Astana is like a flower, grew and blossomed in the midst of a hot steppe. A small provincial town of the 90s in just ten years turned into the ultramodern capital of a new independent Kazakhstan.
Location of the city
The city is located in the north of the Kazakh melkosopochnik Sary-Arka. The Esil River flows through the city and several small right tributaries. In the late 70's on the river at 70 km. from the city was built Vyacheslav (now Astana) reservoir, which is now the main source of water supply to the capital. On the territories adjacent to the city there are many small fresh and salt lakes rich in fish.
City `s history
The history of the foundation and development of Astana is very closely connected with the history of the entire state. In 1831, the northern regions of modern Kazakhstan entered the citizenship of the strongest at that time the Russian Empire. This was done to protect the Kazakh lands from ravaging and weakening the country invasions of foreign invaders. And already in 1832 on the right bank of the Ishim River in the territory of Karaotkel the military fortification of Akmolinsk was erected. It was built to protect the southern borders of the Kazakh steppes from the dzhungar, repeatedly disturbing the local population. The fortress perfectly coped with its tasks and over time the military fortification grew to the scale of the city. Later the name of the city was transferred to the whole region and Akmolinsk became an oblast center. The city has always developed at an intensive pace. Although now he is not even two hundred years old, he changed several names: Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, Astana. If the name Akmolinsk connects the history of the city with the Russian Empire, then Tselinograd - with the Soviet period as part of Russia. The name of the city means "the city of virgin lands", which at that time began to actively develop. The implementation of a grandiose program in its scale led to the construction of a railway station through which a railway branch line was laid. It is through it from around the Union thousands and millions of workers came here to the virgin land. And now Akmola region is considered one of the richest in growing wheat. In 1992, after gaining independence, Kazakhstan decided to restore the historical name of the city - Akmola, but in the Kazakh version of the pronunciation. The city acquired its next name in 1998, when the capital was moved from Almaty. As you can see, the history of Astana is also the history of the emergence of a new Kazakhstan. Today Astana is the youngest capital in the world. The present Astana is a completely different city. The mayor of Moscow, having visited the renovated Astana, said: "Astana is just the beginning, I feel here the dynamism of the future of Kazakhstan." Astana is rightly considered the face of a state that has embarked on the path of revival and development.
sights
Sights Astana is a city where the opportunities of modern architecture were manifested. The main idea of building Astana is the embodiment in architecture of the combination of the rationality of the West and the elegance of the East, the grandeur of Europe and the originality of Asia. In the construction of the city, in changing its appearance, the most advanced technologies and innovative methods of town planning art of the 21st century were applied. World-famous architects embodied their best projects here. The bridgehead for this was the left bank of the Yesil River, which until recently was empty. On a completely uninhabited territory, where high steppe grass used to be pricking, began to erect magnificent buildings of the new capital. Among them, the symbol of Kazakhstan and the renewed Astana, sparkling Baiterek. The top of the 105-meter high is crowned by a rotating gilded ball with a diameter of 22 meters. With huge wings covering the sky, the sacred bird Samruk flies. She aspires to Baiterek, the Tree of Life, in order to hide in her high crown, a golden egg - the Sun, which gives life and hope. And below, at the roots, awaits the hungry dragon Aidahar, calling for night to replace the day, winter to replace the summer. This is how the eternal struggle of good and evil takes place where, at the junction of the worlds, the World River carries its waters, on the bank of which Baiterek rises, holding back the earth with roots, supporting the sky ... UNESCO International Organization awarded Astana the title of "City of Peace". In 2001, Pope John Paul II visited Astana, thereby assessing Kazakhstan's contribution to the solution of religious problems. Especially for the "Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions" the Peace Palace was built - a unique pyramidal building. The pyramid is rightfully recognized as the center of religious studies and religious tolerance. Hall "Cheops Atrium" admires the whiteness and nobility of marble. In Pyramid there is a concert-opera hall equipped with the latest equipment. In Astana, there are many other amazing buildings, which need to be told separately. It is an entertainment center "Duman", the most distant from the sea is an oceanarium with exotic marine inhabitants. In addition to the oceanarium in "Duman" there is a three-dimensional cinema, a slot machine hall, a bowling alley, a night club, a hotel, cafes and restaurants. In Astana there is also a wonderful Circus, whose building resembles a flying saucer, On the water-green boulevard,
Culture
Culture There are many museums, exhibition complexes, educational institutions, libraries in Astana. There are several theaters, among them - the National Theater of Opera and Ballet named after K. Bayseitova, the Kazakh Music and Drama Theater. K. Kuanyshbaeva, Russian Drama Theater named after M. Gorky. There are 17 libraries in Astana, including the National Academic Library and the Presidential Center for Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In the latter there is also a museum that will acquaint you with the history of the city and with the history of the country. The most interesting are the Museum of the First President, the Palace of Peace and Harmony, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum named after Saken Seifullin. Ethnographic park "Map of Kazakhstan Atameken" is a unique open-air museum. Mountains, hills, steppes, forests, lakes,
Economy of the city
Economy of the city The transfer of the capital to Astana caused the growth of the city's economy, it became a powerful stimulus for further development. Today in Astana 70 large legal entities and 72,4 thousand small and medium business entities are registered in various spheres of the economy. All these enterprises meet the city's needs for food and clothing, consumer goods, building materials, transport, and services. Now Astana is the leader in the pace of construction in the country. Astana as a city of business and construction attracts numerous investors and businessmen from abroad. Astana today is a broad platform for holding business forums of various levels, from regional to international. The country's authorities and city leaders are often the initiators of their holding in Astana.
Transport
Public transport to the capital is represented by a bus service and a fixed-route taxi. The fare is 60 and 65 tenge. respectively. To the airport, which is 16 km. from the city, you can get on routes 10 and 12. The traffic starts at 4.00 and closes at 23.30. At night, you can only go there by taxi. The Astana station is a major junction of the railways. From here a lot of direct routes to the largest cities of Kazakhstan are laid. Astana is also a major junction of highways. The city passes the motorways M-36 Chelyabinsk-Alma-Ata and A-343 Astana-Petropavlovsk. The international airport, located 16 km from Astana, is one of the most modern airports on the Eurasian continent. The airport serves 13 airlines that perform regular passenger flights within the country and to countries of the near and far abroad. Today the airport is well equipped and has the ability to take all types of aircraft.
Heraldry
The emblem is based on the circle as an expression of the idea of perfection, absolute and eternity. The central element is the union of two symbols - Baiterek and Shanyrak. Baiterek is a world tree that is the personification of the universe. Shanyrak is understood as a point of transition of the immensity of the universe to a home. At the base of Baiterek there is an ornament "құсқанаты" - bird wings, which goes back to the stylized depiction of the mythical bird "Samruk". This idea is key in the symbolic design of the left bank (the shadow of the soaring bird Samruk flying out of the nest, stretched out on the Presidential Park). The whole space of the coat of arms is divided into two rings, having a figurative explanation. The outer ring is a deep layer of the history of the great steppe. The red color of the outer ring goes back to the cleansing power of Fire. In the fire the Turks saw the elements of life, with which the ideas of birth, growth and development were associated. The red rim symbolizes a fiery gate, passing through which everyone is cleansed by the spirit and filled with power. The color "Celestial Azure" is the color of the national flag, emphasizing the central place of the idea of independence in national ideology. The flag of the city is blue. In the center, the coat of arms of Astana is depicted, from which the yellow rays of the sun diverge in all directions.
Climate
Astana is located in a zone of sharply continental climate. Winters are cold here, sometimes severe, snow falls a little. In the summer, a bright sun shines here, warming the air to +20 - +30 C. Winter is long, lasts 4-5 months, and summer is shorter, it lasts just over three months.
Population of the city: 688 thousand people
Telephone code: intercity code for Kazakhstan - 8 - 7172, international - 7 - 107 - 7172
Postal code: 010000
