Hertfordshire Press, a leading British publishing house, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Slovak Republic and the national company Kazakh Tourism, published one of the first books about Kazakhstan in the Slovak language called “101 zážitkov z Kazachstanu” (101 experiences from Kazakhstan). “101 zážitkov z Kazachstanu” is a vivid […]
Interview: Erlan Idrissov Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom AlthoughKazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, H.E. Erlan Idrissov, came from a creative and academic background (his father was a renowned Kazakh journalist, writer, and academic), he chose a very different career path. His father instilled in him the belief in the power of words, […]
Yespolov Tlektes is the Vice President and Academic at the National Academy of Sciences in the Republic of Kazakhstan. He is also the Chairman of the Board-Rector of the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University. He is also an academic of the Russian Agricultural Academy, the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. His scientific work […]
Elvira Svetlova was born in Russia. She graduated from Pedagogical University. After moving to Almaty, Elvira’s articles were published in many media sources. She also wrote several books. She received the title of Doctor of Creative Sciences and Teachings of the Moscow Academy of Sciences. OCA: Tell us about yourself and your creative activity/work ES: […]
Max Howard is a famous Disney producer, who has produced numerous bestsellers such as “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, “Saving Santa’, “The Little Mermaid”, “Aladdin”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “The Lion King”. He recently visited Kazakhstan for the “Almaty film festival” and gave a series of master classes. OCA therefore took the opportunity to speak […]
Business coach and owner of the “Elena Bezrukova Center” aimed at training and consulting,she is also practicing psychology. Her work experience over 26 years. More than 5000 specialists have been trained by her programm and now they successfully apply learned knowledge. Education: pedagogical, economic, psychological. Elena Bezrukova has Kazakh and international certificates for conducting training […]
In the modern world the idea of “how a wedding should look like” has changed and yet all we want for this day is for it to be perfect and remarkable. It does not matter what your nationality is or where you are from because in any county a bride and groom are extremely excited […]
In 2021 the L.N. Gumilyov ENU celebrates a quarter of a century since its birth. The young and promising university was founded on 23 May 1996 by merging two well-known universities – Akmola Civil Engineering Institute and Akmola Pedagogical Institute. The first intake of students amounted no more than 1000 people. The university was in […]
“Imagination is more important than knowledge,” — those words of Einstein might describe Yelena Bezrukova’s approach to art. She herself confesses that she has no professional training in art – she is entirely self-taught. But this has not been an obstacle to her pioneering the concept of projective graphics! But then the whole idea of […]
I used to dream of visiting Central Asia. For 12 years, first while studying in Russia, and then working in jobs connected with the Russian-speaking world, I longed to one day find myself in a city on the Silk Route, talking with the people, and immersing myself in the markets. In 2017 I booked a […]
Michael Gifford joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1981, with his first ambassador role coming in 2004 when he served as the British Ambassador to Yemen. He then moved to be the Deputy Head of Mission in Cairo before becoming the Ambassador to North Korea in October 2012. Following intensive Russian language training he […]
The Irish playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) never visited Central Asia, but given how he revelled in the American Wild West, with all its raw edges, I suspect he would similarly have loved the “new frontier” atmosphere of the steppes of Kazakhstan. However, that was not why I was invited to Almaty and Taras, to talk […]
Don’t underestimate the potency of soft power grounded in education and people-to-people contact. Both are the backbone of deepened relationships, and the global community needs to invest in strengthening those ties with the Central Asia region. Soft power is an axiom of international relations and multilateral ties. Within this framework, education and research is a […]
The recent international tourist forum “Ulytau-2019” in Nursultan City attracted participants from more than 30 countries, including the UK, USA, Italy, France and others. President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan announced that the government of the country would continue putting special attention and billions of dollars into promoting his country as a major tourist destination. Indeed, […]
The territory of Ile in Xinjiang was occupied by Russian troops in 1871. After ten years, in the year 1881-82, the Ile area was returned to China. For the second time (after Alaska) the Russian Empire refused the almost-conquered territory that was lying at its feet like a ripe melon … Ile area Numerous rivers, […]
After meeting eight young Kazakhs at the International Olympiads of Linguistics, I decided to fly from Canada to see my friends again and at the same time, discover the land of the Kazakhs… My name is Nathan Samson, I am now 18 years old and I study Linguistics at the University of Ottawa. Last year, […]
On May 15th 2019, the House of Friendship in Nur-Sultan hosted an exhibition dedicated to Chingiz Aitmatov entitled Tales of the Mountains and Steppes. The event was initiated by the Kyrgyzstan-Astana Ethnocultural Association and supported by The Eurasian Creative Guild (London). The main guest of the evening was Rosetta Aitmatova, the younger sister of Chingiz […]
‘Don’t divide music into the serious and frivolous. Music can only be good or bad. You can compose a magnificent simple song and trashy opera.’ — Naum Shafer There is a city located in the centre of Eurasia, on the territory of Kazakhstan. The city is named Pavlodar. It was founded in 1721 in the […]
The London DQ show is part of the Kazakh Culture Days in the UK, hosted by The Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan and supported by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Dimash Quadaibergen is an international, multiple award winning and world-famous Kazakh […]
A love of literature made me get involved with the challenging project of promoting Kazakh authors. The idea came to me 3 or 4 years ago and I started to be interested in different international literature contests in the world. I invested a lot of time and energy to reach my goal and find prospective […]
Take it how you like but having been based in Kyrgyzstan for two years now as a freelance consultant completing evaluations of developmental projects I’ve seen tourists to the country come and go and have reflected on my own experiences in the process too. I originally herald from the historic city of York in the […]
You may not have heard of it, but the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University has made significant advances for the years of educational activity. This national University of Kazakhstan puts its success down to fundamentally classical principles together with innovative footsteps. The reason for establishing this national university in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, was […]
Batya has been living in California since 10 months. At this age she was adopted by the wife of Raisel, so she turned out to be in the USA. Can you tell about your family? My family is very supportive of my decisions to play football in Kazakhstan. I have an older sister who attends […]
Just when her life felt right: new career, new home, new grandchildren, Janet Givens leaves it all behind and follows her new husband into the Peace Corps. Assigned to Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country finding its own way after generations under Soviet rule, Givens must also find a way to be in a world different […]
INTERVIEW WITH Bolot Shamshiev Few will know much about the cinema in Kyrgyzstan. What currently hampers its development is never aired and never makes the top priority list of state and international organizations. But there is a cinema to note and so Open Central Asia decided to meet one of its prominent players, the People’s […]
WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM OCA#28 SPRING 2018 Text by Nick Kochan The quest for international recognition drives many emerging markets. Kazakhstan has undoubtedly been better at it than many. The country has spent great effort and money building up an image as a modern state whose leaders can sit at the top table with world leaders. This effort […]
Azat Akimbek is a distinguished expert in art and antiques and a well-known philanthropist in Kazakhstan. He is renowned for his unique collections of antiques from Central Asian, Caucasian and Russian heritage. Azat holds a special award ‘The Honorary Arts Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan’. In 2011, Akimbek was awarded the ‘Barys’ State Order […]
By showcasing the cultural, political and economic dynamism of this rapidly-developing region, the Forum hopes to spark interest amongst novices to the region, whilst enhancing the knowledge of experts. Beyond the conference, it has been working to establish an online platform for publishing and sharing content regarding Central Asia, including articles, videos and podcasts. The […]
Motto: «World without national or government borders! We are one! We are a single field!» Project description. Photo project “On the Great Silk Road” is a showcase of diverse eastern women living in Kazakhstan. This manifold is shown as a gallery of feminine types through images in eastern outfits. These are stylized eastern images of […]
‘Everyone has a book in them’, someone once said – I hope I have two or three! But ‘in them’ is not ‘out of them’,in public and it is the publication that gives birth to your ideas and exposes your soul. This may be why many people do not let the book loose or release […]
Today, expensive accessories made of precious metals and stones are replaced by accessories made from natural materials in ethnic style. The new trend opened new names for the world – young and talented masters. Handicraftsman from Central Asia, whose culture and history serve them as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, have succeeded in creating unusual […]
In the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, the international specialized exhibition “Expo-2017” has finished its work. It has continued for 3 months since 10’th of June to 10’th of September. There were 115 countries and 22 international organizations who has participated in EXPO. The exhibition was been visited by about 3 million people. The theme of […]
The site of a Silk Road oasis laid waste by the Mongols, the modern history of Almaty began with the construction of a Russian piedmont fort in 1854, around which a minor provincial centre grew. Upon hearing that Trotsky had been exiled to Alma-Ata in 1928, one of his enemies quipped that ‘even if he […]
The quest for international recognition drives many emerging markets. Kazakhstan has undoubtedly been better at it than many. The country has spent great effort and money building up an image as a modern state whose leaders can sit at the top table with world leaders. This effort at branding has been driven by the Kazakh […]
On the 19th of November, a Kazakh Classic Concert was held at London’s prestigious Guildhall to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The event was held in association with the embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Great Britain, Kazakh Gala Limited and the Eurasian Group Companies. The concert […]
Yerlan Sydykov, chancellor of the Eurasian National University named after Lev Nikolayevich Gumilyov (Kazakhstan, Astana), may not be a name familiar to those outside Central Asia, but many in the cultural community across the world will likely have come across his work at some point. Last year, his book “Shakarim” was presented at the University […]
One family’s return to Kazakhstan to visit the birthplace of their ancestor Alatau Tamchiboulac Atkinson, the son of British explorers Thomas and Lucy Atkinson, was born on 4th November 1848 in the tiny settlement of Kapal in the Zhetysu region of what is now Eastern Kazakhstan. 168 years later ten of his British, American and […]
The writer of a new book, entitled, “Abai and the Future of Kazakhstan” is no stranger to local audiences. Orazaly Sabden is best known, perhaps, as a scientist and public figure: an academician, as well as a winner of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan as best new author. Looking back, of course, […]
WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016 From 29th to 31st August, in Astana (Kazakhstan), the international conference “Building a Nuclear Weapon Free World” was held and dedicated to the closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. In one place parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations, civil activists, scholars as well as mayors and media from more than 50 […]
to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, H.E. Mr. Erzhan Kazykhanov WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016 Formerly Assistant to the President of the Republic of Khazakstan in 2008 and 2012-2014, His Excellency Mr Erzhan Kazykhanov has been privy to many of the recent developments in Kazakhstan’s political and economic arenas. Amongst a number […]
OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Maide Akan is a young writer, illustrator and eco-designer of Astana, Kazakhstan. She is just 11 years old and composes, writes and illustrates stories about Aysu who is a brave Kazakh girl who not only loves nature and animals, but also leads a bitter struggle with the environmental problems of […]
OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Despite being far from their motherland, Kazakh students in the UK are among the first to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Thus, the alliance of Kazakhs abroad “KazAlliance” organised an annual spring ball at Warwick University, one of the top universities in the UK. […]
OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Eugenette Morin It is calm, silent at the end of the Tian Shan mountain range in the Sayram-Ugum State National Park of South Kazakhstan. That won’t last as the sun rises early, snowy peaks glisten and birds break out into song. The view is breathtaking, bathed in the […]
OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM First ever Kazakh-British feature film has officially been hatched this spring with a working title ‘Flags over Berlin’. It’s a Second World War spy-flick with loads of action scenes, espionage, suspense, and … Love! We had a sneak preview of the first paragraphs of the film’s extended synopses courtesy of […]
OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Having Welsh descendants the glorious sport of Rugby is in my blood. My playing days are long gone but the enthusiasm and excitement of supporting a team and watching a live match still gets the adrenalin flowing. To my dismay when I arrived in Astana five years ago it was […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM A personal reflection by David Parry Words are not as they seem. They neither yield to linguistic analysis, nor allow an uninitiated mind to unravel their secrets. A staggering fact haunting Tamburlaine the Great (died 1405), ultimately frustrating Abai (1845-1904), although stimulating my colleague Sultan Raev (born 1958) in his […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM He who drives along the motorway from Russia into Belarus or vice versa will see no control posts either for cargo, vehicles or persons at the border. Further southeast, control posts between Russia and Kazakhstan are at an advanced stage of being dismantled. Together with Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, they make […]
On Sunday 6th December 2015, the Almaty International Women’s Club (AIWC) raised almost 1.5 million Tenge at its Winter Bazaar 2015. A core team of four volunteers managed to attract ad select over 40 local craft designers, set up three food stands, a play corner for the children and a big raffle. The event was […]
Born and brought up in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, Baroness Alison Suttie is perhaps not the most likely of fluent Russian speakers you might expect to meet. However, having graduated from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University in 1990 with a degree in French and Russian she then went on to study at Voronezh University in the […]
On 13th September 2015, the British Kazakh Society organised a charity marathon in Astana. The event was held with the support of the Rotary club of Astana. “BKS Air Astana Marathon 2015” was attended by over 500 athletes, more than 100 of which were foreign athletes from 18 countries. Participating in the event were both […]
On 12th September 2015, the “Soyuz TMA-16M” capsule landed back in Kazakhstan. There were 3 astronauts on board: a new space record-holder Gennady Padalka (Roscosmos), the first astronaut of independent Kazakhstan Aydin Aimbetova and the first Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen. The crew of “Soyuz TMA – 16M” were taken to the Astana International Airport by […]
Interview with the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Rapil Zhoshybayev Although for many the thought of the year 2017 is far away in the distance, for Kazakhstan the hosting of Expo 2017 heralds its first major global event that will be held on its territory as a showcase for more than […]
There are the dates in every country, which people love, respect and remember and honour. One such date is the formation of the Kazakh Khanate, which occurred 550 years ago. This event served as a great impetus for the development of Kazakh ethnicity and identity. And, of course, half a century later Kazakhs preserve the […]
On 11th September 2015 Astana hosted the Fifth Summit of the Turkic Council. This was the second summit held in Kazakhstan and the fifth anniversary of the Summit. The Summit of the Turkic Council is a unique event that brings together countries with a long history, which have common Turkic roots. The main purpose of […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2015 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Andrew Glenister Before visiting Kazakhstan, the country had never really been on my radar. I knew where it was, and a little of its history, but I had never considered it as a holiday destination. I definitely do now. And I would recommend that anyone with an interest […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2015 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Different people are drawn to Central Asia for different reasons. Indeed many come by accident, knowing little of what awaits them or how life changing it could be. Once such person is Gareth Stamp who came to Kazakhstan five years ago for what he describes as his ‘daily adventure’. ‘I […]
