Kabdulkairov 1

Mansur Kabdulkairov

ENGW 1111

05/20/2024

Almaty – The City of Nomads.

In the center of Eurasia, thousands of kilometers from the oceans is the largest country in

Central Asia - Kazakhstan. In the southeast of Kazakhstan, at the foot of the Tien Shan

Mountains, lies the country's largest city, Almaty. Located between the steppe and mountains,

the city is filled with parks and squares; streets are covered with flowers and the whole city is

dotted in its symbol – apple trees. At the same time, the downtown is filled with futuristic

business center buildings and shopping mall towers. However, it was not always like this.

Photo of the city center from the height of the 20th floor taken in summer 2023. This part of
the city includes most modern business centers, entertainment facilities and multistory
residential complexes.
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Photo of the Esentai Mall (the biggest shopping mall in the city) and Esentai Tower, with The
Ritz-Carlton hotel in it. Being one of the most expensive private buildings in the city, the
Esentai Tower is located at the intersection of the mountain river and the Al-Farabi Avenue.

The current Almaty was initially founded in the 19th century on the remnants of an

ancient city by forces of the Russian Empire as a fort to control the Kazakh territories. The city

was originally named Verny, which means loyal in Russian. Over time, the families of Cossacks

(military units of the Russian Empire), service personnel, and other civilians entered the fortress,

resulting in its expansion into a full-fledged city. After the revolution and subsequent civil war in

Russia, in 1918, the city came under the control of the Soviet troops, after which, in 1922, the era

of the Soviet Union began. Since 1991, the city has remained the most populated city of

independent Kazakhstan.
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Residents of Almaty divide the city not into the northern and southern parts but into the

upper and lower ones. This is due to the city’s location at the foot of the mountains, so the

southern part is at a higher altitude than the northern part. As the local student Vladislav

explains, “Only the people of Almaty will search for the top and bottom in any city across the

globe, and for different Almaty residents, these directions will always align.”. One of the main

roads of the city is Al-Farabi Avenue. This road runs from the city’s eastern edge almost to the

western edge. It is the conventional boundary between the upper and central parts of the city. At

the same time, there is no pronounced border between the middle of the city and the lower part.

Mountain view from Republic Square in the center of the city. The mountains are close enough
to be visible from any point in the city.

When one arrives in Almaty, the first object that catches his or her gaze will be the mountains.

Although these mountains are technically outside the city’s boundaries, they host numerous
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resorts and recreational areas. One of them is The Big Almaty Lake. Located between the peaks

of the Trans-Ili Alatau (the Tien Shan Mountain range near Almaty), this lake is filled with

tourists, families, and young couples all year round. Below, within a 30-minute drive from

Almaty, the city’s main attractions: the skiing complex Shymbulak and, connected with it by

land road and cable car, High-Altitude Sport Complex Medeu. They are both open year-round. In

summer, the Shymbulak is open for hiking and horseback riding, while the Medeu houses an ice

rink overlooking the snowy mountain tops on one side and the city below on the other.

The view of The Big Almaty Lake during Spring of 2022. The inhabitants of the city compare
its beauty with that of the Swiss mountain lakes. (Kim)
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Photo of High-Altitude Sport Complex Medeu taken from the Medeu-Shimbulak road summer
2021.

The upper part of the city (above Al-Farabi Avenue) is mainly a high-end residential

sector with many private houses and schools, cottage towns, and luxury restaurants. The largest

park in the city, The First President Park, is also located there. The entrance to the park is

decorated with an enormous arch and a complex of fountains behind it. A unique feature of this

park is that a small ice-skating rink in winter operates on the square in front of the entrance.
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Morning city view made with private house in the upper part of town. Photo demonstrates how
the private sectors at the foot of the mountains flow smoothly into the densely built-up areas of
the city center

Photo of one of the cottage towns in the uptown in the winter of 2021. The photo was taken
the morning after a snowstorm and shows both the architecture of the cottage town and the
typical large amount of precipitation.
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The Soviet era marked a significant chapter in Almaty's history. With the formation of

the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the city was renamed Alma-Ata and became

its capital in 1927. This change facilitated economic investments, fueling the city's development.

This greatly affected the central and lower parts of the city because to this day most of the

buildings there were either built during the Soviet period or are echoes of Soviet architecture.

The era saw the construction of major productions, museums, residential sectors, markets, and

municipal buildings, including the airport, universities, schools, and hospitals, shaping the city's

modern landscape. Many of these buildings are still in use to this day.

Photo of a residential area in the central part of the city. This is an excellent example of Soviet
five-story residential complexes preserved in the city.
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View from the 18th floor overlooking the downtown area. The photo shows both high-rise
buildings and small Soviet-era apartment buildings.

Almaty’s architecture is a testament to its historical journey. The cityscape is a blend

of classic Soviet style, with grand buildings decorated with marble columns from the Stalinist era

and more modest designs from the late Soviet period and the reign of Nikita Khrushchev. The

city is filled with small, five-story apartment complexes, a common sight in all countries of the

former USSR, and narrow streets lined with abundant parks, a nod to the city’s commitment to

green spaces.

In addition, during World War II and The Harnessing of Tselina (the name of

unexploited, “virgin” lands), huge numbers of Koreans, Ukrainians, Russians, and residents of

other nearby states were relocated to the city. This was due first to the German occupation of

parts of the USSR, and then to mass migrations for the purpose of developing Tselina. Many of

these people were successfully assimilated, so many representatives of these ethnic groups live in
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the city today. According to residents, “In Kazakhstan and Almaty in particular, many Koreans

and Russians have lived longer than my entire family. Sometimes I think that such people are

more Kazakh than I am” (Yermakhanov). For this reason, the prevailing language of

communication in Almaty, as opposed to western and southern Kazakhstan, is not Kazakh but

Russian.

Photo of Almaty students at the 1986 protests. Some of them hold a placard with the
inscription: “We are for free voluntary rapprochement and merger, not for forced...”. This
phrase demonstrates that the protesters at that time were not trying to achieve secession from
the USSR but wanted to decide their own fate within the union.

However, the inhabitants of the city, as well as the whole of Kazakhstan throughout

history, wanted independence. This was reflected both in the form of public demonstrations and

in more subtle ways, such as in the design of the city’s most important buildings. Some examples

of such buildings are the Hotel Kazakhstan and the Almaty Circus. In addition, the leading

example of public demonstrations by Almaty citizens in the USSR are student rallies in

December 1986. The reason for discontent was the decision to change Kazakhstan’s Communist
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Party leader. Previously, this position had been held by Dinmukhamed Kunayev, a respected

figure among the people of Kazakhstan, who often came into conflict with the top leadership of

the USSR in protecting the interests of Kazakhstan; he was replaced by Gennady Kolbin, who

was unknown to the public. The demonstrations were brutally suppressed: thousands of people

were detained, and some were even killed. However, this only strengthened the people’s

discontent with the Soviet regime and, as Jeremy Bransten and Abdougani Jiyenday state, was

“the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union.

Photo of territory of the Hotel “Kazakhstan” in independent Kazakhstan in late 1990s. The
building was created in the form of a wheat colossus, symbolizing the development of the
Tselina by the Kazakh people.
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Photo of construction of the Hotel “Kazakhstan” in 1976. Despite the attempts to erase the
national identity of Kazakhs, inscriptions in the Kazakh language are already visible on the
building at that time.
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Photo of a Kazakh State Circus located in Almaty in 1980s. The Circus of Almaty has a cone
shape with a round roof: this design is inspired by the traditional Kazakh dwelling—the
yurt. The open roof of the yurt, the shanyrak, symbolizes the absence of borders and is a
national symbol of freedom.

After the collapse of the USSR, Almaty gradually developed until 2022. This year is a

mournful year for many residents as the largest and most violent mass protests in the country

since the Soviet Union took place in the winter of this year. Residents were dissatisfied with the

sharp increase in the price of liquefied gas, which led to protests, which within two days turned

into armed clashes with the police, storming of government buildings (police departments and

airport) and other riots. The demonstrations quickly turned into a chaos, with some people

fighting for their rights and some people just taking advantage of the lawlessness. As Amirlan

says: “My father, as well as other residents of the neighborhood, took up arms and went to the
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gates of their homes at night to protect their families from the raging mob. At the same time,

Zhangir said that he had to fire a series of warning shots to drive the protesters out of the hotel

where he stayed on the night of January 5-6. President Tokayev called the events a terrorist

attack (“Kazakhstan unrest”), which many residents disagree with “This is not a terrorist attack,

but it's not an ordinary protest either.” (Kim). In Vladislav's opinion, someone used the protest to

cover up the coup attempt: “if it was just a crowd, there would have been no seizure of important

administrative facilities, the airport, and the head of the National Security Committee would

hardly have been arrested for state treason”. These events brought major changes in the political

order of the city, and changed the people of the city forever. Price changes and government

restructuring led to a de-escalation of the conflict and gradually the city coped with the tragedy.

Military personnel surrounded by armored personnel carriers and other military vehicles
guard the Akimat building (the equivalent of City Hall) during the beginning of the winter
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events. Despite the defense, the building would later be set on fire by extremists and
completely demolished after the protests ended.

Several burned police cars on the night of January 4-5. This photo clearly shows the
development rate of events. In less than 6 hours peaceful protests turned into mass destruction.

Today, Almaty is the most developed city of the Republic. The city is a unique example

of unification of different cultures and epochs. During its history, the city has experienced

different political systems and turmoil. However, the city remains one of the safest, peaceful and

economically stable settlements in Kazakhstan.

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Works Cited

Bransten, Jeremy, and Abdougani Jiyenday. “Kazakhstan: Almaty - A Look Back to Events of

December, 1986.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, RFE/RL, 9 Apr. 2008,

www.rferl.org/a/1082701.html.

Kabdulkair, Zhangir. Personal Interview. Conducted by Kabdulkairov Mansur. May 22, 2024

“Kazakhstan Unrest”. “Kazakhstan Unrest: Troops Ordered to Fire without Warning.” BBC

News, BBC, 7 Jan. 2022, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59907235.

Kim, Vladislav. Personal Interview. Conducted by Kabdulkairov Mansur. May 23, 2024

Yermakhanov, Amirlan. Personal Interview. Conducted by Kabdulkairov Mansur. May 22, 2024