About Astana

Astana (former Akmola) was announced the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan on December 10,1997 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan of October 20,1997 on approval by the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The International presentation of Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan was held on June 10, 1998.

Nowadays the city`s area is more than 200 sq.km.

In 1999 according to the resolution of UNESCO astana was awarded with a medal and the honourable title of "City of Peace".


The first ever capital of Kazakhstan since 1920 had been the city of Orenburg (now included in the Russian Federation).

In 1925 the capital of Kazakhstan was transferred to Kzyl-Orda.

Construction of the Turksib railway served the basic reason for transferring the capital to Alma-Ata. Legally the event occurred on April 3, 1927 while de facto the transfer was effected in 1929.

As to the transfer of the capital from Almaty to Akmola it is prompted by economic, ecological and geographic expediency. First, Almaty is but too far from the actual geographic centre of the Republic. Besides the population of the city is nearing the 1,500,000 mark with no further prospects of spacial accomodation. In fact the city is fairly overbuilt, densely populated and can afford no spare areas for its development. No less acute are transport problems. Year in year out ecological condition of the "southern capital" deteriorates dramatically: virtually, in terms of aggravated environmental pollution it may well be rated as one of the topmost among Kazakhstani cities. Upon a thorough study of the entire territory of Kazakhstan subject to 32 parameters including social-and-economic indices, climate, landscape, seismic condition, natural environment, engineering and transport infrastructure, construction facilities, labour resources and others the city of Akmola was chosen as the most optimum alternative of all.


Overall condition of the city, its territory, its being virtually the geographic centre of Kazakhstan, its proximity to major economic regions on the crossroads of important arterial lines, an opportunity of bringing the number of the population up to 400,000 people, pretty stable heat-, water- and power supplies, well-developed transport infrastructure, balanced natural environment - all these factors came to be decisive in making the choice. The history of Akmola starts from the year of 1830 when they launched construction of an Akmola fortress in the area of Karautkul: "Akmola is the main town of the Akmola county pertaining to the region of Siberian Kyrhyzes on the Ishim river.

Being geographically central with regard to the whole of the area it is linked with the township of Kargaly by picket roads and lines in the East, with the fortification of Aktau in the South, with the Atbasar stanitsa in the West and - through the latter - with the town of Kokchetav". This is an extract from the "Geographic-and-statistical Dictionary of the Russian Empire", issued in 1863 in St.Petersburg. Actually it testifies to the fact of the fairly advantageous geographical position of the city as early as those years. According to other sources Akmola steppes have always been a territory of inter-ethnic communication of various nations and cultures. In the middle of the first millenium BC it is through these steppes that the so called route through the Great Steppe ran, the very one mentioned by the great ancient Greek historian Herodotus. Subsequently it turned into the well known Grand Silk Route. Numerous caravan routes gave birth to cities with prosperous trade and handicrafts while the population - apart from traditional cattle breeding - was engaged in farming. Obviously these were perspective seats of civilization In the XIXth century too Akmola was a substantial commercial and economic centre in the steppe.

On July 16, 1863 Akmola was officially announced a district city. On October 21, 1868, in keeping with the "Provisional Regulation on Administration in Steppe Regions of Orenburg and in the West-Siberian General-Governorship" they set up an Akmolinsk region with its centre in the city of Omsk. In those days Omsk was the centre of the West-Siberian General Governorship. It may well be conjectured that the name of the Akmola region owns its name to the fact that they might have entertained an idea of transferring its centre to Akmola. This assumption maybe substantiated by the circumstance that in 1879 Major - General Dubelt submitted to the Ministry of Communications of Russia a project of constructing a railway to connect Tyumen with Akmolinsk. In the course of the first 30 years of its existence the population of Akmola numbered a trifle more than 2,000 people.

However, over the next 30 years, i.e. from the '60s to the '90s of the XIXth century the city's population became thrice as large as was mentioned in the collection "Volosts and settlements of the Akmolinsk region" issued in 1893 in St.Petersburg. Akmolinsk was an uyezd (district) city with a 6,428 - strong population which could boast of 3 churches, 5 schools and colleges and 3 factories. Such was the first stage in the brightest days of the development of the city. The second stage whose impact was paramount for the destiny of the city was the development of virgin lands.

In December 1960 the city numbering a mere 100,000 people turned into the centre of the Tselinny territory which embraced all northern regions of Kazakhstan. Shortly after, in 1961 Akmolinsk changed its name for Tselinograd. With time, in 1971, the Tselinny territory was abolished with the city of Tselinograd turning into the centre of the region. In 1992 the city was returned its former name - Akmola. There exist several versions of the origin of the city's name - Akmola. As the first one has it, the area of Akmola was given its name after that of a white-coloured lime-stone hill.

As Prokopius, a Byzantine writer maintains Huns called "mola" a high barrow, a fortress. According to yet another version, to the locality of Akmola that turned into a centre of holding trade fairs they would bring and trade plenty of cattle which was known for abundance and amazing variety of milk products (koumyss, shubat, etc.). Hence the name of the locality (literally "ak mol" - white abundance). Akmola as a "white sacred place": this is actually the translation version which has become the ultimate choice of the members of the Republican onomastic committee upon meticulous study of all available historical sources.

Akmola region lies in the North of the central part of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its territory is as large as 96,800 sq km. The relief is far from uniform: hillocky areas intermingled with low mountains, plain and river valleys. In the North we find spurs of the Kokshetau elevation, in the southern and south-eastern portions of the region it is "spurred"by the Saryarka (Kazakh hummocky topography) with plains in the North-East.


The climate is sharply continental with aridity rapidly increasing to the South. Average temperature in January - 14° - 18° C and +20° +24° C in July. In winter it can be as cold as - 40° C whereas summers are quite hot, sometimes above + 35° C, with dust-laden storms and hot dry winds. Season of warmth lasts 194-202 days while that of cold is as long as 163-171 days. Non-frost period lasts some 105-130 days. Annual precipitation amounts to 200-300 mm.


Largest rivers are the Ishim and the Nura with such lakes as the Tengh, Karasor, Korgalzhyn, Balyktykol, Kypshak. Fauna of the region numbers 55 species of animals, 180 species of birds and 30 species of fish. The rarest species of all are Pamir argali (arkhars), saker falcons, golden eagles, bustards, demoiselle cranes, steppe eagles, Dalmatian pelicans, little bustards, flamingo - all those entered in the Red Book. To protect rare disappearing species of animals on the territory of the region they have set up a Korgalzhyn state preserve and a number of game reserves. Vegetation in the region numbers 66 species. The area of all green plantations and similar massifs makes up 4,391.6 ha. The census of 1999 summed up the population of the region as 836,200 people. Population density is as high as 7.5 per 1 sq km. All in all Astana numbers 319.000 people (in 1999).

There function in the city quite a number of higher educational establishments with the L.Gumilyov Eurasian University among them. It is not only in Kazakhstan but also far beyond its confines that the scientific world is familiar with the works of experts of the A.Barayev Research Institute of Grain Farming. In Akmola one can find three museums, two drama theatres, branches of the Union of Writers and Artists of Kazakhstan, with over 40 newspapers and 2 literary magazines being published in the city.

Akmola region is by right one of the Republic's granaries, a big centre of agricultural machine-building. In fact it produces one fifth of all the grain, one tenth of cattle-breeding products with one fourth of grain being sold to the state. Areas under crops constitute 3422,6 ha. Just as well-developed is meat-and-milk cattle-breeding, pig-breeding, sheep-breeding, horse-breeding and poultry farming. The region's entrails harbour deposits of gold, uranium, bauxites, antimony, copper, lignites, caoline ores, quartz sands and other commercial minerals. Traditionally, development of industries in the region was associated with agriculture, with processing of agricultural raws. The region is fairly active in conducting foreign economic activities, it maintains mutually-advantageous relations with the states of both the near and the far abroad. Russia, Uzbekistan, Byelarus and Tajikistan are major trade partners thereof. Exported to CIS countries is primarily grain, meat, flour and milk products while imports consist in fuel and power resources, products of chemical industries, timber, saw-timber, paper, rolled stock of ferrous metals and consumer goods. From among foreign countries the main share of exports is shipped to the USA, China, France, Germany, Turkey and Austria. These countries receive uranium oxide, molybdenum, fertilizers. Prevailing in import deliveries are food products and machinery for agroindustrial complex.

Akmola and the northern region of the country joining thereto can afford tremendous prospects of development. Thus, concentrated in the North of Kazakhstan are all reserves of industrial diamonds ever prospected in the Republic, two thirds of tin, over 30% of zirconium, 25% of uranium and 15% of gold. No wonder that mining in the region has a fine chance of sustained development. Transfer of the country's capital to Akmola is sure to prompt ever greater influence exerted on neighbouring industrially developed regions - Karagandy, Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan and Kostanay ones. In addition it is a fine prerequisite for the development of entrepreneurship and businesses which would invariably trigger opening of main offices of (foreign) companies and firms, branches of major banks with eventual move of the banks themselves.

By 1999 top administrative management entities are expected to be concentrated here which would mean an influx of competent experts. Along with central managerial systems, entities providing for informational, technical, technological, trade and everyday attendance will receive a new powerful impetus. All this will enhance growth of commercial entities, firms, joint stock companies and the like both in Akmola and its suburbs. Sure enough, scope of local market in the capital would gain in diversity and capacity. Ever active become those spheres which cater for quality goods and services. In short, Akmola has every ground, both objective and subjective, to consolidate its positions in international agricultural business. Sustained development is the destiny of agricultural market, share market, currency market, major banks, insurance and transport companies, permanently functioning fairs and exhibitions and the like. Fine prospects are contemplated in development of transport and trade facilities.

Akmola is to become an important cultural and scientific centre of Kazakhstan. It is expected to create an up-to-date social and spiritual infrastructure, to open a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, new educational establishments, a National Library, a National Museum, a Picture Galery of Modern Fine Arts, a Centre for social-and-economic technologies, a Business-Centre, a Children's Park, an aquapark, various culture-oriented entities and healthcare establishments. Population in Akmola displays a manifest tendency for growth particularly due to the expansion of such vital spheres as transport, communication, public utilities and services. It is only natural that they expect a country-wide redistribution of manpower resources particularly those of highly qualified experts. Quantitative balance of educational and cultural establishments, public utility and servicing entities currently concentrated in Almaty will be upset in favour of the new capital. As follows from preliminary estimates, the population of Akmola by the year of 2005 might experience a rise of up to 450,000 people and up to 550,000 - by 2030.

Within the context of contemplated realization of plans and development of the economic potential of the region, starting early 1997 there functions in Akmola a mechanism and an extraordinary legal regime of the Akmola special economic zone, established by virtue of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan of October 9,1996. Three basic factors determine its expediency:

• First,it establishes a free customs zone which enables all natural and legal entities engaged in business activities within the confines of the city's territory enjoy the right to duty-free and non-taxable import of goods.
• Second, goods manufactured on the territory of the aforementioned special economic zone, are subject to exemption from customs duties when exported.
• Third, there has been introduced a concessional taxation regime which, first and foremost, applies to enterprises involved in construction and maintenance of real estates. These moves are aimed at enhancing Kazakhstani foreign investors, their participation in the economic development of the capital.

Over the year 1997 there has already been invested over 17 946,6 mln. tenge as capital investments in the fixed assets of the city of Akmola which signifies a 5.4-fold-excess of the respective level of 1996. Currently underway is active introduction of Turkish, Israeli, Italian and other capitals. No less active in terms of investing their assets are Kazakhstani businessmen. Among them one can mention such powerful firms as "Astana-holding", "Raimbek", "Accept", "Diamond" and others. There has been elaborated and is being implemented a special plan that implies rehabilitation and development of the economic potential of the new capital's region.

Akmola enterprises score first successes in overcoming the crisis through mastering new technologies and installing up-to-date production lines. We have initiated reorganization of major industrial giants which - in their former obsolete condition - are of no use for the new economic standards of the state. Underway is their restructuring and segmentation, launching ( on their basis) of new enterprises which are to manufacture sophisticated household appliances , of new entities to put out spare parts and to offer maintenance of agricultural equipment, of industries intended for manufacturing self-contained systems of power supply operating on liquid fuel, of those which render services to the population, etc. There has been launched an immense housing construction in the city. As early as 1997 the volume of construction and erection works made up 14,3 biln.tenge which is actually a 6.3-fold figure of the respective 1996 level. No less advanced is the programme of developing telecommunications whose target estimates forecast (by the year of 2000) a density of telephone network in Akmola to be as high as 30 apparatuses per every 100 residents of the capital.