Almaty quilting enthusiasts try to patch together a world record
ASTANA – Quilting enthusiasts in Almaty will work from March 22 to the Sept. 16 Almaty Day to break a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest patchwork quilt (“Kurak Korpe” in Kazakh), measuring 25,500 square metres. Organisers chose March 22 as it marks the rebirth of nature and the spring holiday of Nauryz. Quilting…
Khorgos to introduce new luggage terminal to fully automate cargo transportation
ASTANA – The Khorgos cross-border trade centre will offer improved services, enhanced safety and automated baggage handling to provide better conditions for tourists and avoid transporting cargo through the passenger bus system. Each tourist may take only one bag on the bus at the Kazakh-Chinese border; the rest of the cargo is delivered through KazPost…
Yakutia’s National Library promotes Kazakh literature
ASTANA – The Kazakh Literature and Culture Centre opened March 15 in the National Library of Russia’s Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) under the international project initiated by the Kazakh National Academic Library. “Since 2016, the National Academic Library of Kazakhstan has been implementing an international project to promote Kazakh literature by opening centres in different…
Kazakh consumers see small seasonal price hikes for agricultural products
ASTANA – Prices for socially important food products have increased 0.7 percent since the beginning of the year. The largest increases have been in Astana (102.2 percent), Almaty (101.6 percent) and Aktobe region (101.3 percent), First Vice Minister of Agriculture Arman Yevniyev said during a March 13 government meeting in Astana. According to the minister, the…
KazSat system earned Kazakhstan $15.5 million in 2017
ASTANA – The KazSat national satellite communication system brought $15.5 million in income and replaced $37.2 million worth of imports in 2017 due to the reduced use of foreign satellites’ resources, Kazakh Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry Beibit Atamkulov reported, according to the ministry’s press service. “The KazSat satellite communication system, satellites of the…
Atameken focuses on integrating digital technologies as corruption-fighting measure
ASTANA – The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs and civil service and anti-corruption agency will focus on integrating digital technologies as a corruption-fighting measure, according to a new anticorruption roadmap approved Feb. 28, reported the Atameken press service. “The use and development of digital technologies is our main joint task. As President Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed,…
Teacher of the Year named among nation’s 100 New Faces
ASTANA – Biology teacher Alexander Kintsel, one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces, believes the most important quality every teacher should possess is love and passion for working with children. He has devoted the last 15 and a half years to Abai Kunanbaev school gymnasium No. 6 in Stepnogorsk. His research-based teaching techniques and trusting relationship…
Club 28 Petel volunteers knit woollen clothing for premature newborns
ASTANA – The volunteers of the Club 28 Petel (28 Loops) project gather in seven countries around the world to knit boots, hats, cardigans and toys for premature babies. Photographer and journalist Karla Nur (Karlygash Nurzhanova) initiated the social project in 2012 after reporting from one of the city’s perinatal centres where she saw a…
Damu Fund supports Kazakh geneticist in dental invention
ASTANA – Kazakh genetic scientist Bauyrzhan Aituov has made a breakthrough in the incipient treatment of cavities. His technology, called InnoDent, features biocompatible implants that stimulate the natural regeneration of enamel and dentin and is used in treating early-stage dental cavities without drilling. Aituov opened his first laboratory in Shymkent in 2013 after receiving a…
Astana’s 20th anniversary programme to include art festivals
ASTANA – The programme to celebrate Astana’s 20th anniversary this year will include performances by more than 500 artists from around the world. “The Parade of Capitals international cultural project with the participation of leading creative teams and organisations, popular artists and famous athletes from 20 countries will be a united event to celebrate the…
Cardiac surgeons conduct artificial heart transplant
ASTANA – The specialists of the National Scientific Cardiac Surgery Centre conducted Kazakhstan’s first artificial heart transplant Oct 19, 2017 for a 60-year-old Pavlodar native, kazakh-tv.kz reports. The innovative development of French bioengineers and the high professionalism of Kazakh doctors was a breakthrough in cardiac surgery. In general, approximately 20 similar surgeries are planned in…
People are Kazakhstan’s greatest asset, says Lithuanian ambassador
ASTANA – Lithuania celebrated Feb. 16 its 100th anniversary of independence restored after World War I. To highlight the date, Lithuanian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Vytautas Nauduzas told The Astana Times about the relationship between the countries, prospects for deepening cooperation and his opinion on Kazakhstan’s development. “A few days ago, Lithuania commemorated its 100th anniversary…
Kazakh Investment Ministry to focus on manufacturing, exports and labour productivity
ASTANA – The Ministry for Investment and Development will concentrate this year on manufacturing, focusing on export-oriented sectors and labour productivity under the Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development programme, said Minister Zhenis Kassymbek during a Feb. 13 weekly government meeting. “To meet the tasks given by President Nursultan Nazarbayev during the Feb. 9 extended government…
Kazakh singer named most popular singer of the year in China
ASTANA – Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen is gaining popularity worldwide and was named Most Popular Singer of the Year for the second year in a row at the Feb. 9 Top Global Chinese Music Awards. “I love you very much, thank you for your love,” Kudaibergen wrote on his page in Instagram. He was also…
Young dombra player among those who inspire nation
ASTANA – Nineteen-year-old dombra player Alexey Lodochnikov has been named one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces. An ethnic Russian, the gifted educator at Kachirsky children’s home in the Pavlodar region speaks fluent Kazakh and sings Kazakh folk songs. “In April of last year, I learned about the 100 New Faces project at the session of…
Kazakh land, culture inspire graphic designer
ASTANA – The fairy tale illustrations of Kazakh-born artist Svetlana Popova, known under the pseudonym Veta, fascinate at first sight. Looking at them, children and adults are acquainted with the culture, traditions and wisdom of their ancestors. A child who believes in fairy tales believes in good things which help him or her smile at…
Eagle hunting competition keeps ancient tradition alive
ASTANA – Some of the best eagle hunters from across Kazakhstan met Feb. 2-4 in the Urdzhar district of the East Kazakhstan region to compete in the 12th annual National Eagle Hunting Championship. Ancient traditional hunting with birds remains popular among Kazakh people. The contest brought together 39 eagle hunters from 10 regions. Urdzhar District…
Kazakh medical organisation should incorporate corporate governance policies, says health minister
ASTANA – Kazakh medical organisations should be headed by professional managers, said Healthcare Minister Yelzhan Birtanov at a Feb. 6 government meeting. He reported on measures to develop corporate governance and management in healthcare facilities. “To date, most healthcare organisations in Kazakhstan have already been transferred into legal forms promoting the introduction of elements of…
Paediatric heart surgeon among nation’s 100 New Faces
ASTANA – Gulzhan Sarsenbayeva, one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces, is among those who conducted pioneer research in paediatric heart surgery. “I am one of the few cardiac surgeons who has the skills of ultrasound diagnosis of heart defects, which helps to see the pathology of the heart before surgery, during surgery and after surgery.…
Kazakh government addresses measures to promote competition
ASTANA – The Kazakh government is continuing efforts to reduce activities for state and quasi-public companies in order to protect and promote competition in the country. Last year, 108 laws and 972 bylaws were audited to identify rules that hinder competition. As a result, 144 norms preventing competition were identified, said Minister of National Economy…
Kazakh Literature and Culture Centres open in Washington, New York City
ASTANA – The Kazakh National Academic Library is continuing its international project to promote Kazakh literature by opening centres in different countries. Seventeen centres have been launched since 2016, including in the national libraries in China, Finland, Hungary, Japan, South Korea and Turkey, reported the national library press service. The most recent Kazakh Literature and…
UNICEF promotes zero tolerance for violence against children in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is launching two communication campaigns in Kazakhstan aimed at preventing violence against children and promoting a friendly approach to children in conflict with the law. The communication campaigns will last three years. During the first year, events will be held in seven areas: the cities of Astana…
Foster father of 13 children named one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces
ASTANA – Foster parents change the lives of children left without parental care, filling it with love, care and joy. Murat Kabylbayev, 44, and his wife Orynbassar have provided a safe and loving family for 12 such children. It is for that work that he was named one of the country’s 100 New Faces. The…
New cancer diagnosis centre to open in Aktobe
ASTANA – A $15.4 million nuclear medicine centre to help better diagnose patients with early stage cancer will be built in Aktobe by the end of the year. “The medical centre will offer positron emission and computer tomography using radioisotope drugs that help identify tumour cells in the early stages. The treatment of patients will…
Swedish adventurer to release a documentary series about Mongolia-Kazakhstan camel expedition
ASTANA – Swedish traveller Christian Bodegren recently announced the release of a documentary about his 2016-2017 Mongolia-Kazakhstan camel expedition, posting Jan. 7 the video on his Facebook page. “I am working on the series now, and there is currently no date for the premiere. The idea is that there will be a series of seven…
