Articles by Aruzhan Ualikhanova

ASTANA — Are you tired of spending mundane weekends with just Netflix and a takeout? With a shorter work week due to holidays and pleasant weather, The Astana Times has curated a captivating list of events that promise to turn your ordinary weekend into an extraordinary adventure. Silk Way Dance Festival on May 13 at…

ASTANA — May is full of holidays, making this weekend long and festive, lasting four days from May 6 to 9. May 7 is Defenders of the Fatherland Day, and May 9 is Victory Day. The Astana Times created a list for you not to miss exciting events in the Kazakh capital.  Qazaqstan Hockey Open…

ASTANA — The last weekend of April is upon us, and the weather is finally getting warmer. The weekend will also be prolonged, as Monday May 1 is a public holiday to celebrate Unity Day. To mark the occasion, Astana is hosting interesting and exciting events that promise to entertain and captivate. The Astana Times…

ASTANA — Caspian red deer, commonly known as marals, were captured on camera traps set in the Almaty Reserve, reports Telegram channel EcoMedia.  The animals were seen in the Right, Left, Middle Talgar and Monakhovo gorges, Logunov and Karabastau tracts, the Maly Klyuch river and at an altitude of 3,400 meters above the sea level…

ASTANA — School students from Semei in the Abai Region, Nurlykhan Maratov and Temirlan Temirbayev, developed a mobile app for tourists. “Discover Abai app provides the opportunity to travel with pleasure and comfort and helps tourists to discover new places, learn the Kazakh language and immerse themselves in the local culture,” said Nurlykhan. The students…

ASTANA – The endangered porcupine was noticed and captured on video by citizens of Taraz, a city in southern Kazakhstan, reported Zakon.kz. According to people who noticed the porcupine, the animal was walking in the railway station area at the intersection of Baizak Batyr and Zheltoksan streets at 4 a.m.  Porcupine is listed in the…

ASTANA — The weather in the capital keeps surprising people, who have been caught off guard by beskonak, a legend about extreme weather changes in the form of cold winds, snow or rain in the first half of April in the steppe. This weather should never stand in the way of a great weekend, and…

ASTANA — Saule Musayeva has been making wooden dolls that depict the lifestyle and traditions of the Kazakh people for almost 30 years. Each of her works is not just a national souvenir but a carefully thought-out and reconstructed Kazakh ethnographic costume related to a certain time period and a specific region.  The artist from…

ASTANA — After a busy working week, be sure to unwind during the upcoming weekend. The Astana Times has put together a list of events for our readers to make the most of the weekend. Retro-concert “Sol Bir Kez” on April 14 Saryarka folk music ensemble presents a retro-concert “Sol Bir Kez” (That One Time).…

ASTANA — When a specially protected natural area was created at the Karatau Nature Reserve in the Turkestan region back in 2004, there were only approximately 40 Karatau argalis, the biggest species of wild sheep. After ensuring full protection of the 34,300 hectares of the area in 2022, their number increased to 1,136 heads, a…

ASTANA — Russian cosmonaut and flight engineer of the International Space Station Oleg Artemyev surprised his followers on TikTok on April 3 with a new video from space of Lake Balkhash in southeastern Kazakhstan, reports Zakon.kz. Lake Balkhash is one of the largest lakes in Asia and the 15th largest in the world. “There’s beautiful…

ASTANA — As the days get longer in spring, people are eager to attend more interesting events. The Astana Times has picked the top things to see and do this weekend.  Immersive digital exhibition, Italian Renaissance – Eternal Beauty, on April 4-28.  The National Museum of Kazakhstan is hosting an immersive digital exhibition, Italian Renaissance…

ASTANA — As the first weekend of April approaches, bringing warm weather and longer days, it is a good reason to go outside and enjoy what the bustling city has to offer. The Astana Times has picked and prepared a list of events in Astana so that you don’t have to worry about missing out…

ASTANA — The end of March is not only the start of flowering trees but also the arrival of an important holiday, Nauryz. Kazakh people, as well as other Turkic nations of Central Asia, celebrate this eastern new year on March 21-23. You will always find something to do in the Kazakh capital during this…

ASTANA — A video of an American student Ria Edberg performing on her dombra “Kara Zhorga,” a famous Kazakh kui for one of the oldest folk dances, has went viral on social media, a few days before Kazakhstan celebrates Nauryz, a Kazakh new year. Kui is Kazakh national music played on a dombra or kobyz,…

ASTANA — A camera trap set by researchers captured the Turkestan lynx in the Sayram-Ugam national park in the Turkistan region, reports the press service of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The predator, included in the Red Book of Endangered Species of Kazakhstan, is found exclusively in…

ASTANA — Nauryz celebrations and festivities promise to captivate the Kazakh capital in the coming days as the country heads to vote in a parliamentary election this Sunday. Here we present to you a list of events to attend in Astana. This week, The Astana Times also offers you tips on celebrating Nauryz, the Kazakh…

ASTANA – The Akzhayik State Nature Reserve is becoming a popular tourist destination in the Atyrau Region located on the territory of 341,000 hectares in the delta of the Zhaiyk (Ural) River and the coast of the Caspian Sea, according to the Kazinform news agency. Established in 2009, Akzhayik is abundant in a wide variety…

ASTANA – Spring has arrived, although the weather in Astana has other ideas. The Astana Times has picked exciting events in our capital to brighten your weekend.  Bloom painting master class on March 11 at 3.30 p.m. ArtLab School has master classes for different arts. This master class is perfect if you ever wanted to…

ASTANA – Gophers came out of hibernation at the Naurzum State Nature Reserve in the Kostanai Region to mark spring’s arrival, reported the reserve’s press service on March 1. Sandstone gophers are the largest of the three species living in the area. “In 2022, gophers appeared on March 7, which is quite normal in our…

ASTANA – The long-awaited spring has arrived in the capital. If you have not yet made plans for the first spring weekend, The Astana Times has prepared a list of some fascinating events on Mar. 4-5.  Circle of the Noble art exhibition at the Kazakh National Museum on Mar. 3 – Apr. 9 Circle of…

ASTANA – The last month of the winter season has almost come to an end and there are still many interesting events to attend in the capital. The Astana Times has picked out some special events to make your last winter weekend unforgettable.  Maslenitsa in ESIL CAMP on Feb. 25 Maslenitsa is an East Slavic…

ASTANA – The construction of a visitor center in the Makhambet district of the Atyrau Region on the territory of the Saraishyk State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve will soon be completed, attracting more tourists to the region, reports Kazinform news agency. The new visitor center expects the first tourists in the spring. Saraishyk was one…

ASTANA – The second week of February is coming to an end. If you have not yet decided on your plans for this weekend, check out this list of activities planned in the Kazakh capital from The Astana Times. This week we will also provide you with tips on how to entertain yourselves in the…