Toll Roads to Bring 33 Billion Tenge to National Treasury by 2020
ASTANA – The gradual introduction of toll highways in Kazakhstan is projected to reduce the burden on the state budget and ensure self-sufficiency for road maintenance. The toll system is planned on all roads which passed reconstruction and modernisation, said Minister for Investment and Development Zhenis Kassymbek at the Nov.1 government meeting dedicated to transport…
Public Administration Academy Focuses on Practical Learning
ASTANA – Forming a professional and autonomous state apparatus was identified as the first reform of the 100 Concrete Steps Programme initiated by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2015. Fulfilling the reform will mean a shift to the career model of public service. The goal is to hire the most intelligent, talented and skilled workers…
Ice Skating Season Opens in Astana and Almaty
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s sharply-defined continental climate provides a marvellous opportunity to enjoy every season’s diversity. Winter activities are specifically exciting because of snowy weather, frosty air and fabulous sunshine. Great downhill rides, powder snow adventures and long-distance skating are the ideal setting for a family leisure scenario. Almaty has a worldwide reputation as the top…
Family Hospitality Tradition Keeps Kazakhstan Strong
ASTANA – Social isolation and the phenomenon of “living on your own” probably sound quite bizarre to most Kazakhs. The country’s nomadic background and adherence to a traditional lifestyle contribute to its historic preservation. Traditions are important, as they serve as the basis of a nation’s unity and harmony. Kazakh people are known to be…
Advanced Forensic Technologies to be Introduced in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Twenty-six employees of the Kazakh Ministry of Justice Forensic Science Centre completed scientific training at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2014-2016 as part of the Bolashak International Scholarship Programme. Interns at one of the leading British academic institutions shared their tips and plans to practice their knowledge in…
Four Billion Tenge to be Provided for New Ventures and Small Business Financing
ASTANA – Starting in November, the Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund and Almaty akimat (city administration) will launch three regional programmes for the city’s small and medium-sized businesses. The total pool of four billion tenge (US$12 million) will be allocated for the tourism and food industries and innovation sphere. Almaty Akim (Mayor) Bauryzhan Baibek and Damu…
Kazakh Mountaineering Legend Coaches New Generation of Alpinists
ASTANA – Sport climbing has been officially included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Kazakh Mountaineering and Climbing Federation has received Olympic status and will now begin preparing athletes to participate in the Games. The Astana Times spoke with Kazbek Valiyev, the first Kazakh alpinist to conquer Mount Everest and president of the federation, to…
TEDx Speakers Seek Understanding through Social Initiatives
ASTANA – TEDxAstana Women, an independently-organised event devoted to ideas in technology, entertainment and design, will be held Oct. 29 in the capital. This year’s conference, “It’s about time,” will include a livestream from the global TEDWomen event. Lawyers, musicians, scholars, producers, journalists, entrepreneurs, photographers and historians – people from different spheres and backgrounds deliver…
Experts Call for More Attention to Equine-Assisted Therapy
ASTANA – Hippotherapy, or equine-assisted therapy, involves activities with horses to promote physical, occupational and emotional growth in individuals with special needs. Training specialists is an expensive business and requires the government funding provided in many countries. The problem in Kazakhstan is that one stable is not able to work with all the patients and…
Kazpost Enters Universal Postal Union Council
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has been elected as a four-year member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Administrative Council, according to the voting results at the 26th UPU Congress. The membership allows Kazakh specialists to offer innovative solutions for changing the global postal industry. Only 40 of the 192 UPU member countries have the right to…
Astana’s Finest Nightlife Venues
ASTANA – During the day, Kazakhstan’s capital is a bustling city of business people and civil workers. At night, however, it belongs to people who savour social gatherings and flamboyant parties. Good vibes, fashionable audiences, dazzling shows and cutting edge electronic music – the city’s most distinguished nightspots have something to offer for any taste.…
Kazakh Designers’ Outlet Opens in Almaty
ASTANA – Designers’ City, the first fashion house of Kazakh designers, opened Oct. 6 in Almaty. “An area of 1,300 square metres will not be just the centre of more than a hundred local designers, but also the venue for fashion shows, workshops and premieres of new collections. Seoul Sound Company Management, the founder of…
Koshpendiler Project Connects Kazakhstan-Born People Overseas
ASTANA – Young and old are actively travelling and exploring the world, thus rethinking the role of nomad in today’s international society. Four ambitious professionals who currently reside in Germany, Kazakhstan and Russia recently launched the Koshpendiler Project to unite Kazakhs living abroad and 12 stories from 11 countries are already available on www.kazakhs-abroad.com. “It…
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan to Boost Trade and Economic Cooperation
ASTANA – The protocol to extend the main directions in economic and trade cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was signed by the Kazakh delegation headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin during the Sept. 22-23 working visit to Tashkent. The trade turnover between the countries amounted to $3 billion in 2015. During the meetings…
Astana Opera Opens Season with Annual Silk Road Festival
ASTANA – Astana Opera is presenting an incredible programme encompassing a roster of national and international performances, instrumental music concert series and acclaimed ballet productions Sept. 22-Nov. 15 as part of the third Silk Road International Musical Festival. “Abai,” a Kazakh operatic masterpiece created by distinguished composers Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi, was staged on…
Light Rail Coming to Astana in 2018, Other Transit Upgrades in Process
ASTANA – A light rail tram will be introduced in Astana in 2018, Astana Akim (Mayor) Asset Issekeshev announced at the Trends in Transport Complex Development Conference held Sept. 26 in the capital. “The launch of the light rail tram is one of the city’s important projects. In the first stage, a 22.4-kilometre route will…
Kazakh Chess Champion Dinara Saduakassova Opens Academy in Astana
ASTANA – Four-time world champion and women’s grandmaster Dinara Saduakassova opened a chess academy Sept. 16 in the capital. A charismatic and intelligent person, Saduakassova is full of ideas concerning the new school and her contribution to popularising chess in the country. “I am proud that I managed to be the first and win the…
Bill Giving Local Governments Move Budgeting Power to Be Introduced in Parliament
ASTANA – A new bill on local self-government might be introduced in 2018, Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev announced during the presentation of the draft law “On amendments and additions to some legislative acts of Kazakhstan on the development of local self-government” at the mid-September meeting of the Committee for Economic Reform and Regional…
Days of Astana in Moscow Celebrates Modern, Traditional Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Days of Astana, marking the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, were held Sept. 19-20 in Moscow. The best works of Kazakh craftsmen, filmmakers, modern art masters and masterpieces of musical heritage and Kazakh culture were presented to the Russian public. The mayors of the two cities met the first day…
Kazakh Ballet Dancer Hits New Heights in National Dance Contest
ASTANA – Astana Opera House principal soloist Bakhtiyar Adamzhan won the Grand Prix at Astana’s International Ballet Competition, held Sept.10–17. Adamzhan has been on something of a tear recently, winning the Grand Prix at the Istanbul International Ballet Competition in July and in early August wowing the judges at the Seoul International Dance Competition, where…
Monument of Gratitude to Kazakh People to Open in Shymkent
ASTANA – A monument of gratitude titled “Kazak Elіne Myn Algys” (“A Thousand Thanks to the Kazakh People”) initiated by the ethno-cultural centres of the South Kazakhstan region is being constructed in Shymkent. At the top of the monument a shanyrak (the circular opening at the top of the yurt – the traditional portable home…
Multinational Chamber Orchestra Wins Audience’s Heart with Virtuosity and Mastery
ASTANA – The Sion Festival, held Aug. 19-Sept. 4 in the Valais Canton in Switzerland, featured a concert by the Young Eurasian Soloists (YES) chamber orchestra. The appearance at one of the most prestigious festivals in Western Europe proved the young team has gained recognition in European musical circles. The orchestra participated in concerts…
American Publisher to Release Collection of Poems by Kazakh Poet Aigerim Tazhi
ASTANA – The manuscript of the book “An Astounded World: Selected Poems” written by young Kazakh poet Aigerim Tazhi in translation of famous American poet, literary translator and co-director of Zephyr Press publishing house Jim Kates recently received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Fellowship to Support Literary Translation. Tazhi’s poetry collection was awarded…
Almaty Enthusiasts Unite Authorities, Urban Activists to Make Comfortable Cities
ASTANA – Almaty hosted the first open meeting of the School of City Solutions for activists and entrepreneurs initiated by the City Solutions project and Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design Sept. 8. The course, consisting of training programme with video presentations, interactive trainings, assignments and business incubator, lasts for a month. The lecture…
Kazakh National Academy of Choreography Opens in Astana
ASTANA – The back-to-school season in the capital was marked with a major event Aug. 31 – the opening of the new multi-level academy of choreography. It is the first institution of its kind in the Central Asian region designed to prepare students for building careers in ballet. The academy was fully constructed with extra-budgetary…
