Modern, Safe and Full of Surprises: Why Kazakhstan Should Be on Your Radar
Kazakhstan is nothing like the other ‘stans’. A modern country but unknown to most western tourists, first-time visitors are in for some great surprises.
About Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is where apples, garlic and tulips come from, it boasts the world’s newest capital city and it’s the home of space travel. Its huge cosmodrome in Baikonur is where the first satellite, Sputnik, was launched and the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, who orbited the earth in a two-hour flight almost sixty-five years ago. Baikonur is still active today and one of its roles is to supply the International Space Station.
The world’s largest landlocked country, and ninth largest overall, Kazakhstan is home to just 21 million people, so it’s not surprising that there is plenty of open space. Its two major cities are Almaty, the former capital, and Astana, the new purpose-built capital, and it was these two cities I was heading for.
Almaty
My overnight flight from Heathrow to Almaty with Air Astana was very comfortable. Indeed, the airline itself is another pleasant discovery. Originally a joint venture between the Kazakhstan Government and the UK’s BAE Systems, its President and CEO is Peter Foster who, in 2015, was awarded the OBE for his services to aviation. The airline has won ‘Best Airline in Central Asia and CIS’ fourteen years in a row.
After a short transfer to my hotel there was time to rest after the overnight flight before heading out for an early evening exploration and dinner. Looking out of my hotel window onto a busy road with traffic streaming in and out of the city, I was surprised to see a number of people ‘thumbing’ lifts from passing motorists, underlining just how safe the country is.
Almaty, whose name is derived from the Kazakh word for apples, was the country’s capital city until 1997. It is still its largest and, for many, the commercial hub. There are numerous good hotels and restaurants as well as nightclubs and entertainment. A room for up to three people at the Holiday Inn where I stayed cost around £60–90 a night.
After a welcome dinner, a good night’s sleep and a buffet breakfast next morning I set out with my guide to discover more of this lively metropolis. Probably the best-known attraction is the Russian Orthodox Ascension Cathedral, also known as the Zenkov Cathedral after its architect Andrei Zenkov. Completed in 1907, it’s made entirely of wood, built without nails and is the world’s largest wooden cathedral. It’s situated in Panfilov Park, a delightful area named after the regiment from which twenty-eight guardsmen died during the battle of Moscow in WWII. A memorial to them contains part of the Berlin Wall.
Later, a stop at the Rakhat factory shop produced another surprise. Kazakhstan makes wonderful chocolate. Sadly, the shop did not allow photography inside but I can vouch for the excellence of the wide range of confectionery on sale.
One of the reasons for moving the capital was the threat to Almaty of earthquakes and mudslides from the nearby Tien-Shan mountain range. However, visitors need not be concerned as the buildings are constructed with that in mind and the Medeu Dam, a large barrier of rocks and rubble, protects the city from mudslides.
On the plus side, the then occupying Russian soldiers built a huge speed skating rink at the dam which, at 1,691m (5,500ft), is the world’s highest and just a short journey from the city centre. The quality of the ice is superb and over two hundred world records have been broken there. The rink is in a dip, surrounded by trees, and is something of a winter suntrap. My guide told me, with a wistful look in his eye, that girls often skate in bikinis and it’s where many young men meet their future wives. Speed skating meets speed dating!
From there I took two chairlifts to the top of the mountain and the start of the ski runs, then back down for lunch at Shymbulak, a lovely alpine-style resort. It narrowly lost out to Beijing to host the Winter Olympics and numbers Prince Harry amongst its former guests. I was in no hurry to leave this delightful spot so it was late afternoon by the time I made it back to the centre of Almaty.
Astana
Next morning I headed back to the airport and took the ninety-minute flight to the new capital, Astana. Built in the middle of the Steppe and five hundred miles from anywhere, a number of architects were invited to design buildings for the new capital, making it something of an architectural centre of excellence.
My first stop was the semi-transparent and conical-shaped Khan Shatyr, designed by Norman Foster. A shopping and entertainment centre, it’s officially the world’s largest tent. On the top floor I ventured into the members-only Sky Beach Club, complete with tropical climate, sandy beach, palm trees and sunbeds. How bizarre that for around £25 you can have a day at the seaside in the world’s largest landlocked country.
Another Norman Foster building is the pyramid-shaped Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. It hosted the inaugural Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2003, which has since become a triennial event. It also houses a 1,500-seat theatre and various educational facilities.
Continuing my building-spotting tour I saw an art gallery built like a doggie-bowl and an opera house, home to both opera and ballet, constructed in the style of an ancient Roman temple. The Presidential Palace looked like a cross between a mosque and the White House and next to it, probably my favourite, was an ultra-modern concert hall.
The national museum is also situated in Astana and has a fascinating exhibition of historical and cultural artefacts. However, the stand-out place for me was the Gold Hall. It was crammed full of gold ornaments and even a suit of armour, all appearing brand new, despite dating back to the 4th century BC and beyond. It looked more like a vast Bond Street jeweller’s than a museum.
Dominating the city is the Baiterek Tower. It’s the perfect place from which to get a complete view of the city and its top floor and observation platform is at a height of 97m to commemorate the fact that Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997.
Kazakhstan is modern, wealthy, safe and full of lovely surprises. Visiting its contrasting two main cities is certainly a great way to experience some of the best the country has to offer.
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[Image Credits | Mike Pickup]
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