Almaty[a] is thelargest city inKazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area.[8] Located in the foothills of theTrans-Ili Alatau mountains in southern Kazakhstan, near the border withKyrgyzstan, Almaty stands as a pivotal center ofculture,commerce,finance andinnovation. The city is nestled at an elevation of 700–900 metres (2,300–3,000 feet), with theBig Almaty andSmall Almaty rivers running through it, originating from the surrounding mountains and flowing into the plains. Almaty is the second-largest city inCentral Asia and the fourth-largest in theCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Almaty served as the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1991 during the Soviet era and after independence from 1991 until the capital was relocated toAkmola (now Astana) in 1997.[9] Despite no longer being the capital, Almaty remains the most cosmopolitan and influential city in Kazakhstan, often regarded as the nation's cultural and financial heart, and is colloquially referred to as the "Southern Capital". It is classified as acity of republican significance, granting it autonomy from regional governance.[10] The city is divided into eight administrative districts within the framework of its republican significance.
Almaty has hosted international events, including the Alma-Ata Primary Healthcare Conference in 1978, which shaped global public health policy, the2011 Asian Winter Games, and the2017 Winter Universiade. The city was also a contender to host the2022 Winter Olympics, further solidifying its position as an international hub forwinter sports, but ultimately lost the bid toBeijing.
Almaty is served by an extensive transportation network, includingAlmaty International Airport, the busiest in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, handling over 9.5 million passengers annually. The city is also served by theAlmaty Metro, opened in 2011. Additionally, buses and trolleybuses contribute to the city's comprehensive public transport system.
Almaty’s proximity to natural attractions such as theIle-Alatau National Park, with its diverse ecosystems and scenic trails, andBig Almaty Lake, makes it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, the city's close proximity toMedeu, the highest-altitudeice rink in the world, andShymbulak ski resort, contributes to Almaty’s reputation as a major tourism hub for adventure and outdoor activities.
A member of the UNESCOCreative Cities Network since 2017 in the field ofmusic, Almaty is renowned for its cultural contributions. It is also classified as aGamma + levelglobal city by theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network, underscoring its economic and regional significance.[11][12] Almaty is celebrated for its green spaces, with numerous urban parks, tree-lined streets, and fountains, contributing to its reputation as one of the greenest cities in the region. The city’s skyline blends historical Soviet-era buildings with modern skyscrapers, symbolizing its ongoing economic development and evolving identity.
From 1929 to 1936, the city, then known as Alma-Ata, was the capital of theKazakh ASSR.[13] From 1936 to 1991, Alma-Ata was the capital of theKazakh SSR. After Kazakhstan became independent in 1991, the city was renamed Almaty in 1993 and continued as the capital until 1997, when the capital was moved to Akmola (renamed Astana in 1998,[14] Nur-Sultan in 2019, and againAstana in 2022). Since then Almaty has been referred to as the "southern capital" of Kazakhstan.
Almaty remains the largest, most developed, and most ethnically and culturally diverse city inKazakhstan. Due to development by the Soviet Union and relocation of workers and industries from European areas of the Soviet Union duringWorld War II, the city has a high proportion ofethnic Russians andUyghurs. The city lies in the foothills ofTrans-Ili Alatau (or Zailiysky Alatau) in the extreme south-east.
It has a relatively mild climate with warm and dry summers and quite cold winters.[15] Since the city is in a tectonically active area, it has an endemic risk ofearthquakes. Although most tremors do not cause any significant damage, Almaty has suffered some large destructive earthquakes.
The nameAlmaty has its roots in the medieval settlementAlmatau, that existed near the present-day city. A disputed theory holds that the name is derived from theKazakh word for 'apple' (алма), and is often translated as "full of apples". Its former name, Alma-Ata, translates to “father of the apples,”[16] Its present name could be a pluralization of one of the Turkic words for "father". It was mentioned in the 16th centuryBaburnama under the spellingAlmatu (Chagatay:الماتو).[17]
Originally it was Almatau which means Apple Mountain.[18][19] There is greatgenetic diversity among the wild apples in the region surrounding Almaty; the region west of theTian Shan mountains is thought to be the apple's ancestral home. The wildMalus sieversii is considered a likely candidate for the ancestor of the modern domestic apple.[20]
During 1000–900 BC in theBronze Age, the first farmers and cattle-breeders established settlements in the territory of Almaty.[21] During theSaka period (from 700 BC to the beginning of the Christian era), these lands were occupied by the Saka and laterWusun tribes, who inhabited the territory north of theTian Shan mountain range with evidence of these times found in the numerous burial mounds (tumuli) and ancient settlements, especially the giant burial mounds of the Saka tsars. The most famous archaeological finds have been "The Golden Man", also known as "The Golden Warrior", from theIssyk Kurgan; the Zhalauly treasure, theKargaly diadem, and theZhetysu arts bronzes (boilers, lamps, and altars). During the period of Saka and Wusun governance, Almaty became an early education center.[21]
The region comprising modern Almaty and its surroundings was ruled by theQara Khitai during the 12th century until they were invaded by the Mongol empire in 1218.[22] It remained under the Mongols until the disintegration of the empire at the end of the century after which the region continued to be a part of the subsequent Chagatai Khanate, or later the breakaway Moghulistan.
This region was an important trade route between the West and East, with cities like Taraz to the west and Almaliq to the east as major stopping points. The importance declined during the 15th century though, due to Temür’s attacks and him shifting the trade routes southwards, whereafter Tarim basin became the centre for Moghulistan. Wars with Timur, Bukhara Khanate and Kazakh Khanate decreased Moghul’s rule in Transoxonia over the 15th century and by early 16th century, the Almaty region came under the Kazakh rule.
TheDzungar invaded, dominating the Kazakh people for a period. The Kazakhs fought to protect their land and preserve independence. In 1730 the Kazakh defeated the Dzungar in the Anyrakay mountains, 70 kilometres (45 miles) northwest of Almaty. The Senior Kazakh Horde (Uly Zhuz) held jurisdiction over the region. During the eighteenth century, the city and region were roughly near the border of theKhanate of Kokand. It was then absorbed as part of the Russian Empire in the 1850s.[citation needed]
Zenkov Cathedral, a 19th-centuryRussian Orthodox cathedral located in Panfilov Park, is the fourth tallest wooden building in the world.[23]Town Hall on Republic SquareWorld War II monument "Feat" in Park of the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen
To establish its control of the region, Russia builtFort Zailiyskoe (Russian:Заилийское) between the Bolshaya and Malenkaya Almatinka rivers. Construction began on 4 February 1854 and was largely completed by autumn. The fort was a pentagonal wooden palisade with one side built along the Malaya Almatinka. Before the end of the year, it was renamedFort Vernoe (Верное, "Loyal"), sometimes rendered as Vyernoe at the time.[24] The palisade was eventually replaced with a brick wall with embrasures. The fort's main facilities were erected around the large central square for training and parading.[25]
In 1867, the settlement around the fort was large enough that it was reorganized as the town ofAlmatinsk (Алматинск). Before the end of the year, this was renamedVerny (Верный,Vernyj).[26]
On 28 May 1887, at 4 a.m., anearthquake almost totally destroyed Verny in 11–12 minutes.[27]
By 1906 the population of the city had grown to 27,000, two-thirds of whom were Russians and Ukrainians.[28]
On 3 January 1911 the city was almost completely destroyed with over 770 brick buildings collapsing as a result of the1911 Kebin earthquake.[29]
In 1918 following the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Bolshevik government,Soviet power was established in Verny. The city and the region became part of theTurkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (RSFSR).[30] On 5 February 1921, Verny was renamed Alma-Ata, one of the city's ancient names, by a joint consultation of regional government representatives, professional trade associations, and local faith-based groups.[31]
In 1926, the Council of Labor and Defence approved the construction of theTurkestan–Siberia Railway that was a crucial element of the future growth of Kazakhstan, especially in the east and southeast of the region. The Turkestan–Siberia Railway construction also had a decisive economic impact that strongly influenced the destiny of Alma-Ata as the capital of theKazakh ASSR. In 1930 the construction of the highway and railway to Alma-Ata was completed.[30]
On 29 April 1927, the government decided to transfer the capital of theKazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic fromKyzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata, within the RFSFR.[30] This attracted more trade and people working with the government, stimulating intensive development in the city.[citation needed]
The Alma-Ata airport was opened in 1930,[32] opening up a direct connection from Alma-Ata toMoscow, the center of theSoviet government. Alma-Ata became the main entry by air toKazakhstan, a status which it retains today. Transformation of this small town into the capital of theKazakh SSR was accelerated by the large-scale construction of new administrative and government facilities and housing. TheGreat Purge of 1936–38 extended toKazakhstan, where numerous intellectuals, activists, leaders, teachers and others were killed.The Soviet government dominated the population. During the 1930sKazakh nomads sufferedstarvation after disruption of their traditional living patterns. (see:Asharshylyq)
In 1936 the Architecture and Planning Bureau developed a plan to enhance Alma-Ata as the new cultural capital of theKazakh SSR. The plan was based on the existing rectangular system of districts. They were to be strengthened and reconstructed.
DuringWorld War II the government dramatically affected the city's population and structures. To better organize the home front and concentrate industrial and material resources, the government evacuated 26,000 people and numerous industries from the European theatre of war.[33] Alma-Ata hosted over 30 industrial facilities removed from the European section ofthe USSR, eight evacuated hospitals, 15 institutes, universities and technical schools; and around 20 cultural institutions.Motion picture production companies fromLeningrad,Kyiv, andMoscow were also moved to Alma-Ata at this time.[34] This brought in so manyethnic Russians that theKazakhs became aminority in the region.
During the years 1941–1945 the industrial potential of the city increased significantly. Development increased during the postwar years. The population of the city grew from 104,000 in 1919 to 365,000 in 1968. By 1967 the city had 145 enterprises, with the bulk of these being light and food industries.
The main industries in Alma-Ata were: food processing (36% of gross industrial output), based largely on locally abundant fruit and vegetable raw materials, light industry (31%), and heavy industry (33%). The main products of the region were:
Food: Meat, flour and cereals (pasta factory), milk,wines, canned fruit, tobacco, confectionery, alcoholic spirits,beer, yeast, and tea (packaging)
Light industry: textiles, fur, knitting,carpets, footwear, apparel, printing, and the Almaty Cotton combine.
Heavy industry: electrical engineering, foundry engineering, car repair, bearing repair, building materials, woodworking, concrete structures and structural elements, and housebuilding.
The International conference on Primary Health Care in 1978, known as the Alma-Ata Declaration
From 1966 to 1971, 1,400,000 square metres ofpublic andcooperative housing were built. Annually, around 300,000 square metres of dwellings were under construction. Most of the buildings constructed during this time wereearthquake-proof multi-story buildings. The Soviet government tried to diversify architectural forms to create a more varied cityscape. During this period, many schools, hospitals, cultural, and entertainment facilities were constructed, including Lenin's Palace, theKazakhstan Hotel, and theMedeo Sports Complex.[35]
The supersonic transportTupolevTu-144 went into service on 26 December 1975, carrying mail and freight between Moscow and Alma-Ata in preparation for passenger services; these began in November 1977. The Aeroflot flight on 1 June 1978 was the 55th and last scheduled passenger flight of the Tu-144.
Alma-Ata was the host city for a 1978 international conference onPrimary Health Care. TheAlma Ata Declaration was adopted, marking a paradigm shift in global public health.
Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 16 December 1991 (Kazakhstan Independence Day). On 28 January 1993, the government renamed the city from the RussianAlma-Ata to the Kazakh nameAlmaty.[38] In 1997 the President of the Republic of KazakhstanNursultan Nazarbayev approved the decree to transfer the capital from Almaty to Astana in the north of the country.[39]
On 1 July 1998 a law was passed to establish the special status of Almaty as a scientific, cultural, historical, financial, and industrial centre.[38]
Trolleybus in Almaty cityPicture taken during a temperatureinversion, showing smog trapped over Almaty
The new general plan of Almaty for 2030 was released in 1998. It is intended to create ecologically safe, secure, and socially comfortable living conditions in the city. The main objective is to promote Almaty's image as a garden-city.
It proposes continued multi-storied and single-housing development, reorganization of industrial districts or territories, improving transport infrastructure, and expanding theAlmaty Metro. The first line of the Almaty metro was launched on 1 December 2011, two weeks ahead of schedule. The extension of the line to Qalqaman was opened in 2015.
Nevertheless, Almaty has developed a major problem withair pollution. Already in 1995,particulate emissions, then mostly from the city'sthermal power station, exceeded Kazakh and EU standards by over 20 times.[40] In 2008, Almaty was ranked the 9th most polluted city in the world.[41] A 2013 study identified cars as a major source of pollution, and it was noted since 2003 and 2013morbidity had increased by a factor of 1.5, and that the city takes the first place in the republic on respiratory, endocrine and blood diseases, cancer andbronchial asthma, even though there are no major industrial installations.[42] An independent local air quality monitoring system with a mobile app was launched in 2017.[43][44]
Al-Farabi Avenue
The area of the city has been expanded during recent years with the annexation of the suburban settlements of Kalkaman, Kok Tobe,Gorniy Gigant District (Mountain Giant). Numerous apartment blocks and officeskyscrapers have transformed the face of the town, which has been built into the mountains.Squatter settlements such as Shanyrak have resisted eviction in the face of these development plans.[45]
Almaty was the site ofa notorious terrorist attack in July 2016, whenJihadist Ruslan Kulikbayev killed eight police officers and two civilians in a shootout and car chase. Kulikbayev was wounded during the shootout and later sentenced to death for the attack.
In March 2020, the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the city.[46] Soon, Almaty was transformed, as the pandemic led the city into a changed behavior. The government imposed lockdowns of most institutions.[47]
Almaty is located in south-eastern Kazakhstan, almost 1000 km from the capital Astana. Kyrgyzstan's capitalBishkek is 190 km to the west, whileÜrümqi in China is almost 1000 km east.
The region is also home to theMynjylky mountain plateau, an elevated plain located at the source of the Malaya Almaatinka river at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level.
Annual average air temperature is equal to 10 °C (50 °F), the coldest month is January, −4.7 °C (24 °F) (on average), the warmest month (July) 23.8 °C (75 °F) (on average). In average years frost starts on about 14 October and ends on about 18 April, with sustained extreme cold from about 19 December to about 23 February, a period of about 67 days. Weather with temperature above 30 °C (86 °F) is average for about 36 days a year. In the center of Almaty, like any large city, there is aheat island. Therefore, frost in the city center starts about 7 days later and finishes 3 days earlier than in the northern suburbs. Annual precipitation is about 650 to 700 mm (25.6 to 27.6 in). April and May are the wettest months, during which about a third of the city's annual precipitation is received.
It is not uncommon to see snow or a cold snap hitting Almaty as late as the end of May. For example, in the last quarter century, such snowfalls were recorded on 13 May 1985, 1 May 1989, 5 May 1993 and 18 May 1998. The record latest snowfall in Almaty was on 17 June 1987.
Almaty sometimes experiences winter rain, despite heavy preceding snowfall and low temperatures. The most memorable winter rain took place on 16 December 1996 during a military parade to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic.
Almaty Weather Station's GM mostly records south-easterly wind (30%), its resistance increases during the summer (37%) and falls in winter (19%). Wind speeds exceed 15 m/s on about 15 days a year, on average.
Climate data for Almaty (1991–2020, extremes 1879–present)
Industrially developed and densely populated areas in the south and southeast of Kazakhstan are situated in the zones where the maximum magnitudes of expected earthquakes are from 6.0 to 8.3 (the intensity of I0=8–10).
The south seismic active zone of Kazakhstan is a part of the North Tian-Shan ridge system. The main city of Almaty is located near the Zailiski Alatau mountain base. In recorded history prior to the late 19th century, three catastrophic earthquakes are known to have taken place there. The following are the dates of occurrence and extracts from the historical chronicles of the times:
1770, "...Belovodka village was buried";
1807, "a horrible catastrophe took place in Almaty";
1865, strong earthquake.
Within the past 125 years, three more strong destructive earthquakes occurred here, with centres not more than 20–130 kilometres (10–80 mi) from the current city location. Their magnitudes were 9 and 11 on the MSK scale – 64, and their centres were located within 100 kilometres (60 mi). Centres were located in a south and south–east directions:
(1887 y., K=17.14) Vernenskoe
(1889 y., K=19.12) Chilik
(1911 y., K=18.76) Keminskoe
K – indicates the energy of the earthquake.
In each of these earthquakes, the city suffered wide destruction.[55]
The Territory of the Kyrgyz State adjoins North Tian-Shan.[56]
Almaty is largely considered to be the heart and soul of Kazakhstan's classical and popular cultures.[62] The Almaty Region and the city itself have a distinct character and pace compared to other regions and cities in Kazakhstan. Contemporary Almaty has a more European character due to more cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating and public green space.[63] Almaty is the historical and contemporary capital of intellectualism in Kazakhstan as a product of Almaty's location along the ancient Silk Road, and because many Russian intellectuals were exiled to the region.[64] TheAbai Kazakh State Opera and Ballet Theatre has anchored the city's theater scene since 1934 and was founded around a community of local performance artists.[65] TheKasteyev State Museum of Arts was founded in 1935, is the largest museum in Kazakhstan, and has the largest collection of artworks by Kazakh classic and contemporary artists.[66] The wild appleMalus sieversii is generally accepted as having first emerged in the Almaty area, and it significantly figures in Almaty's culture.[67]
Theatrical art began to develop in the city of Verny a few years after the construction of the Russian fort. On 21 November 1872, the Society of Dramatic Art Lovers staged the first production in the city:A. N. Ostrovsky's play, "Stay in Your Own Sled". Later, plays were performed at public, military, and commercial gatherings. An abridgement ofGlinka's opera "A Life for the Tsar" was the first opera staged in the city, by the Kolpakovsky three-year city school on 23 February 1913 at the Commercial Assembly, to commemorate thetercentenary of the Romanov dynasty.
The flowering of theatrical art in the city began during the Soviet period of Alma-Ata, resulting from the transfer of the capital of theKazakh Soviet Socialist Republic fromKyzylorda to Alma-Ata. Thus, the Kazakh Drama Theater, the first Kazakh professional theater, moved to the city. In the 1930s, the Opera and Ballet Theater (1934) and the Puppet Theater (1935) were established in the city. Also, theater companies founded in different cities of the republic began to move to the capital: theRussian Drama Theater (moved fromSemipalatinsk in 1934), the Uyghur Musical Comedy Theater (from Chilik, 1962), theKorean Musical Comedy Theater (from Kyzylorda, 1968), and the German Drama Theater (from Temirtau, 1989).
After Kazakhstan regained independence in 1991, a large number of new independent theaters appeared in the city. Often these are modern youth concert venues created by enthusiasts. They face funding problems, as maintaining a permanent theater company is costly.
A significant contribution to the study of the history of culture, ethnography of southern Kazakhs in the late 19th–20th centuries was made by Turkestan scientists and local historians, united around the scientific societies and cultural and educational institutions ofTashkent. In 1874, from the private collections of travelers who visited Semirechye with a scientific and regional purpose and with the help of the local intelligentsia, a museum was first created in the city of Verny, which was later transformed into a village museum of the Semirechye Cossack Host. This date is the day of the foundation of the first museum in Semirechye. The foundation of the A. Kasteev Museum of Arts was laid by the Kazakh State Art Gallery named after T.G. Shevchenko, founded in 1935. Its main tasks were to collect the best works of Kazakh artists and organize their creative business trips.
In 1936, museums inMoscow andLeningrad (now St. Petersburg) donated a significant number of paintings, graphics, sculpture and applied art to the gallery. By the end of the 1950s, the gallery's funds numbered over 5,000 exhibits, including paintings, reproductions of works by pre-revolutionary and Soviet artists, Western European and Eastern masters of art. In the 1970s and 1980s, new buildings were built for existing museums, and new thematic museums were opened: books, musical instruments, archeology, and others. A significant contribution to the development of the museum business was the opening of the Museum of the History of Almaty, which created an association of museums in the city of Almaty and the state institution "Gylym Ordasy", which united 4 museums, which allows to systematize scientific work.
The first film screening in the city of Verny took place in 1900, when the physicist K.O. Krause arrived in the city. On it, hand-painted glass transparencies were demonstrated with the help of an overhead projector. The film show took place on 25 January in the Pushkin Garden. In January 1911, the building of the first private cinema "Twentieth Century" was opened at the intersection of Pushkin and Gogol streets, which belonged to the entrepreneur A. R. Seifullin. For the demonstration of films, the cinema was equipped with the first power plant in the history of the city, produced by the British company "Petter", with 14 horsepower. The cinema building burned down in February 1918. Starting in the 1930s, summer cinemas began to appear in the parks of the city, which were later transformed into full-fledged cinemas. Thus, the Rodina Cinema was first opened in theCentral Park in 1937. In 1957, it was rebuilt from a seasonal venue into a wide-screen cinema with an auditorium for 712 seats. In another park of the city, the Park of the Federation of Soviet Republics, the Progress Cinema was opened, later renamed Alma-Ata. By the early 1990s, there were 21 cinemas in the city. All cinemas were divided into first, second and third screens. The cinemas of the first screen, in which the premieres of new films took place, were "Alatau", "Tselinny" and "Arman". Film films arrived at the cinemas of the third screen in a deplorable state, with glues and cuts. That is, the quality of showing the film depended on the screening of the cinema. Cinemas in the city were single-screen, two halls were owned by the cinema centers "Kazakhstan", "Arman" and "Tselinny". In the 2000s, cinemas began to open in shopping and entertainment centers, and as a result, existing stationary cinemas began to lose popularity and close.
Almaty generates approximately 20% of Kazakhstan's GDP (or $36 billion in 2010). The city accounts for about 20% of government revenues and 60% of bank credits.[68] The nation is the most powerful economically inCentral Asia and Almaty is a key financial center. It is considered to be aBeta- Global City as of the 2012GaWC study.[69]
One of the largest industries in Almaty is finance, and its financial exports make it a large contributor to Kazakhstan's balance of payments. Almaty is home toHalyk Bank, which is the largest bank in Central Asia,Kaspi Bank, and other major banks. TheKazakhstan Stock Exchange is based in Almaty.
Almaty is also developing as a regional financial and business centre (RFCA).[70]
Under construction is the 'Almaty Financial District and Esentai Park'. This was designed byT.J. Gottesdiener, who designed both7 World Trade Center in New York City andTokyo Midtown. Its goal is to become the largest business centre in Central Asia.[citation needed] Esentai Tower, a 37-floor building in the park, is the tallest mixed-use building in Kazakhstan, housing offices of companies such asErnst & Young,HSBC andCredit Suisse. The first Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kazakhstan opened in 2013 in Esentai Tower.[71]
Along with professional services, media companies are concentrated in Almaty. The media distribution industry has been growing rapidly since 2006. Major broadcasting channels KTK and NTK are based in Almaty, as are several national newspapers.
There are plans to construct a Western Europe-Western China highway, passing through Almaty. A new airport in Almaty expects to handle about 45 million tonnes of cargo each year.Air Astana is headquartered in the Air Astana Centre 1 in Almaty.[72] Prior to their dissolution,Air Kazakhstan[73] andKazakhstan Airlines[74] were also headquartered in Almaty.
The economy of Almaty and Almaty Region continues to grow, and is expected to increase by nearly 6.5 percent per year until 2020.[75] To mitigate the rapidly increasing electricity demand caused by this growth, the Kazakh authorities decided to upgrade the power system by building the new transmission line and modernizing the substations.[75] The Alma Transmission Project, supported by the World Bank, has helped achieve this goal.[75]
Panoramic night view of Almaty from Kok-Tobe, 2012
In 1854, the Tsarist government built a military fortification on the left bank of the Almaty River. The construction was supervised by Major Peremyshelsky and engineer-lieutenant Aleksandrovsky. By the autumn of the same year, construction work was completed. With their arrival, the area of Almaty began to develop rapidly, and a few prominent buildings were constructed during this time including the Little Stanitsa and the Tatar Slobodka. A major earthquake in 1887 destroyed 1798 brick houses and killed 322 people. After the earthquake, numerous notable buildings were constructed including the House of the Regiment of Military Assembly (1908),Ascension Cathedral, the House of Public Assembly, and others. Paul Gourdet, who is credited for most of Almaty's urban architecture of the time, used an approach to designRussian Revival architecture, which is evident in some of his designs including the Medical College, the Voznesensky Cathedral, the merchant Shakhvorostov's house, the former Women's College, the former City Orphanage, and numerous other buildings. Andrei Zenkov is another prominent architect and major contributor to some of Almaty's most notable buildings. At the time, Zenkov was in charge of the construction projects of the Semirechye regional government.
From 1966 to 1972, most of the buildings constructed during the era were earthquake-proof multi-story housing blocks. During this period, many schools, hospitals, cultural, and entertainment facilities were constructed inpost-modernist style, including Lenin's Palace (nowPalace of the Republic, 1970),Hotel Kazakhstan (1977) and theMedeu (1971).
TheAscension Cathedral is a 56 m high earthquake-resistant structure, built by the architect K. A. Borisoglebsky and engineer A. P. Zenkov in 1907 from blue Tien Shanspruce. It withstood an earthquake with a force of 10 points in 1911. The walls of the cathedral were painted by the local artist N. Khludov. During the Soviet period, the building housed a local history museum. In May 1995, the building was transferred to theAlmaty and Semipalatinsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. After two years of restoration work, services were resumed in the church in 1997.
According to the city's Department of Natural Resources and Resource Use Management,[76] as of 2007[update] the city had 125 fountains. Among them is the "Oriental Calendar" Fountain, whose 12 sculptural figures represent the 12 animals of the Kazakh 12-year animal cycle (similar toits Chinese counterpart).
There are now more than 120 fountains in Almaty, 61 of which are communally owned. Fountains, together with an extensive irrigation ditch network, play a big role in Alma-Ata – together they create a single complex of reservoirs and watercourses of the city. Every year at the end of spring, the city celebrates the "Day of Fountains" holiday where for the first time after winter, all the city's fountains are turned on. In 2006, a new fountain was opened onLake Sayran. Previously, the highest fountain in theCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS) gushed from this lake – a stream of water 10 cm in diameter reached a height of 50 meters. The fountain has been closed since 2008.
TheMedeu is an outdoorspeed skating andbandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley (Medeu Valley, or the valley of Malaya Alma-Atinka River) on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty,Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest skating rinks in the world. It has 10,500 square meters of ice and utilizes a sophisticated freezing and watering system to ensure the quality of the ice.
Medeu was built in 1972 in the gorge of the same name, 15 km from the city. "Medeo" was called "the factory of records", since 126 world records were set on the ice of a high-mountain skating rink in 33 years. A unique feature of the ice rink, located at an altitude of 1700 m, in thin air and high quality ice, provided by pure mountain water without admixture of salts. In addition, Above the sports complex there is a mudflow protection dam and theShymbulak. In the 1990s, the Medeu was the venue for the Voice of Asia international music festival (Asia Dauysy).
Şymbūlaq is aski resort near Almaty, located in the upper part of the Medeu Valley in theZailiisky Alatau mountain range, at the elevation of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) above sea level. The resort area is about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Almaty city by theMedeu road. It is popular for its mild climate, a large quantity of sunny days and a great amount of snow through the winter (from November until May). The resort offers both day and night skiing. The ski resort also hold a Guinness world record for the worlds highest ski slope available for night skiing.[77]
Big Almaty Lake is a natural lake located inTrans-Ili Alatau mountains on 2511 above the sea level near Almaty (15 km South from Almaty).Like a majority of lakes in Trans-Ili Alatau, this lake formed as the result of an earthquake. The lake is a major source of drinking water for the region. People can access the lake by car (approximately 1 hour drive from the city center), bike, or hiking (approximately a half-day trip).
TheFirst President's Park is an urban park located in Almaty at the intersection of Navoi Street and Al-Farabi Avenue in theBostandyq District. The park was opened in July 2010.
Creation of the park began in 2001. The park is broken into three main areas–the avenue, boulevard, and dendrological areas. Greenery was planted according to dendrological plan. In honor of the participation of the city of Almaty in the Olympic torch relay of theBeijing Olympic Games, approximately one hundred spruces and birches were planted. In 2011, a hundred Tien-Shan spruces were also planted. Plans include a set of water projects over an area of 9.5 hectares.
Anaerial tramway line connects Almaty with apopular recreation area at the top ofKök Töbe (Kazakh:Көк-төбе, which means 'Blue Hill'), a mountain just to the southeast. It has a variety of tourist attractions, such as a zoo, amusement-park-style rides and restaurants.
The city television tower,Almaty Tower, is located on the hill. It was built in between 1978 and 1983, and is 371.5 m tall.[78] The TV tower, located at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level, is the tallest structure in Almaty. Its height is almost 372 m, and it sits at an elevation of 1130 m. The base of the tower is a reinforced concrete foundation in the form of a three-storey sectional basement. The barrel of the tower is a metal stepped hexahedron with a diameter of 18 m at the base, 13 and 9 m at the locations of maintenance services at heights of 146 and 252 m. The structure was built taking into account the seismic mountainous terrain and can withstand an earthquake of up to 10 points. The television tower is a complex of an operating radio and television transmitting station with a special mode of operation, therefore it is inaccessible for sightseeing tours of the city from a height. The tower, illuminated at night by powerful searchlights, is visible from almost anywhere in the city.
ThePark of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen is a major park in Almaty,Kazakhstan. The park is located in east-central Almaty in the area surrounding Zenkov Cathedral. It is dedicated to and named after the Panfilov Heroes, 28 soldiers of an Almaty infantry unit who died fighting Nazi German invaders outside of Moscow in World War II. The group takes its name from Ivan Panfilov, the General commanding the 316th division which, in spite of heavy casualties, believed at that time managed to significantly delay the Germans' advance on the capital, buying time for the defenders of the city. An eternal flame commemorating the fallen of theRussian Civil War and theGreat Patriotic War burns in front of the giant black monument of soldiers from all 15 Soviet republics.
Kazakhstan Temir Joly has two stations:Almaty-1 (located 20 minutes drive from the city center, and reserved mostly for cargo) andAlmaty-2 located within the city and reserved mostly for passengers.[80] In 2011 theAlmaty Metro opened, and alight rail line was built in 2011.
Abicycle-sharing system, Almaty-bike, has been in operation since September 2016.[81] People can buy a monthly card and ride freely.
The city's primary football team isFC Kairat founded in 1954 and one of the most successful Kazakh clubs. The club made history by qualifying for the2025-26 UEFA Champions League, thus becoming only the second Kazakhstani football club to do so.[91] Futsal clubAFC Kairat has won theUEFA Futsal Cup in 2012–13 and 2014–15. Basketball teamBC Almaty won the 2015 and 2016 editions of theKazakhstan Basketball Cup.
Following the successful hosting of the 2011 Winter Asian Games, Almaty made a bid to host the XXIIOlympic Winter Games in 2014,[92] but was eliminated from consideration, not making the "short list" of candidate cities. Almaty was the2017 Winter Universiade host.[93] The city was exploring possible bids, such as the2018 Winter Olympics, but did not submit one. Almaty submitted a bid to host the2022 Winter Olympics in August 2013,[94][95] but lost toBeijing.[96] Despite these failures, Almaty may still consider to submit a bid to host the2030 Winter Olympics.[97][98]
TheInternational Monetary Fund announced in October 2019 that it would launch a new regional technical assistance centre (RTAC) in Almaty. The centre will provide capacity development services to nine IMF member countries in the CCAM region. The centre is expected to cover the fiscal policy, central bank operations, financial sector supervision, and macroeconomic statistics.[110]
^Brummell, Paul; Oleynik, Maria (2018).Kazakhstan. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 26.ISBN978-1-78477-092-1.Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^Nabhan, Gary Paul (May–June 2008)."The Fatherland of Apples".Orion Magazine.Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved4 February 2013.
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