Astana Opera Soloist Beketayeva to Perform in London and Budapest
ASTANA – Aigerim Beketayeva, leading soloist of the Astana Opera, will perform with People’s Artist of Russia Boris Eifman’s troupe on a tour that will take them to Budapest in early April and to London’s Coliseum Theatre from April 15-19. Eifman, director of the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre, was deeply struck by Beketayeva’s…
First G-Global International Journalism Summit to Take Place in Astana
ASTANA – The first G-Global International Summit of Journalism will be held May 20-23 as part of the Seventh Astana Economic Forum (AEF). The summit will examine the role of journalism in global crises, as well as innovations in media, the development and status of tools for working with vast and complex economic data and…
Local School Helps Kazakhstan Go Green
ASTANA – The secondary school in Vyacheslavka Village in the Arshaly District in the Akmola Region supports Kazakhstan’s efforts for a green economy and has mobilised resources to demonstrate water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices in schools using renewable energy sources. The school’s 120 students and 25 teachers have been working with the Akbota NGO…
Kazakh Legal Mediation Programme Resolves Conflicts
ASTANA – There is still a lot of work to be done in getting Kazakhstan’s mediation services up to par. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Kazakh government have introduced a mediation system in the courts and it is already having a visible impact on the country, Gulmira Tulesbayeva, the project manager, told…
Indian Embassy Celebrates ITEC Day in Astana
ASTANA – The Embassy of India in Kazakhstan celebrated ITEC Day 2014 (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) on March 18. More than 120 people attended the event, including ITEC Alumni, senior officers from the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Kaztromprom and Kazakh defence organisations and members of the media,…
Kazakhstan Celebrates Nauryz
ASTANA – Nauryz is the celebration of the New Year on the solar astronomical calendar for Persian and Turkic peoples. Nauryz is also a national tradition in Kazakhstan, restored to its full glory during the late 1980s. The origin of this holiday, which has no direct relationship to Islamic traditions, is rooted in the pre-literate…
Astana Opera’s First International Tour Opens at Mariinsky Theatre
The first international tour of the Astana Opera opened at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia on March 8 with a performance of “Atilla” by Giuseppe Verdi. Mariinsky Theatre Maestro Valery Gergiyev conducted the performance with Italian production director Pier Luigi Pizzi of the Teatro Dell Opera di Roma. Bulgarian performer Orlin Anastassov played…
Astana Hosts UN Disarmament Resolution Seminar
ASTANA – The capital of Kazakhstan hosted a seminar March 11-12 on the contribution of Resolution 1540 (2004) in regional and global disarmament and non-proliferation dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the resolution in the “Central Asia +” format. The Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the…
Kazakh Pavilion Wins Third Place at Berlin Tourism Fair
Kazakhstan introduced its pavilion on March 5 at ITB Berlin 2014, the world’s largest international tourism fair and the pavilion went on to win the third place among all participating states. This year, the exhibition centre Messe Berlin is hosting stands from more than 180 countries, firms and organisations. Kazakhstan traditionally presents its pavilion at…
Evening of Music and Poetry Benefits Young Astana Writer
ASTANA – A benefit evening for young Astana poet Aliya Demeisenova was held in the capital’s Black Duck restaurant on Feb. 22. Poetry readings have been held every month at the Black Duck and in other venues in Astana for the better part of a year. This one, “Let Me Fly,” featured paper planes with…
Joint UNDP, Gov’t Projects Eliminate Barriers for Vulnerable Populations
ASTANA – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working with the national government on a joint programme to improve the competitiveness of the East Kazakhstan region through the implementation of innovative approaches to the planning and delivery of social services. The programme covers projects intended to improve access to social and economic services for…
Government, UNDP Work to Modernise Housing and Utilities Services
The government of Kazakhstan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating a model for modernising inefficient district heating and other systems in Kazakhstan’s small cities. Alexander Belyi, a UNDP manager of the joint project, which is 80 percent funded by the government of Kazakhstan, spoke…
Feltwork Master Class Teaches Kazakh Traditional Craft
ASTANA – Astana’s Shezhire Gallery and the Women of the Steppe Public Foundation brought together Kazakhs and foreigners in Astana at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Feb. 10 for a lesson in making felt products. Zamzegul Oralbayeva, who led the class, is president of the Women of the Steppe and a member of Kazakhstan’s artists’…
Slimclub Wellness Centre Opens in Astana
ASTANA – Young entrepreneur Anastassiya Kalinina fulfilled a childhood dream on Dec. 15, 2013 to help women look slim and beautiful when she opened Kazakhstan’s first Slimclub wellness studio. Slimclub is a part of a Moscow-based chain with more than 90 clubs in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The clubs stress a healthy lifestyle…
UNDP, Government Collaborate on Energy-Efficient Lighting Project
ASTANA – With lighting expected to grow from 13 percent of Kazakhstan’s energy consumption today to 36 percent by 2015, the country is looking for energy efficient lighting solutions. The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan and the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environmental Facility (GEF) are working together on a project, “Promotion…
Abu Dhabi Plaza Construction on Schedule for EXPO 2017
ASTANA – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev on Jan. 29 held a meeting on the Abu Dhabi Plaza project, which is implemented under the agreement of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The meeting discussed the work plan for 2014…
Competition Seeks to Boost Akmola Region Winter Tourism
KOKSHETAU – Thirty tourism-related organizations in the Akmola region will have the opportunity to compete in this year’s “Best Winter Tourism Project” competition, according to a Jan. 15 announcement by the Akmola region akimat (regional administration). Tourist sites will submit proposals in the categories of best tourist route and best winter recreation information and advertising…
President Says EXPO 2017 Construction Should Utilize Domestic Companies
ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a Jan. 21 meeting with Astana EXPO 2017 National Company Board Chairman Talgat Yermegiyayev directed that the construction of EXPO 2017 facilities be used to develop local entrepreneurship. “Construction of large EXPO 2017 complexes should be used for development of small and medium-sized businesses. Primarily, Kazakhstan construction companies…
Kazakhstan to Participate in FITUR Tourism Exhibition
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will take part in the 34th International Tourism Exhibition FITUR Jan. 22-26 in Madrid, according to the press service of the Committee of Tourism Industry of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan. FITUR is one of the largest tourism industry events in Spain and is held in IFEMA, Madrid’s…
Kazakhstan Will Build Schools in Osh and Bishkek
ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a number of bills into law on Jan. 14, including a bill ratifying an agreement authorizing the construction of a school in Kyrgyzstan dated Aug. 22, 2012 and the minutes of amendments made to it. The agreement covered the construction of a school for 900 schoolchildren in the…
Bitumen Plant Commissioned in Aktau, Creating Another Link Between China, Kazakhstan
AKTAU – A bitumen plant capable of processing 1 million tons of oil and producing about 400 tons of high-quality bitumen officially opened in Aktau on Dec. 20. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev took part in the opening via teleconference. The Caspi Bitum joint venture, which built and owns the plant, is one of 34…
Sixth Winter Charity Masquerade Raises More Than 13 Million Tenge
ASTANA – The Sixth Winter Charity Masquerade Ball, one of the capital city’s most prestigious annual events, held Dec. 7, 2013 in Astana, raised more than 13 million tenge for children in local orphanages and local families in need. Over the past five years, the Winter Charity Ball has contributed more than $120,000 to local…
Kazakh Language in Trial Version on Google Translate
ASTANA – The Kazakh language is being tested as part of Google’s translation service thanks in part to the efforts of Beeline Kazakhstan and WikiBilim Public Fund. Rauan Kenzhekhanuly, Chair of the Board of Trustees of WikiBilim Public Fund, said that including Kazakh in the Google translate system will be an important step in the…
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Life Showcased in Astana
ASTANA – Residents and guests of Astana have the opportunity to get acquainted with the life of French statesman, military leader and emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte at an exhibition, which was opened on Dec. 19 in the Palace of Independence by the Akim (Mayor) of Astana, Imangali Tasmagambetov. The exhibition called “Napoleon: Life and Legend” is…
Kazakh Military to Join UN Peacekeeping Forces
ASTANA – At the joint session of the Parliament of Kazakhstan on Dec. 20, members considered President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s proposal to send Kazakh officers to United Nations missions in Haiti, Western Sahara, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia. Twenty officers, who will have observer status in UN peacekeeping forces, will be sent in groups of five. It…
