Articles by Zhazira Dyussembekova

ASTANA – Astana Opera principal soloist and Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Medet Chotabayev received the award and title Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy March 26 for strengthening cultural ties between Italy and Kazakhstan and promoting the Italian language, according to the Astana Opera press service. “It was a great surprise to…

ASTANA – The North Kazakhstan region, particularly Petropavlovsk, has introduced several projects within the Digital Kazakhstan Programme launched last year, including initiatives in transport and public health, according to deputy akim (governor) Madiyar Kozhakhmet, reported zakon.kz. “In general, even before the adoption of the programme, we, as well as the whole Kazakhstan, already used the…

ASTANA – The new multimedia portal of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan was presented March 1. The project, called the People of Kazakhstan’s historical map, covers the history of the country’s multi-ethnic population from ancient times to the present day. It will also be used as a platform for ethnic media, according to…

ASTANA – The Kostanai car plant has started serial assembly of electric cars and customers will be able to buy the Chinese JAC iEV7S in the second half of this year, reported kapital.kz. The price is expected to start at 7.5 million tenge (US$23,300). SaryarkaAvtoProm plans to assemble more than 1,000 cars in three years.…

ASTANA – Officials have indicated Kazakhstan’s first ammunitions plant will start delivering cartridges to the Kazakh Armed Forces this year. The project was under discussion for several years and although work was expected to have finished by the end of 2017, it was slightly delayed. Kaztechnology, a subordinate organisation of the Kazakh Ministry of Defence…

ASTANA – Bakhargul Tolegenkyzy, one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces, has been collecting Turkic gold and silver antiques since she was young, eventually presenting them in her own private museum. In 2000, she founded Ademi-Ai Plus, which has become one of country’s leaders in national souvenir production. Tolegenkyzy moved to Kazakhstan from China in 1994.…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Mazhilis (lower house of parliament) approved March 14 a draft law to regulate interaction between Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in cross-border communications, the development of interstate standards in information security, analysis and assessment of threats and other activities, reported zakon.kz. “The adoption of the draft law will allow carrying…

ASTANA – The Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, co-chaired by Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin and Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Ochilboy Ramatov, met March 14 to discuss relations between the states, including the expected increase in trade turnover, the Year of Uzbekistan in Kazakhstan and vice versa…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government adopted a draft National Report on Combating Corruption presented March 13 by public service affairs and anti-corruption agency deputy chairman Sayan Akhmetzhanov. The document provides information about anti-corruption work in the country and an analysis of existing issues, as well as suggestions for further improvement of the anti-corruption policy. “This…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s healthcare system is being reformed based on introducing compulsory health insurance and no modern country can offer a basic benefit package without a Health Technology Assessment (HTA), said Polish former Deputy Health Minister and strategic medical technologies consultant for Dentons Business Services EMEA Krzysztof Landa during a March 15 workshop in the…

ASTANA – A new railway service connecting Amsterdam and China’s Yiwu was launched March 7 within the Belt and Road initiative. The 11,000-kilometre route passes through Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan before it reaches China. “Today, the first freight train begins its journey from Amsterdam to the Chinese city of Yiwu. Out of the…

ASTANA – As part of Kazakhstan’s national effort to modernise its image globally, the country plans to launch a Theatre Laboratory initiative, a Literary Belt initiative and a radio station about local music geared toward a foreign audience, said Head of the Internal Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Aida Balayeva. “The project of Dala…

ASTANA – Major Kazakh online air and railway ticket sales providers Aviata.kz and Chocotravel plan to merge to better compete in the international market, inform.kz reported recently. Officials from both companies believe the merged company’s sales will exceed $100 million per year. “After a joint trip with Alexei Lee [co-founder of Aviata.kz] to the office…

ASTANA – “Kazakhstan, chroniques vagabondes” (“Vagabond Chronicles”), by French writer Aude Ceccarelli, is based on her three-year work and living experience in Almaty. It gives a glimpse into everyday Kazakh life in 26 stories, presented in the form of an alphabet from A-Z. They cover the country in its most diverse aspects, including the author’s…

ASTANA – Tumar is the first and only Kazakh brand of national-style silver jewellery using the champlevé enamelling technique. The company has an online store (www.mytumar.kz) where it sells its collections and offers custom-made pieces. The champlevé technique is one of the most ancient methods of jewellery making. Grooves are cut into the metal, then…

ASTANA – On a cold winter night, one of the capital’s pubs is swept away by the sounds of bluegrass music, which seems unusual for the surroundings. Astana Bluegrass Survivors rocks on the stage, singing and playing on stringed instruments. In an interview with The Astana Times, bass player Candice Miracle talked about what they…

ASTANA – Tourists to Almaty now can visit the Boraldai Saka burial mound archaeological complex, which in addition to the ancient necropolis showcases the reconstructed burial mound and a model of an ancient Saka dwelling. The Boraldai Saka burial mounds are the only monuments of the early Iron Age preserved on Almaty territory. They are…

ASTANA – Askhat Abzhanov, an entrepreneur from Stepnogorsk, is the founder of Zhana Urpak (“new generation” in Kazakh) Leadership School in Almaty. The school conducts various trainings for teenagers, but its most important feature is the seven-day camping programme outside the city, where youngsters live without phones and laptops and literally awaken their motivation and…

ASTANA –Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Portugal, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently formed the Global Happiness Coalition. Initiated by the UAE, the coalition aims to ensure effective international dialogue about achieving happiness on a global level, disseminate knowledge and exchange information and expertise to implement related policies between member countries. The world needs…

ASTANA – Mangistau region’s berkutchi, or eagle hunters, plan to open their own falconry school in Tushybek village in an effort to preserve the ancient tradition, reported Kazakh TV. “I want to promote the art of hunting with birds among young people. Five-six people are training now to become berkutchi (eagle hunters). We take part…

ASTANA – The Jambyl Cement plant near Mynaral in the Zhambyl region, the first in Kazakhstan to use the dry method for cement production, is currently the largest facility in the category. The joint Kazakh-French project, managed by Vicat Group, produces approximately 1.4 million tonnes of binder per year to cover 15 percent of internal…

ASTANA – Not many know that Kazakhstan has been providing aid to other countries for the last two decades. A few years ago, the country adopted a law on official development assistance (ODA) and has subsequently launched two pilot projects with the international partners. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Economic Policy Department Director Olzhas Issabekov…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s economy moved up one spot to 41st on the recently released 2018 Index of Economic Freedom annual report published by the Heritage Foundation. It was the highest ranking in Central Asia and among the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Out of 180 countries represented in the ranking, Hong Kong was recognised as…

ASTANA – New apartment complexes are appearing in the city nearly every day. Thousands of new windows appear with them, a large proportion supplied by Funke Kunststoffe. The German company is one of the leading manufacturers of plastic pipes, fittings and engineering systems in Western Europe. In March 2012, its window profiles production plant transferred…

ASTANA — An agrotechnical hub for specialists in that field will be created in the Kostanai region, Deputy Akim (Governor) of Kostanai region Meirzhan Myrzaliyev told a Jan. 26 expanded meeting on digitisation issues, according to the region’s press service. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will allocate a $341,000 grant for the initiative. The region…