The Khan Shatyr - Astana's Giant Tent

The very cold winter temperatures mean that large indoor spaces are a vitally important part of life here in Astana and as such we have a number of very large shopping centers. 

We have 5 large malls within walking distance of our house.  Each of them come complete with a supermarket, a food court, café’s, a cinema and a range of clothes, shoe and toy shops.  Most also have indoor play areas for children and one even has a climbing wall.

Khan Shatyr

The Khan Shatyr is the most recently built of all the malls and possibly the most iconic.  It is at the western end of Nurzhol boulevard.  Designed by Norman Foster, it opened in 2010.  A large tent, designed as a modern interpretation of a yurt, it stands at 150m high and covers a ground area of 100,000 sq meters. Various websites boast that it is the largest tensile structure in the world.  I am not quite sure as I thought that honour went to the London Milennium Dome.  In any even the Khan Shatyr is huge, impressive and much more beautiful than the London counterpart.

Khan Shatyr - future model

The Khan Shatyr is the center of what will be a large complex including office space and residential buildings.  The first thing you see when you enter the building is a large model showing the mall and its surrounding buildings.  Only two of the towers have been completed so far and they are connected to the shopping center by a covered walkway.  We did look into whether or not to rent a flat in one of these buildings, thinking that it would be very convenient to be able to walk, undercover, to the supermarket in the winter.  The flats looked spectacular but were rather small and expensive for the space. I am not too keen on the supermarket in the Khan Shatyr in any event.

Long drop fairground ride

As you walk into the immense open space at the center of the mall you come face to face with a large long drop style fairground ride   This open space plays regular host to events such as fashion shows or 'Miss Khan Shatyr' competitions.  There are more fairground rides, games machines and soft play areas on the upper levels including a log flume and a monorail.  It is somewhat reminiscent of Brighton Palace pier.  Children love to ride around the perimeter of the mall, looking at the people enjoying their weekend and waving to all and sundry.

Busy soft play under the tent.

Monorail in the Khan Shatyr

Aside from wandering around and enjoying the cutting edge architecture the real reason to come to the Khan Shatyr is the sky beach.  The top floor is dedicated to a spa and swimming pool complex.  The swimming pools are surrounded by sand flown in from the Maldives.  Here you can enjoy flume rides, swim, play volleyball or just relax with a smoothie from the bar even when the temperatures have dropped to -50 degrees outside but sadly it is an expensive place to visit.  Discount websites such as chocolife.me sometimes have vouchers on sale for cut price entry but without these you are looking at a cost of about 8,000 tenge (nearly £40) per person so we usually only ever go when friends or family come to Astana.  There is a gym attached to the spa with a running track around the perimeter of the tent.  It certainly looks spectacular but I have never seen anyone brave enough to run around under the beady eye of people enjoying their burgers or fairground rides.

Swim on the beach - even when it is freezing

Enjoy the beach in the middle of the steppe. 

Running track - for the very brave and figure unconscious

The walls of each floor are covered in artificial plants giving a welcome splash of green in the middle of winter.  This is the place to come if you want to pick up imported clothes from stores such as Gap, Zara, Massimo Dutti etc but I tend to find that the other malls have better supermarkets and food courts.  The parking is also somewhat chaotic and it is expensive (500 tenge/£2) to park underground.   I actually enjoy seeing the Khan Shatyr from the outside far more than spending time inside.  It is a spectacular addition to Astana's beautiful and rather unconventional skyline and looks it's best at sundown when the sunset bathes it in orange.

Spectacular sunsets - even when snapped from a telephone

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Posted as part of the Show Your World series hosted by Girl Gone London

How to find an address in Astana

I have found that there is very little that cannot be bought in Astana as long as you know where to look.  Next week our children’s school celebrates International World Book Day, the day is designed to promote a love of reading in children and is hugely popular with kids, not so much for the parents who have to find or make a literary themed costume. 

I have always made costumes for the children but just as I finished this year’s creations I found the address details of a theatrical costume shop in the city so I decided to have a look for future reference.  Of course, in order to visit the shop I had to find it first.  This is sometimes easier said than done as addresses in Astana are not always where they should be. It is not uncommon for a building to have an address on one road but an entrance on another. 

I thought that I would be lucky as they had a map on their website, this should have raised a warning as these maps are notoriously inaccurate.  Nevertheless, filled with confidence a friend and I hopped in the car and drove over to Imanov Street in the old city. She had the address and a map printed from the website and directed me to park in front of where it should be, we got out of the car to find ourselves parked in front of a hospital.  As there was no hospital marked on our map we thought we might not be quite where we needed to be.  Undaunted we decided to walk around the block to see what we could find.  Although we had parked on one of the main streets in the old town as soon as we walked into a side street we could have been in a village and we found ourselves walking along an unmade road lined with small, somewhat tumbledown houses. 

It was clear that there were no costume shops in the vicinity so we went back to the hospital to ask directions.  Some old men were sitting outside were happy to speak with us.  Where were we from?  Did we like Kazakhstan?  They wanted to practice their English and were very impressed that my friend could speak Kazakh but 10 minutes later and it became clear that they could not help us.  We looked down the road and saw a bank so went in to ask the Okhrana (security staff) for directions.  We were given a vague wave of the hand in the opposite direction down Imanov to that indicated on the map but since that had been wrong we decided to try this suggestion.  It turned out that we were right – the vague suggestion was a better bet than the map and we eventually found the shop down a side street.  A simple error meant that map on the website had placed south on the top instead or north.

This is not an unusual experience in Astana, addresses are usually unclear and map skills do not seem routinely to be taught in school.  It is not helped by the fact that streets sometimes have two names, one Kazakh and one Russian and the name on the map is not always the name in common usage.  When we first arrived I asked someone where I could find Keruen (our closest mall).  I took out our map and pointed to our house expecting that she would then be able to give us directions.  This was overly optimistic on my part as she waved vaguely in the direction of the Ak Orda (the President’s Palace).  We had walked there the day before and seen no sight of a large mall. It turned out that the mall is midway along Nurzhol Boulevard between the Ak Orda and Khan Shatyr, nowhere near where she pointed.

At the time we thought this might have been a one off, a fluke, but since then people have sent us on the wrong road out of town when we have asked for directions to other cities and taxis (on a flat fare) have taken us the most illogical routs from A to B. Before we bought our car we walked 4km up and then down the entire length of a road looking for a bar where we had agreed to meet a friend; it was not there, we could not find it.  Feeling rather stupid we called them and they were in the bar, yes we were on the correct road, it was close to a crossroads with another street.  We looked again at every building within one block of that crossroads, no bar.  An hour later feeling very cold (-20) and rather fed up we gave up on the rendezvous and went elsewhere.  The next day our friend checked with another acquaintance and shamefacedly admitted to us they had given us the wrong road name.

On one particularly memorable occasion I had to give our electrician a lift to the electric mart to pick up some cabling and fuses for our home.  I needed directions to the shop not having been there before.  When I left I was going to drive the fastest route back, there was a little bit of traffic but nothing that would have added more than 10 minutes to the 20 minute drive.  The electrician was horrified by this and suggested that I could not possibly drive back that way – he knew a short cut.  I was a little dubious as I thought I knew the quickest way possible to get home but decided to go with the ‘local knowledge’.  Every time we hit a small amount of traffic he directed me on another short cut.  This short cut became wilder and wilder as the journey continued and I was directed on increasingly elaborate manoeuvres:  U turns, the wrong way down one way streets and illegal left turns.  The 20 minute journey ended up taking 2 hours but when we arrived he was beaming – was I not pleased that we had avoided all the traffic!

I do wonder if he was testing my driving skills.  On the way to the shop he was surprised to see I was driving a stick shift.  Most cars here, even 4x4’s are automatics and it took us some time to track down a proper, mechanical car.  These cars tend to be used for hunting expeditions where the 4x4 capability can become necessary and it is vanishingly rare to see a woman drive one.  He was intrigued at this ‘could I drive it properly?’ ‘did I not want an automatic?’ and I had him roaring with laughter when I pointed out that I wanted to be the boss not the car.  He admitted that he could only drive an automatic and I really do think he may have wanted to see whether I was as good as my boast.

It is all rather good fun and we have learned to leave extra ‘searching’ time when we am going somewhere for the first visit, this means we can keep our sense of perspective and not get too frustrated.  In this instance the expedition was worth the effort, the costumes in the shop were very good quality and very reasonably priced to hire.  Next time the children need to dress up I will be saving my eyesight and time and just pop down there instead.  

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Celebrating Nauruz at the Baiterek and Pyramid in Astana

Following the school celebrations and the start of the holiday we have been enjoying the Nauruz (New Year) celebrations around the city.  Yesterday we took a walk with friends along the Ishim River to have lunch at one of our favourite cafes.  After a few hours at home we then walked around the corner to the Baiterek to enjoy the light show that has been put on there for Nauruz.

The Baiterek, Astana

The Baiterek is a national monument in the center of Nurzhol Boulevard – the axis of the new city.  It represents a poplar tree in which Samruk, a magic bird, laid an egg.  You enter the structure underground where there is a souvenir shop, a ticket booth and a small aquatic display.  Tickets are not expensive – 500 tenge (about £2) and children below the age of five go free.  Two fast lifts take visitors up into the egg at the top of the tree to floor 97m above ground level.  This number is significant because 1997 was the year Astana became the capital city of Kazakhstan.  The observation deck has a 360 degree view of Astana and is the best place for new visitors to come to get their bearings.  There is a café on this level which serves soft drinks, beer and ice-cream. We come up here regularly to enjoy a pre dinner drink and watch the sun go down behind the Khan Shatyr.  The staff here know us well and are always friendly and welcoming.  On this visit our children were given a bar of 'Kazakhstan' chocolate as a gift to celebrate the New Year.

'USSR' Russian Icecream at the Baiterek

A flight of steps bring visitors up to the top floor where there is a wooden sculpture commemorating the Congress of leaders of the World and Traditional Religions which is held in Astana on a regular basis.  Next to this there is a plaque with a handprint of President Nazarbaev – the first president of independent Kazakhstan.  Visitors are invited to put their hand into the handprint and make a wish. This is particularly busy in the summer months when tours of visitors from all over Kazakhstan come to see and enjoy the capital.

Visitors make a wish by placing their hand in the handprint of the President.

In the last week the park around the Baiterek has been surrounded by tall pillars with lights on top and along the side.  In the evening the Baiterek is lit up with the lights which change colour and pattern in time to music.  The show is a repeating loop of tracks and patterns.  I am not usually a fan of these types of shows because the music is typically over-loud and very intrusive but this was very well done indeed.

We arrived a little early so we decided to go up to the top of the Baiterek.  We let the children make a new year’s wish before going to the café to enjoy a drink while watching the sunset behind the Khan Shatyr.  When the show started we took the lift back down to enjoy the display. 

Astana Sunset

Baiterek Lightshow

Baiterek Lightshow

All last week we have not been able to drive in front of the Pyramid Palace , our usual route to school as the road has been closed off with preparations for the Nauruz fair.  A number of stages and Yurts had been constructed to house displays and produce from eight different regions of Kazakhstan – Akmola (our local region), Kostany, Almaty, North and South Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Kyzlorda and Karaganda. 

The Pyramid and roads being prepared for the Nauruz fair.

We had arranged to meet up with some friends who live close by and walk over to the fair.  Unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse today and it was bitterly cold (think midwinter levels of cold in most other places).  Everybody looked to have been caught out – all the Shubas  (furs) and down coats have been put away because of the recent warm spell and most people were wearing woollen spring/autumn coats.

Nauruz Fair -Astana

We stayed for a while to watch some wrestling – we were lucky enough to catch a bout in which one of the national team members was competing (it was very short and extremely decisive) but it was too cold to stay and watch the displays much longer as the children were starting to shiver and even the adults were getting numb fingers.  The fair itself was a little bit of a let down.  We were expecting artisanal products, beautifully arrayed but the regional tents held nothing more than could be bought in a supermarket, all piled rather inelegantly on the tables.  

Traditional wrestling match

We went back to our friend’s house to let the children thaw a little and enjoy a New Year’s lunch.  A little later we went to one of the malls to pick up some passport photographs (one of the lovely things about Astana is that nothing closes on public holidays).  It was very sweet to see that the mall had arranged for a traditional Nauruz swing to be put up for children to enjoy and that some people had a horse and pony outside for children to have rides.

Children enjoy a Nauruz ride

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About Astana

When we first heard that we were going to Astana we set about researching as much as possible.  The only thing I knew was that Astana is the second coldest capital in the world, below freezing for half the year and blazing hot for the other half.  A few books and Wikipedia entries later and I was left little wiser.  I did look on Google Earth to see the city on a fly-over and I was very excited by what I saw.

Astana - Winter-wonderland

There are very few direct flights to Astana most carriers still fly to the old capital of Almaty which is a bit of a pain.  We have to fly via Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev, Frankfurt, Vienna, Minsk or Almaty adding a transit to any journey.  We arrived at 11pm on a Wednesday evening in August which meant that we got to see the city all lit up.  As we drove past a giant tent, a huge glass pyramid and many other weird and wonderful buildings our interest was piqued and we could not wait to explore.

Astana has only been the capital of the country since 1997 so it is a relatively new city.  It was previously called, at various times, Akmola, Tselinograd and Akmolinsk.  As Tselinograd it was at the center of the Soviet Virgin Lands campaign and agriculture is still very important in the surrounding countryside.  The name was changed from to Akmola at independence in 1990 and then to Astana, meaning capital, in 1998.

The Khan Shatyr, a giant tent housing a shopping center, theme park and beach

During the summer Astana is a garden city with large open parks planted with fragrant flowers.  It is a delight to walk everywhere and explore the various strange buildings and futuristic architecture.  The new city has developed on the left bank of the River Ishim.  The main axis of the new city is the long, open pedestrian Nurzhol boulevard stretching from the Khan Shatyr (a large, tented shopping and entertainment complex complete with theme park and swimming pool) to the Baiterek (Astana’s famous landmark), past the Parliament buildings to the Ak Orda (the presidential palace).

Baiterek - Landmark of Astana

View from the Baiterek to the Khan Shatyr along Nurzol Boulevard

View from the Baiterek to the Ak Orda 

Across the river along the same axis you get to the giant pyramid, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.  Many other buildings are close to this main axis – the beautiful concert hall, a new museum in the process of being built and the Astana Mosque which was finished only recently.  Astana changes rapidly with new buildings springing up all the time.  In the photo of the view from the Baiterek to the Khan Shatyr you can see an unfinished building.  The photo was taken in August 2011 and the building finished shortly thereafter.

The Pyramid - Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

The Pyramid with the Mosque, Concert Venues and Kaz Eli monument behind.

Away from the main boulevard there are many parks – opposite our house is the Arai Park, perfect for teaching the kids to bicycle or for walking the dog.  The river is calm, frozen for half the year; we enjoy walking along it in the winter or sledging down precipitous ice slides.  In the summer there are pleasure boats and you can see scullers from the Astana Rowing club. Many people enjoy swimming in the river in the summer and there is even a beach for sunbathing.  The river has a beautiful embankment making it a pleasure to run, cycle or even roller-blade along.

Arai Park in the Winter

The River in Summer with the Ak Orda and Parliament buildings behind.

Astana has a permanent circus building – it looks like a flying saucer particularly when it glitters with flashing lights at night.  A lot of touring circuses come through and the kids love to go and see a show.   Despite Kazakhstan being as far away from the sea as you can get in the world Astana has its own Oceanarium.  There are some displays of local fish but the showstopper is the tunnel through the main tank.  Here you can walk through a water wonderland and see sharks and fish, truly a miracle in this land-locked country. Nearby you can explore all Kazakhstan in miniature at the memorial map complex.

Astana Circus with beautiful summer flowers

The right bank of the river is the older part of the city.  It has a very different vibe to the newer part and younger expats prefer to live here close to the night life.  Respublika Prospect is the main artery of this part of the city and is vibrant and chaotic in equal measure.  Over on this bank you find the Concert and Organ halls, the bazars, some very good museums and, if you know where to look, some interesting antique shops.

Everyone who comes to live in Astana worries about the weather and this is as true for locals as it is for expats.  Winter 2011/12 was very cold with temperatures getting down to the very low -40’s at times and consistently below -20 but we found we were able to enjoy life nevertheless.  This winter has been much warmer with temperatures rarely falling below -20.  The cold in Astana is very dry so it does not penetrate the bones in the same way a wet cold does.  The biggest problem is the wind as windchill can have a big impact on the temperature. 

Nurzhol Boulevard Gardens in Winter

 Because of the extreme weather living in Astana is like living in two different cities, both are beautiful, exciting, enjoyable places to live.

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