Almaty is considered as a cultural capital of Kazakhstan. And these are not just words, indeed, it is in Almaty that you can find a large concentration of higher educational institutions, an impressive list of theaters and multicultural centers, libraries and museums. South Capital, another name of megalopolis, boasts that different nationalities and religious confessives are closely aligned here. This is a place where Europe meets Asia and this is clearly visible in the diverse, dynamic lifestyle of the townspeople and the special colorful urban environment. Visit Almaty offers you a list of places of our beloved city, where you can feel all the delights of the cultural life of «father of apples» — Almaty.
Promenade along the «Golden Square»:
- 1) Tulebaev Street – Start your walk with the «Zhetysu» fountain at the monument erected in honor of the Kazakh composer and People’s Artist of the USSR Mukhtar Tulebaev. Walking down the shady alley, you will pass through the area where the intellectuals of Kazakhstan lives and lived, proof of this you can see on the facades of buildings represented by commemorative plaques. An interesting fact is that it was on this street in 1988 that Rashid Nugman shot the famous frame from the ending of the film «Igla». Now a monument to the musician, the main character of the film and the «last hero» Viktor Tsoy has been erected at the same place.
- 2) Kunaev Street – named by the first secretary of Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR (Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic) Dinmukhamed Kunaev. The street passes through the fundamental building of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, down to the apartment-museum of D. Kunaev, where you can get acquainted with the life of the first person of the Kazakh SSR. Moreover, on the way you can visit the unique and one of the largest baths in Central Asia — «Arasan», which, by the way, was built during the leadership of Kunaev.
- 3) Abylay Khan Street – Your route can start from an old station and architectural monument — Almaty-2, which is located at the end of the street. Or from the beginning, where there is a clear example of Soviet modernism and one of the largest «guardians of knowledge» of the city – the National Library of the Republic. In addition, for lovers of architecture, on the way you will meet the buildings of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh-British Technical University, which remind you of the capital’s past of the city.
- 4) Pedestrian Panfilova street – new cultural place of South capital, which quickly and forever fell in love with guests and residents of Almaty. In warm times, the street is filled with fun, bright colors, sounds of live music and laughter throughout the boardwalk.
- 5) Pedestrian Zhibek Zholy Street (Arbat) – the first pedestrian street, which found a new life after reconstruction. This place has always attracted artists, handicrafts, artisans, musicians and other representatives of the creative life of Almaty. It hosts cultural events and fairs where you can purchase memorable souvenirs.
City of theaters and museums:
- 1) The Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abay, founded back in 1941 and to this day is one of the central symbols of the city. The building is made in the classical style and is decorated with Kazakh ornaments and bas-reliefs on the facade. The Abay Theater is a place where you can enjoy both national and world classics of theatrical art.
- 2) State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after M. Lermontov is one of the best places for cultural saturation of the soul. The best artists of Kazakhstan performed and perform here, who will definitely make you empathize with the heroes of the performance and will not leave any of the audience indifferent.
- 3) State Museum of Art named after A. Kasteev – One of the largest cultural centers in Central Asia and the only museum of art in Kazakhstan. More than 25,000 works by artists of Kazakhstan, Europe and Asia are collected here. The museum’s collection is amazed in its diversity and will expand the horizons of the visitor’s imagination. After visiting the gallery, we advise you to also visit the open-air sculpture park, which is located on the territory of the museum.
- 4) Museum of Almaty – Modern, interactive museum, located in the historical building of the city, whose visitors will be able to see the development and formation of the city of Almaty from the ancient settlement in Zhetysu, through the eras of the early Iron Age to the modern metropolis.
- 5) Central State Museum of Kazakhstan – If you do not have time to travel throughout Kazakhstan, you must visit one of the largest museums in Central Asia — the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan. All periods from the life of our Republic from the primitive world to modern Kazakhstan are collected here. A special place in the museum is considered the Saki gold collection, which is one of the few in the world.
- 6) Museum of Folk Musical Instruments named after Ykhlas – is one of the few in the world and the only one in Central Asia that specializes in national musical instruments of Kazakhstan and the whole world. Here you can hear how each of the exhibits presented sounds and «immerses» in the music of the Great Steppe. In addition, like the Museum of Almaty, the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments is located in the historical building of Almaty, which was erected in 1908, which will increase the enthusiasm for visiting.
- 7) The National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan – is the Research Center of all Kazakhstan. A place where the minds of the nation work on various spheres of exact and natural sciences. The academy has 4 different museums open for visit: archaeological, natural, museum of the history of Kazakh science and rare books. If you are nearby, we strongly recommend taking time to study artifacts and various exhibits of museums.
- 8) Park of Soviet Sculpture – For lovers of the Soviet past, the city has a park that stores monuments to the leaders, revolutionaries and poets of the USSR, who once occupied the central squares and streets of Almaty. Here you can find the monument to Lenin, Kalinin, Gorky and many other political and cultural figures of those times.
Spiritual Almaty:
- 1) Central Mosque – from about the 8th century, Islam began its spread in the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Since then, most of the population classifies themselves as Muslims, however, this does not prevent coexistence in harmony and in peace with other faiths. If you are in the lower part of the city, near the famous Green Bazar, do not miss a chance to look into the main, Central Mosque of the southern capital.
- 2) The Ascension Cathedral – the Holy Ascension Cathedral of Almaty, was erected in 1907, and is a reflection of the special attitude to the rich history and, of course, the cultural diversity of the city. The cathedral is on the list of the tallest buildings in the world built from wood.
Additional information:
- Tip №1: When reading this information, note that from time to time we mention the directions «up side» and «down side» of the city. The fact is that the southern part of Almaty is on a hill, and smoothly passes to the plain terrain in the northern direction. In the city, you will often come across a similar navigation element that will help you quickly find your way around.
- Tip №2: The history of Almaty goes far into the wilds, however, the master plan for the development falls on the beginning of the 20th century. In this regard, the streets were designed in the form of a grid of intersections. Thus, you should not be surprised if, instead of a house number, you are called the intersection of two streets as a landmark.
