Articles by Saltanat Boteu

Young people should move with times, remember their traditions, says Tatar community leader

ASTANA – Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK) Mother’s Council and Duslyk Tatar Educational Cultural Centre head Yannat Nizamutdinova is a person who seeks constant development. She thinks young people should move with the times while at the same time remembering their culture and traditions. After her eighth grade, Nizamutdinova left her Tatar village in…

Company produces neckties handmade in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Intelligent Neckties, founded by Kazakh businessman Nursultan Muminov, produces cravats made of wool, flax and cotton that are approximately three times cheaper than imported products. The brand produces more than 13 models. “Our competitors are global brands, but our trick is in our position. We are a brand made in Kazakhstan. We have…

Kazakh government to introduce unified declaration for individual income and property

ASTANA – The Kazakh Finance Ministry State Revenue Committee is testing an electronic submission system for unified declaration of individuals’ income and property to be introduced beginning in 2020 to reduce shadow economy and corruption. The committee reduced the declaration’s volume, corrected taxpayer information discrepancies in government databases and implemented tax deductions for large families.…

Astana to host ITB Eurasia tourism exhibition in 2020

ASTANA – Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation to hold the 2020 Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Eurasia exhibition in the capital. The exhibition, held every September, is part of the schedule of events with ITB Berlin in March, ITB China (Shanghai) in May and ITB Asia (Singapore) in October, reported bnews.kz. Kazakh Tourism also reached an…

Kazakh grandmaster defeats Russian world vice-champion

ASTANA – Kazakh grandmaster Rinat Dzhumabayev defeated 2016 world vice-champion Sergey Karyakin during the fifth round of the 2019 World Team Chess Championship in the Kazakh capital. “It was a difficult game; however, I managed to seize the initiative from the opening. My opponent, as always, demonstrated a high-class game, but after spending more than…

Peaceful sky, respect for each other unite us, says Bulgarian community leader

ASTANA – Olga Andriyevskaya, founder and chair of the Bulgarian Zlata Cultural Centre in the capital, represents the fourth generation of Bulgarians living in Kazakhstan. She feels mutual respect is the basis for the friendship and understanding among those living in the country. “We are united by our peaceful sky. The credit for the fact…

Women play important role in Kazakh economy, says President

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met at the Akorda March 7 with Koktem Shuagy (Spring Light) women’s community representatives to congratulate the country’s female population on the International Women’s Day (March 8). He stressed the important role of women in the country’s economic development. “Today, female workers in education and health care comprise 70…

EU-Kazakhstan relations evolving cooperatively, providing a model for region, says European envoy

ASTANA – The European Union is Kazakhstan’s biggest foreign investor, and Kazakhstan is the EU’s closest political and economic partner among the countries of Central Asia while EU-Kazakhstan cooperation is expanding in education, research, trade, transport, agriculture and environmental work, among many areas, the European envoy in Astana said. Official diplomatic relations between the EU…

Shabanbai Bi village offers Kazakh traditional cuisine, tours to Kazakh Uplands’ highest point

ASTANA – The Kyzylarai mountainous forestland in the Karaganda Region is a combination of untouched nature and ancient historical monuments. Nearby Shabanbai Bi village is an ecotourism destination famous for its traditional Kazakh cuisine and hospitability. In 2014, the forestland and village entered the top 100 sustainable tourism destinations of the world, according to the…

Kazakh museum collections to digitise by 2025

ASTANA – The first results of digitising  collections in Kazakh museums will be seen in 2025, said Library of the First President of Kazakhstan Deputy Director Kulyash Aktayeva at the forum titled Kazakh Museums: Ideas and Realities in the Epoch of Globalisation and Information. “The most important thing is to start this process and make…

SABIS to build school in Astana

ASTANA – SABIS, a global educational network spanning five continents, is making its initial foray into Kazakhstan. The international school, the educational investment project in Kazakhstan fully funded by local and foreign investors, will be built in the capital by 2023. Funding for the inaugural construction phase is $15.5 million and the city akimat (administration)…

Forbes Club second business breakfast focuses on Kazakh oil and gas industry

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will fully supply its oil and gas market in 2019 and export surplus oil products, said Kazenergy General Director Asset Magauov at the Feb. 28 Forbes Club business breakfast. The club, whose members represent the nation’s business community, organised its second in a series of morning meetings at the capital’s Talan Towers…

Kazakh President urges measures to improve living standards during Nur Otan party congress

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined at the Feb. 27 18th Congress of Nur Otan Party efforts to improve social supports and living standards in Kazakhstan. According to the instructions from the head of state, the government will allocate two trillion tenge (US$5.3 billion) from the country’s budget for social projects over the next…

Paramount Group provides UAE with next generation of armoured vehicles

ASTANA – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the acquisition of Paramount Group’s armoured personnel carrier, the Mbombe 4×4, Feb. 17 at the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The Mbombe 4×4 draws on the heritage of the Mbombe 6×6 and 8×8, which are tested and produced by the company’s joint venture Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering…

Tattoos should be perceived as artwork, says Kazakh tattoo artist

ASTANA – Tattoos are artwork that should be created for each person based on the individual’s wishes and ideas and taking into account his or her anatomy and health, said Tattooskull Studio founder and tattoo artist Ruslan Batyrbayev. Batyrbayev is a self-made tattoo artist. He was born in a lawyers’ family and followed the example…

Central Asian nations discuss security, environment and other regional issues in Tashkent

ASTANA – Experts from the Central Asian countries, and beyond, agreed at a Feb. 19-20 conference in Tashkent to continue supporting cooperation in security, connectivity and environmental issues at the Feb. 19-20 conference in Tashkent. The conference titled Interconnection in Central Asia: Challenges and New Opportunities brought together more than 100 experts from 30 countries…

Korean culture, language are popular among young people, says Korean community leader

ASTANA – The Korean language and culture are popular among young people, said Chinson Korean Cultural Centre Chair Lyudmila Lim in an interview with The Astana Times. The Chinson Korean Cultural Centre of the Akmola region began its activities September 2015. There are 1,420 people of Korean nationality in the region, 336 of which live…

Astana Ballet to present globally recognised ballet

ASTANA – The Astana Ballet will present four one-act ballets on International Women’s Day, March 8. Among them are “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” ballet by American choreographer William Forsythe, “A Fuego Lento,” “Love, Fear, Loss” and “Silent Voices” by Brazilian choreographer Ricardo Amarante. The “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” ballet, a globally recognised masterpiece,…

Astana Akim discusses healthcare, housing and other issues with Astana residents

ASTANA – Astana Akim (Mayor) Bakhyt Sultanov discussed housing, medicine, education, ecology, security and other issues with citizens at the Feb. 20 annual reporting meeting. The meeting came as the city administration is seeking to help large families with housing, increase educational options and bring gas power to the outskirts of the city. About 5,000…

Martian landscapes on Earth: Kiin-Kerish Valley and Shekelmes Cape

ASTANA – Kiin-Kerish Valley and Shekelmes Cape in the East Kazakhstan region are famous for their red, orange and white-coloured landscapes that resemble the surface of the moon. Although the destinations are not easy to reach, their astounding views attract many tourists and travellers. Kiin-Kerish Valley, located 120 kilometres from Kurshim village, occupies an area…

Zaisan Lake residents investing in tourism infrastructure

ASTANA – Zaisan Lake’s rich and diverse fish stocks are attracting fishing enthusiasts from within Kazakhstan and from neighbouring Russia. Now, the local population has built a hotel for their winter visitors and are planning more infrastructure improvements. Zaisan Lake lies 60 kilometres from the Chinese border between the Altai, Qalba and Tarbagatai mountain ranges…

Kazakh skater wins silver at Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

ASTANA – Kazakh figure skater Elizabet Tursynbayeva won the women’s singles silver medal at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Anaheim, California (U.S.). She placed sixth in her short programme, but the 139.37 points in her free programme gave her a combined total of 207.46 points and the second-place finish. Japanese skaters Rika Kihira…

Kazakh Senate passes laws to modernise judicial system

ASTANA – The Kazakh Senate passed two laws aimed at modernising the judicial system, including qualitative developing and renewing of judicial personnel, strengthening guarantees of judges’ independence and eliminating illegitimate influence on them. The Senators adopted the Constitutional Law “On Amendments and Additions to the Constitutional Law of Kazakhstan ‘On the Judicial System and the…

Kazakh tennis player wins one leg of ATP Challenger Tour

ASTANA – Kazakh tennis player Alexander Bublik won the 2019 Hungarian Challenger Open, an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Tour tournament, held Feb. 4-10 in Budapest. Bublik beat Italian Roberto Marcora in the finals 6-0, 6-3. During the 55-minute game, the 21-year-old served five breaks and seven aces, making just two mistakes. Marcora, 29,…

Contemporary Uzbek art on display at Astana exhibition

ASTANA – The Kazakh National Museum is presenting an exhibition of contemporary Uzbek photos and paintings. The show, running through March, gives visitors an opportunity to analyse the modern character and image of the country’s fine arts of the last decade. Guests will see the changes in traditions and structure of the national identity that…