Astana, Kazakhstan

Nur-Sultan, known until 2019 as Astana, is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan. Rich in oil, Kazakhstan boasts one of the most productive economies in central Asia, the profits from which are largely responsible for Nur-Sultan’s rapid growth since it was named the republic’s capital in 1997. Built on the great Asian steppe, Nur-Sultan’s recent development has included the creation of dramatic buildings and landscapes by architects from all over the world.

Landscape  

Nur-Sultan is located on the flat, windswept steppes of central Asia in north-central Kazakhstan. Situated more than 300 meters (1,100 feet) above sea level, Nur-Sultan lies alongside the left bank of the Ishim, or Esil, River, and measures roughly 800 square kilometers (309 square miles). Kazakhstan itself borders Russia and the Caspian Sea to the north and west, China to the east, and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the south.

Although Nur-Sultan is a separate political entity, geographically, the city is located within the province of Akmola, one of fourteen provinces that comprise the republic. Almaty, the former capital, is located southeast of Nur-Sultan along the Chinese-Kyrgyzstan border.

Named the capital in 1997 (at which time it was also given the name "Astana," which means "capital city" in Kazakh), Nur-Sultan is positioned at the crossroads of the Trans-Kazakhstan and South Siberian railroads and is laid out in a linear pattern, with a central axis connecting several noteworthy structures, including the presidential palace, senate and parliament buildings, and the famed Baiterek Tower. Broad avenues, an abundance of trees and flowers, and the Kazakhstan flag’s colors—blue and yellow—define the downtown district.

Original plans for Nur-Sultan were created by renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, who endeavored to combine man-made structures with natural landscapes, incorporating Kazakh culture, history, and landscape. Japanese architect Shokhan Mataibekov, Italian architect Manfredi Nicoletti, British architect Norman Foster, and Saudi developer Sheik Bakr bin Laden have also been instrumental in enacting the plans first laid out by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is considered the city’s chief architect and advocate.

Like the country itself, Nur-Sultan is landlocked, which influences its continental climate; other influencing conditions include the Chingiz-Tau Range and Kazakh Upland to the east and south, the Altai Mountains to the northeast, and the Ulutau Mountains to the south. Winters tend to be snowy and bitterly cold, with average temperatures ranging from –22 to –12 degrees Celsius (–8 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit) in January. Summer temperatures are more moderate, with average temperatures in July ranging from 12 to 27 degrees Celsius (54 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit). While as much as 44 percent of Kazakhstan is considered desert, receiving as little as 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain each year, Nur-Sultan is situated in the more fertile northern part of the country known for its grasslands, and averages 31 centimeters (12 inches) of rain annually.

People  

The population of Nur-Sultan is over 1 million (2018), making it Kazakhstan’s second largest city after Almaty. As Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union, Russians once dominated Nur-Sultan's population, but it now more closely mirrors the population in the country at large, where Kazakhs account for roughly 63 percent of the total, followed by Russians (24 percent), Uzbeks (2.9 percent), Ukrainians (2.1 percent), and Uighurs (1.4 percent; 2009 estimates). Predominant languages spoken include Kazakh and Russian, and major religions include Islam and Russian Orthodox.

Festivals are also an important part of the culture in Nur-Sultan. Nauryz (also spelled Nowruz), or the celebration of spring, originates from Persia (modern-day Iran) and is Kazakhstan’s most festive and widespread celebration, complete with traditional and modern music, cuisine, and parades. In addition, while Nur-Sultan is a relatively young capital, there are dozens of colleges and vocational schools located throughout the city.

Economy  

Kazakhstan is the tenth largest country in the world by area and, due in large part to plentiful oil reserves and mineral resources, the one of the richest countries in Central Asia. Profits from Kazakhstan’s oil industry have funded hundreds of projects in Nur-Sultan, designated a “special economic zone” that attracts foreign investment through reasonable customs and tax rates. In 2006, for example, the United States invested roughly $800 million in Nur-Sultan. By 2018, total domestic and foreign capital investment in Nur-Sultan reached 854 billion tenge (Kazakh currency), or $2 billion USD, of which 23 percent was foreign investment.

Services, construction, and transportation account for a significant portion of Nur-Sultan’s local economy, in addition to the manufacturing of agricultural machinery, consumer goods, and textiles, and the production of foodstuffs. Metallurgic and nonmetallurgic industries, in addition to rubber and plastics industries, also contribute to the city’s economy.

In 2013, the unemployment rate in Nur-Sultan was estimated at 5.6 percent, the lowest in the country. Nur-Sultan draws workers from the surrounding provinces.

Landmarks  

Because it is a relatively new modern capital, Nur-Sultan is in a state of near continuous construction, with architects and developers of international renown contributing to what is often considered one of the more eclectic, colorful, and dramatic capitals in the world. At the heart of each commission has been President Nazarbayev, who sees each building and monument created as a source of Kazakh pride. Not all Kazakhs are as enthusiastic, however, and point to hastily built structures, considered ostentatious by many. Many residents are concerned about the amount of money invested in projects that show early signs of deterioration.

Located along the main corridor in downtown Nur-Sultan is the Baiterek Tower. Fashioned after a Kazakh fable, this 105-meter (344 feet) tower symbolizes the Tree of Life, in which the mythical bird Samruk is said to have laid a golden egg each year. The tower’s observation platform includes a giant gold and silver palm imprint of President Nazarbayev.

Also located along this central axis is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, a 62-meter (203 feet) high pyramid designed by British architect Lord Norman Foster. The palace was originally designed to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which meets in Nur-Sultan every three years. In addition to conference facilities, the palace holds an opera house, a Kazakh heritage and studies center, a university, and a library. Stone and stained glass, created by artist Brian Clarke, distinguish the exterior.

Lord Foster was also commissioned to build the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, a soaring tent-like structure that sits along the northern end of the central axis and is modeled after a traditional yurt (tent) used by Kazakh nomads. At 100,000 square meters (,084 feet), the Khan Shatyr includes shops, restaurants, stadiums, and performance venues. In addition, Auditorium Astana, also a local focal point, was designed by Italian architect Manfredi Nicoletti and holds 3,500 seats, in addition to shops, restaurants, theaters, and exhibit halls.

History  

Nur-Sultan is located on the left bank of the Ishim River, opposite the old city, which is situated on the right bank on the former site of a nineteenth-century Russian military outpost. Formerly known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, and later Akmola, the city was named Astana in 1998, when it became the official capital of Kazakhstan. It was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019, in honor of long-serving Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who stepped down in March 2019 after nearly thirty years in office.

The steppe on which Nur-Sultan is founded was once occupied by Attila the Hun in the fifth century, and Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century. The Silk Road, a famous trade route that extended east to west across the southern portion of the country, and the Sable Route, which ran from southwestern Siberia through central Kazakhstan and into the Altai Mountains, were later established by Turkic and Arab tribes, introducing the region to European, Asian, and Arab customs and goods.

The Kazakhs lived a nomadic lifestyle by raising cattle and farming seasonally along the steppes. Although wars, revolts, and raids instigated by neighboring tribes were not uncommon during this period, the Kazakhs maintained total or partial control over the land until the late 1800s, when Russia conquered the last of the three hordes.

Nearly a century of revolts ensued, with Kazakhstan eventually becoming a republic under the control of the Soviet Union in 1936. The Soviets industrialized segments of the country and introduced ill-received reforms, including agricultural collectivism, permanent-settlement policies, and mandates outlawing the practice of organized religions. Decades of political, religious, ethnic, and cultural upheaval followed, with more than one million Kazakhs dying from famine before the Soviet Union’s collapse and the establishment of an independent Kazakhstan in 1991.

While Nur-Sultan started as a Russian military outpost located at the intersections of the Trans-Kazakhstan and South Siberian railroads, during Soviet rule the settlement became an important industrial and agriculture hub instrumental in the Virgin and Idle Lands program (1953–65). Initiated by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, this program sought to transform the steppes from land historically used for grazing to fields replete with mass quantities of grains, including wheat.

After Kazakhstan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Nur-Sultan seemed an unlikely choice for a new capital. An important center for agribusiness and commerce during the Soviet era, Nur-Sultan nonetheless lacked the polish that characterized Almaty, the republic’s then capital. Yet President Nazarbayev saw in Nur-Sultan the opportunity to strengthen the country’s outward image and internal resolve by relocating the capital to the geographic center of the country.

Not only did this decision provide a sense of security by moving the capital away from the Chinese border, it also promoted growth of the Kazakh population in an area long dominated by Russians. The location of Nur-Sultan also offers vast amounts of land onto which the city can expand, and building from scratch has allowed the capital to reflect the nation’s rich cultural, historic, and natural resources.

Bibliography

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