measures will…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted the first corporate charity forum Feb. 24-25 organised by Samruk Kazyna Trust social development foundation. The event served as a unique dialogue platform for activists, public authorities and businesspersons to exchange experiences in promoting philanthropic initiatives and strengthening social responsibility. Samruk Kazyna head Umirzak Shukeyev welcomed the forum participants and noted…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital brought together delegations from more than 100 countries Feb. 22-23 to touch base on the preparation progress for EXPO 2017, the international specialised exposition. The final participants’ meeting helped the national expo teams to address last-minute enquiries, dwell on details and agree on deadlines in the run-up to the three-month…

ASTANA – Members of Kazakhstan’s famous Nomad Stunts will star in the Russian historical film “Tobol.” The acrobats recently visited the city of Tobolsk to see the set and scenery. The movie will narrate the events that occurred under the rule of Peter the Great, according to producer Oleg Urushev. Filming will start in March…

ASTANA – Technovation Challenge is bringing together young girls from across the country to learn to solve real-world problems through technology. Founded in San Francisco, the annual international competition for girls aged 10-18 was introduced in Kazakhstan in 2016. Shortly after attending the 2015 TechWomen programme, Diana Tsoy launched Technovation Challenge in her home country…

ALMATY – Two young Kazakh entrepreneurs have launched a home appliances and electronics store called Talapai.kz, which they hope will improve the quality of Kazakhstan’s e-commerce industry. “Our main mission is rather grand; it is to develop the intellectual capital of our country. We were concerned that there were very few successful online stores that…

ASTANA – Famous French photographer Jean-Francois Rauzier has created his own supernatural dreamlike Astana. The “Hyper Astana” photo exhibition featuring his latest works is open at the Palace of Peace and Harmony until Feb. 12. Rauzier has transformed the city according to his vision, adding magic and grandeur to the modern architecture. Working in some…

ASTANA – Malaysian food industry experts recently visited production facilities and developed recommendations to improve the quality of halal (permissible to use by Islamic law) food produced in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology under the Ministry for Investment and Development has launched a three-year project titled Reverse Linkage, implemented in collaboration…

ASTANA – New shoe manufacturer Shoes Republic has had a big impact on Kazakhstan’s shoe industry just a few months after unveiling its first collection by targeting middle class customers and offering the best value. The industry newcomer presented its men’s winter collection in late September, featuring quality leather shoes for nearly the lowest market…

ALMATY – Almaty Urban Air (AUA or “air” in Kazakh) is a mobile app that helps to monitor air quality and increase public awareness on air pollution to improve city planning and decision-making practices. The new app is available on IOS and Android. Air pollution is becoming an urgent matter for the city. Industrial production,…

ASTANA – New parents present vast marketing opportunities for businesses worldwide, and baby-crazy Kazakhstan is no exception. One of the trends in the huge and growing baby products industry, newborn photography, is catching on in Astana. The trend appeared roughly two years ago and has caught fire among parents since. This has given rise to…

ALMATY – Parasat Holding showcased two models of electric buses Jan. 19 to local government officials. The safe, silent and environmentally-friendly vehicles, designed to carry 53-110 passengers, can hit city streets as soon as next year. “Parasat Holding, part of a group including the Satpayev National Technical Research University and the Kazakh-British Technical University, has…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan rose two positions to 48th in Bloomberg’s 2017 Innovation Index, marking the second year in a row the country has been among the world’s top 50 innovative economies. To compile the ranking, Bloomberg evaluated more than 200 countries, of which 78 had data available for at least six of seven factors. The…

ASTANA – Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering (ECKE) is expanding its scope of work and gaining momentum by targeting increased exports. Commercial Director and deputy CEO of the company Timur Tilinin spoke to The Astana Times about the transformation plan and its early successes and gave a tour inside the facility. ECKE is a joint venture established…

ASTANA – A young Kazakh-born entrepreneur is building a thriving wine exporting business in Spain and striving to make fine Spanish wine available for Kazakh customers. Shukhrat Khakimov was only 21 and barely spoke any foreign language when he left Kazakhstan in 2009 to study winemaking in Angers (France). The Temirtau native borrowed 600,000 tenge…

ASTANA – As far as the Axartov sisters are concerned, there’s nothing like a clean eating regime and a juice fast to repair and renew the body. Sisters Maya and Zhanna Axartov believe in the practice so much, they’re building a new detox business, all the while raising two toddler sons. Maya, the younger of…

ASTANA – Astana’s new railway station and junction are 80 percent constructed, Kanat Alpysbayev, head of the national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy reported recently. Installation and commissioning of the elevators and escalators, landscaping and finishing work will be completed by May 1. The new train station’s passenger traffic capacity will be 12 million people…

ASTANA – “Road to a Mother” by Akan Satayev has become a highlight of domestic cinema, receiving critical acclaim at the 38th Moscow Film Festival and winning the grand prize at the Eurasian Bridge Film Festival in Yalta and Tulpar prize from the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts at the Almaty International Film Festival.…

ASTANA – Kazakh literary tradition has historically been rich in spoken literature expressed through a variety of genres, among them songs, proverbs, tales and epics. Aitys, one of spoken literary genres, stands out among the others as a combination of poetry, public speaking, performance art and music. The art form is deeply social. A parallel…

ASTANA – Second annual street dance competition brought together nearly 300 participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Russia in the Kazakh capital in December. The dance festival “Dance to Be Free” was true to its title and appealed to contestants as young as five and adult dancers with long-standing careers. The eldest of the…

ASTANA – Roman Catholics in the capital attended Christmas Mass Dec. 24-25 in the city’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. “According to a Catholic tradition, on Dec. 24, on the eve of Jesus’s birth, Catholics get together with their families and loved ones to mark the date. They often read from the gospels, extracts…

ASTANA – Legendary choreographer Yuri Grigorovich is back at the Astana Opera. “The Nutcracker” is the maestro’s third ballet staged at the theatre, along with immensely popular “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Spartacus.” He will turn 90 on Jan. 2 and to mark the occasion presented a new production of the timeless classic, running Dec. 25-Jan.…

ASTANA – The Saryarka Short Film Festival introduced the works of young Kazakh filmmakers to a wider audience. Festival screenings were held Dec. 18 at the capital’s KazMedia Centre. The mission of the Saryarka Short Film Festival is to support young filmmakers, boost the country’s film industry development and become a networking platform for creative…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is developing new approaches to assessing and reporting mineral resources and reserves to ensure transparency, efficiency and new investments in the commodities sector. The large-scale reform was initiated in 2013, involving a variety of stakeholders and government agencies in the discussion. The new legislation will create a framework aimed at boosting mineral…

ASTANA – In the past two decades, Kazakhstan has seen a revival of its traditions, customs, art forms and crafts amid its efforts to restore its history, cultural heritage and national identity. The centuries-long art of jewellery making has naturally evolved. Jewellery making occupies a special place in the history of Kazakh culture. The art…

ASTANA – The captivating Argentine tango is stealing the hearts of social dancers, offering an excellent alternative to traditional ways of socialising during the capital’s long, freezing winters. The history of the tango is fascinating and complex. The sensual dance originated approximately 150 years ago in the lower-class districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Its…

ASTANA – Astana Opera has enriched its repertoire with yet another classical production. The ballet troupe premiered “Don Quixote” filled with Spanish charm, fervour and humour Nov. 25, attracting a full house and mesmerizing the audience. The ballet is based on episodes taken from the famous novel “Don Quixote de la Mancha” by Miguel de Cervantes. It was…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has joined the global women’s entrepreneurship support initiative, holding its first Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) on Nov. 19. The nation joined 144 countries and 110 universities to celebrate the work of women entrepreneurs. The first WED event was held in 2014 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, with additional…

SAN FRANCISCO – TechWomen brings emerging women leaders together to help them excel in technology and build solutions to challenges facing their communities. Entrepreneurship was once considered a man’s domain, and technology entrepreneurship is one of the few fields that remains largely male-dominated. TechWomen, a professional mentorship and exchange programme, was launched in 2010 to…

LAS VEGAS – Kazakh stuntman Damir Mouzdybaev is starring in Le Rêve, the world’s largest aquatic extravaganza voted “Best Production Show” in the city for six consecutive years. Enchanting, mesmerising, exciting, fantastic, mysterious are some of the most common reactions to Le Rêve. The production is a combination of acting, dancing, acrobatics, stunts and motion…

How do governments encourage creativity to promote innovation-oriented policies? How do businesses advance in technology-driven economies? These questions are frequently asked by Kazakhstan’s private and public sector professionals in the aftermath of the major plunge in oil prices and amid rising economic challenges. Traditionally, media and entertainment is an industry that stands at the forefront…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted another Astana Economic Forum, drawing the world’s attention and bringing together influential speakers from Europe, Asia, Africa and America. The 2015 Astana Economic Forum, which completed its work May 22, was attended by more than 3,000 delegates, including world’s leading politicians, international experts in economics, Nobel laureates, heads of…

ASTANA – It has never been easy to find live jazz in the Kazakh capital, but with the launch of the Ubuntu Art Club monthly jazz nights, residents may soon witness high-quality, creative music being made locally. The city offers little musical adventure and is not exactly the place for big jazz lovers. The harsh…

ASTANA – Plenty of ready-to-wear designer apparel for autumn-winter 2015/16 was seen on the catwalk at Kazakhstan Fashion Week (KFW). Shows were held in Almaty on April 15-17 and Astana on April 24-25. Kazakhstan Fashion Week, traditionally organised by the Four Seasons Group, continues to bring fresh and bold fashion ideas to otherwise reserved Astana. …

ASTANA – Astana will host the fifth annual Kazakhstan International Occupational Safety and Health (KIOSH) Conference on April 28–29. KIOSH aims at reducing the rate of injuries and accidents at workplaces, lowering the risk of accidents in hazardous industrial facilities, minimising environmental damage and increasing labour productivity. KIOSH 2015 will be held at Astana’s Korme…

ASTANA – More than 70 blue-collar workers from 15 regions of the country gathered in Astana April 9-11 to show their skills in welding, IT management, catering, hairdressing, plastering, drywall, bricklaying, plumbing and heating as part of Kazakhstan’s WorldSkills National Championship. The championship was organised by Kasipkor Holding and featured 18- to 22-year-old workers at…

ALMATY – As Kazakhstan marks the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate, Kazakhfilm is preparing to start filming a new historical drama series titled “Kazakh Yeli.”   “The project has been under development for quite a long time. There have been ongoing talks on the need to shoot this type of historical work. As we…

ASTANA – Theatre lovers are swinging from the chandeliers as the amateur musical theatre Attrakcion showcases its interpretation of “Chicago,” Broadway’s satirical and sassy musical. Performances will run until March 21. The public’s growing interest in musicals inspired the troupe to produce larger shows this season. The youth theatre secured its bite of the cherry…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to carry out 33 comprehensive reform projects in certain institutions and sectors of the economy with the help of international financial institutions. These lofty goals were set as part of the country’s efforts to improve access to infrastructure, strengthen the financial sector and support the diversification and competitiveness of its economy.…

Almagul Menlibayeva, famous contemporary artist from Kazakhstan, whose artwork focuses on the history and cultures of Central Asia, will be taking part in one of the oldest and most significant international contemporary art events of the year, the Venice Biennale. The Venice Biennale, the major contemporary art exhibition with its 120-year-old history, incredible range of…