Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – Forty-five-year old Umarzhan Urakhunov returned to Kazakhstan Jan. 24 after an epic round-the-world tour lasting five months. The Almaty resident set a goal to set foot on all seven continents and visit African tribes, having only three visas and knowing nothing of foreign languages.  The Astana Times interviewed the enthusiastic traveller about his…

ASTANA – The inflow of direct Chinese investment in the economy of Kazakhstan amounted to $623.9 million between January and September last year, seven times higher than in 2015, finprom.kz reports. However, the reverse trade activity continues to fall. Gross outflows from Kazakhstan to China decreased 3 percent to $41.1 million in the reporting period.…

ASTANA – The Light Industry Enterprises Association has released its first collection of clothing for people with special needs in partnership with the Ministry of Healthcare as part of the Adaptive Clothing and Shoes project. “Prior to the designing and production of clothes, we conducted a survey among people with limited abilities to determine their…

ASTANA – Two days of international talks in Astana to extend the cease-fire in Syria brokered Dec. 29 by Russia and Turkey opened Jan. 23. The talks are expected to pave the way for Feb. 8 negotiations in Geneva under the UN auspices. Monday’s meeting is the largest gathering to date in terms of parties…

ASTANA – Amendments to migration legislation on citizens’ temporary registration entered into force this month in Kazakhstan, evoking disputes among the population all over the country. New rules are supposed to tighten laws against terrorism. According to Galina Sarsenova, deputy head of the Migration Police Department, the absence of registration may result in the issuing…

ASTANA – Nordic Walking, started in Finland, is drawing attention as a sport suitable for people of all ages who enjoy being outdoors. Three years ago, Almaty resident Maxim Proshchenko founded Eurasia, a Nordic Walking school certified by Nordic Walking International (NWI) headquartered in Germany. The school currently has instructors in the Kazakh capital, Karaganda,…

ASTANA – Investment in Kazakh agriculture increased 50 percent in 2016 totalling 228 billion tenge (US$686.96 million) compared to 148 billion tenge (US$445.92 million) a year earlier. According to General Manager of Assets of the Inspection Department at KazAgroFinance Tuleugazy Seisenov, the state constantly allocates significant funds to support agriculture. The government subsidises projects, provides…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Defence recently reported on the results of the Autumn 2016 Recruiting Campaign, which was distinguished by a qualitative growth in conscripts. The young recruits underwent examinations in several areas. In particular, attention was focused on the health, mental and emotional readiness of young soldiers and level of their education.…

ASTANA – When life gets rough, people need some motivation to keep up with their goals. Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter and director Turar Davilbekov is going to bring some of that motivation into Kazakh cinematography releasing his first full-length film “Bystree Sebya” (Faster than Myself) about perseverance and willpower. The Astana Times interviewed the young creative from…

ASTANA – Twenty-nine-year-old Almaty resident Gleb Ponomaryov recently released a dombra cover and video of Metallica’s “Battery,” which has sparked a great interest among internet users gaining almost 40,000 views in a few days. “As an old fan of the Metallica band, I always wanted to do a cover of one of their songs. I…

ASTANA – Citizens of Kazakhstan chose not one, but two of their countrymen to win the “Worthy Citizen of Kazakhstan” award in transparent online voting held from Nov. 15 to Dec. 25. Two candidates, Murat Kabylbayev and Marina Cheishvili, received the most votes in the project organised by BI Group, the largest investment and construction…

ASTANA – The Kasietty Zhol (Sacred Path) Public Foundation was established in 2009 to provide charitable assistance to children from underprivileged families, orphanages and children’s homes. Director Gulmira Abeldinova believes children have great capabilities; they only need a little help. In an interview with The Astana Times, she talked about the foundation’s activities, goals and…

ASTANA – The Winter Charity Ball, held traditionally in the Radisson Hotel Astana, is an enchanting event that brings together capital residents empathetic toward social problems affecting children. Bolashak Corporate Fund, with the support of the hotel and major companies, hosted the ninth annual ball Dec. 22 and raised more than 20 million tenge (US$60,640).  …

ASTANA – Karaganda resident Yuliya Ivanova is soon planning to embark on her first long-distance motorcycle ride. A group of experienced motorcyclists from the Russian city of Tyumen will accompany her. “This upcoming motorcycle ride will be a new experience for me. I am planning to cover 5,500 kilometres by motorcycle with my Russian friends.…

ASTANA – Kostanai was named the cleanest city in the country while residents of Temirtau, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semey complain the most about smog caused by industries, according to recent research conducted to reveal the cleanest city in Kazakhstan. People in Kazakhstan evaluated the quality of life in their cities on a scale from one to…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s school students have demonstrated high mathematics and science scores in the international assessment of knowledge. According to the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) released at the end of November, Kazakhstan’s 13 and 14-year-old students showed excellent knowledge in science achievements taking eighth place and students aged…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture announced the launch of a project to revive the Caspian, also known as the Turanian tiger population, in the country. A team of specialists will soon be created to begin the task, reported Today.kz. “Following the meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nyssanbayev held Nov.…

ASTANA – Ice slides and frozen sculptures of popular characters are beginning to appear in Astana ahead of the New Year’s celebration. The city’s largest ice town is set to welcome residents and guests near the Khan Shatyr Mall Dec. 19. The area near the mall will also hold an ice rink, a variety of…

ASTANA – Gulmira Abdrasheva has made her commitment to helping people from all across the country a reality by creating the Club Dobryakov Astana (Astana Club of Kind Souls). A great desire to save lives, improve people’s health and relieve fellow citizens in misfortune motivated her to launch the project. “A few years ago, I…

ASTANA – Kazakh professors and legal researchers talked about challenges and opportunities for Kazakhstan’s participation in international organisations at a Dec. 3 roundtable devoted to the 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Independence and election of Kazakhstan for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. “Membership in the UN Security Council is both honourable and…

ASTANA – The Specialised Inter-district Criminal Court of the Aktobe region has convicted 29 men in connection with Aktobe shootings that left eight civilians dead on June 5. Seven attackers have been sentenced to life in prison and two more received 25 and 22 years of imprisonment. All 29 accused were found guilty of committing…

ASTANA – Only 24 percent of Kazakh citizens believe people can stop corruption by refusing to pay a bribe whenever asked or wherever possible, according to the Transparency International survey. This year, Kazakhstan participated in the largest Global Corruption Barometer research held by the international civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. For its…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has presented a new model for prosecutors and anti-corruption services staff training, reported Tengrinews.kz. The nation is set to introduce a judicial training system for law enforcement agencies including the prosecutor’s office, economic investigations services and anti-corruption authorities, said law enforcement academy Rector Ulan Baizhanov. “We have not yet decided on the…

ASTANA – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Askar Myrzakhmetov recently met with delegates of the Italian company Inalca Eurasia, reported kazinform.kz. Inalca Eurasia represented Cremonini Group, which may participate in implementing an investment project to develop and produce a meat cluster, including feedlots, meat-packing plants and distribution centres, in the Almaty region as…

ASTANA – To tackle air pollution in Almaty, the United Nations (UN) has offered to introduce eco-labelling on vehicles to track cars entering the metropolis. The organisation noted the measure will provide useful carbon footprint information, reported Kapital.kz. The programme was reviewed at Urban Forum 2016 by Yelena Yerzakovich, Almaty City sustainable transport project manager…