Articles by Zhanna Shayakhmetova

Kazakh Boxer Firuza Sharipova Wins IBA World Female Super Light Belt

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh boxer Firuza Sharipova (11-1, 5 KOs) has won the International Boxing Association World Female Super Light Title in Kazan by defeating Aug. 22 Tanzanian boxer Happy Daudi (8-7-1, 4 KOs) in the fifth round of the 10-round fight, reported Sports.kz.  “Sharipova used her blistering speed to score in the opening rounds. Then…

Ministry of Trade and Integration to Develop National System For Delivery of Goods, Offer Tax Exemptions

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov spoke about the key tasks of the ministry for the near future during the Aug. 20 meeting with the population. The ministry will continue to work on the draft strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration until 2025. It provides the opportunities for…

Kazakh MFA Establishes Operation Headquarters to Assist Students Studying Abroad

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the Operation Headquarters to coordinate and help Kazakh students who study abroad.  “The pandemic outbreak creates difficulties for international students globally. Regular flights and transport links have been suspended, entry for foreign citizens is prohibited, and the quarantine regime remains in many countries. Universities have now…

Council on Environmental Education, New Green School Curriculum to Be Established in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Magzum Mirzagaliyev announced plans to establish a coordinating council on environmental education, the ministry’s press service reported on Aug. 18.  The council will include the representatives of government agencies, public figures, educational institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),…

Startup Funds Experience Dynamic Growth in Kazakhstan, Offers Advanced Solutions to Modern Needs

NUR-SULTAN – Startup companies in Kazakhstan showed a positive growth trend and have attracted about 5 billion tenge (US$11 million) of investments in the first half of 2020, Pavel Koktyshev, deputy chairman of the Zerde National Holding Board, told the Atameken Business Channel.  It is expected that the Kazakh government will support the IT sector…

Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Security Council Meets with Prime Minister to Discuss Further Economic Development

NUR-SULTAN – The Chairman of the Security Council, Nursultan Nazarbayev, discussed the results of the country’s economic development over the last seven months and plans for the post-pandemic period with Prime Minister Askar Mamin Aug. 13, reported the press service of Kazakhstan’s First President. Positive dynamics have been observed in key sectors of the economy…

Kazakh Archeologists Find Ancient Khanaka Sufi Shrine in Turkestan

NUR-SULTAN – Scientists have found a khanaka, an ancient Sufi shrine, at the Kultobe settlement in Turkestan, during archaeological excavations, the press service of the Kazakh Research Institute of Culture reported on Aug. 6.   A khanaka is associated with the Sufi’s dervish orders, which were widespread in the Middle Ages. The terms khanaka and ribat…

Library of Kazakhstan’s First President Opens Video Exhibition Dedicated to Abai

NUR-SULTAN – The Library of Kazakhstan’s First President – the Elbasy has launched the Legacy of Abai as a Moral Guideline virtual video exhibition dedicated to the 175th anniversary of Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev, according to the library’s press service.   The exhibition features materials from Nursultan Nazarbayev’s personal archive, museum and book collections.  …

Astana Hub Announces Next Acceleration Program, Advances Social Innovation Startups

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Hub International Technopark of IT startups is accepting applications from startups for the Stream 8 acceleration program until August 15, reported the Astana Hub’s press service.  The program lasts three months and gives the opportunity to teams who want to develop their project and work with mentors and trackers. Participation is…

Qara Film Festival To Be Held Online In Kazakhstan Showcasing International Documentaries

NUR-SULTAN – The Qara Film Festival will be held online Aug. 6-9 in Kazakhstan. A new documentary film festival will feature international documentaries dedicated to the current issues.  “The characters of the films invite the audience to feel, think, and seek the truth. To take a refreshing new look at taboo issues. To help people…

Seven Pillars Law Firm Ready to Support Space Startups and Other Businesses in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – Seven Pillars Law, one of Central Asia’s most innovative law firms, has recently established a space office with the mission to assist clients looking to access opportunities, both commercial and scientific, associated with space. The Astana Times spoke with Helen Tung, the head of the Space division of Seven Pillars Law in the…

Kazakh Musician Performs Dauletkerey’s Composition With Lake Kobeytuz As Backdrop (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – The 23-year musician Marzhan Kapsamat surprised her followers with her recent music video on the pink-coloured Lake Kobeytuz. A well-known Kazakhstan social media sensation, this lake attracts those who take inspiring selfies and travel images. But Kapsamat’s solo performance of the famous Kazakh composer Dauletkerey Shigaiuly’s kyui (musical composition) “Korugly” became one of…

Kazakhstan Prepares For Elections With 94 Nominees For the Senate Already Registered

NUR-SULTAN – Ninety-four people were registered for the deputy elections to the Kazakh Senate (the upper house of the Parliament), which will be held Aug.12, reported chairman of the Central Election Commission Berik Imashev at the July 13 meeting. This election will decide the electoral fate of 17 current Senate deputies whose term expires in…

Schools and Universities in Kazakhstan Prepare Switch to Online Learning For Fall Semester

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science proposed to continue online learning with the start of the new school season, reported PrimeMinister.kz. Colleges and universities will also continue remote learning.   The educational institution switched to online learning in mid-March when a state of emergency as a response to the pandemic outbreak was declared…

AIFC Continues Work Through Lockdown, Simplifies Access to Financing For Companies

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) plans to develop several legislative initiatives including green financing instruments, venture financing, and providing medium-sized companies with the opportunity to raise capital on the AIFC exchange in the segment of the regional stock market, reported Acting General Director of the AIFC Financial Services Authority Mukhtar Bubeyev in…

Kazakh President Honors Frontline Medical Workers Posthumously with State Awards

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree to posthumously confer state awards to Oleg Isayev, the head of the anesthesiology and resuscitation department of Kokshetau hospital in the Akmola region and Kalikhan Kozbagarov, the head doctor of Aktobe infectious disease hospital on July 13.    Isayev and Kozbagarov were awarded posthumously the Hero of…

Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare Continues Efforts to Fight Pandemic, Confirms Close Cooperation with UN and WHO

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare is continuing its tireless work to prevent and respond to the pandemic outbreak, said Minister of Healthcare Alexey Tsoy at the July 9 online meeting with United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator for Kazakhstan Norimasa Shimomura and World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office Representative in Kazakhstan Caroline Clarinval, according…

Astana Opera House Shares Results Of Seventh Theater Season, Success of Online Projects During Lockdown

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera House hosted 185 events in its seventh theater season, according to the theater’s press service report for early July. It includes three premieres – Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Don Carlos,” Léo Delibes’ ballet “Coppélia” and “Beethoven – Immortal – Love” a ballet set to the music of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Haydn,…

Kazakhstan Celebrates National Dombra Day With Music and Social Distancing

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Kazakhstan with National Dombra Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of July, according to the Akorda press service.  The Dombra is a musical two-stringed instrument, which occupies a special place in Kazakhs’ hearts.  President Tokayev noted that this day represents the nation’s course towards spiritual modernization…

Kazakh President Praises Heroic Actions of Frontline Workers, Reminds Public of COVID-19 Threat

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to doctors, nurses and ambulance workers for their heroic actions at the June 23 Biz Birgemiz (We Are Together) online forum dedicated to people who work in the fields of education, healthcare, social protection, and those who have contributed to the fight against the pandemic. On this day, frontline…

Nur-Sultan Residents Share Their Passion for Dachas, Escaping the City

Spring and summer are the most anticipated period for city residents not only because of the start of the vacation season but because this period is the busiest time for those who have their own dachas, or country houses outside the city. Many families who have houses in the city suburbs, prefer to grow their…

Debut of Kazakh Warrior-Queen Epic “Tomiris” in US Set For September

The historic film “Tomiris” directed by Akan Satayev will be released Sept. 29 in North American movie theaters after Arclight Films sold the U.S. distribution rights to the Well Go USA company, reported the Kazakhfilm press service.  The film “Tomiris” tells the story of the life of legendary queen Tomiris. As a great ruler and…

Pop Star Dimash Kudaibergen to Release New Album With Kazakh Songs

Popular Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen has started working on his first album sung in the Kazakh language.  Kudaibergen released his self-titled debut mini-album featuring four Kazakh songs  in 2016. His first solo album was titled “iD” and it reached triple platinum an hour after the start of sales in 2019. An album becomes platinum when…

Almaty Authorities Approve More Relief Measures For Small Businesses

Almaty plans to create more than 30,000 jobs through state and regional programs. These include the Business Roadmap 2025 plan, the Enbek (Labor) employment and mass entrepreneurship program, the Economics of Simple Things group and Almaty Business 2025 program. Overall, 40 billion tenge (US$100 million) will be allocated for the implementation of all these programs.  …

Kazakhs Pivot to Indoor Sports, Virtual Events as They Adjust to Lockdown Lifestyle

People have started practicing more physical activities as well as engaging in online arts during lockdown, said Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova at the June 6 press conference in Nur-Sultan. People’s participation in sporting activities and healthy lifestyle promotion are priority tasks for the ministry. To achieve this, a comprehensive plan to promote…