Nursultan's Kazakhstan

Astana. After Bishkek stucked in its soviet past, Almaty desespertly normal and rooted in the present, we are in the future now. The new capital of Kazakhstan is a futuristic city that appeared out of the desert about 15 years ago. Nursultan Nazarbaev, first (and still current) president of Kazakhstan, decided soon after the independance of the country to rise a new capital for 21^st century's Kazakhstan, as well as for his own ego. The skyline of the new city is impressive, and so unsual that many conspiracy theories see in Astana either an evidence of Illuminati's hand holding the world, either a capital for the New World Order. I must admit, without giving credits to any of this, the city is strange and a walk in its center surprising.

 

Let's start the visit with the most curious monument of the city. The pyramid is conceived to be the geographical and symbolic center of the city when Astana will have reach its planned extents. The place is named Palace of Peace and Accord. It was built to host regulary the Congress of World and Traditionnal Religions. In the underground is an opera theater. Climbing up in a diagonal elevator, you pass by several floors dedicated to administrative offices, meeting halls and exhibition galleries before to reach the upper part of the pyramid. The last thing to cross before to arrive at the top is a ridiculous winter garden of fake plastic flowers. The upper part is a conference hall called the Cradle hall, with windows decorated by stained-glass doves. A special elevator, reserved for the president Nazarbaev, brings him directly to this hall. ''Jesus Christ!'' says Tince with astonishment, but if Jesus would come here, he would have to take the stairs. It's weird to imagine the religious leaders and representants of the world gathering around Nazarbaev, in this place full of symetry and symbolism. Outside and nearby the pyramid, you can see a recent but beautiful mosque. Although this is the largest mosque in Central Asia, the building is still smaller than the pyramid, as the cult of the president has more importance here than Islam.

Inside the cradle hall of the pyramid.

Crossing the river, you can find the residence of the president, Ak Orda. The parliament, the senate, the tribunal can all be find at a near-distance and all the powers of the country are gathered around the same square. Two shiny golden-glassed towers keep the entrance to the place. On top of the residence itself you can see a sun, carried by a flying eagle, same as on the Kazakh flag. This solar symbol makes me think about Ancient Egypt, at a time when new pharaos regulary moved their capital to a new built city with temples dedicated to their own cult and where the previous pharaos could be forgotten.

In the city center rises another strange monument : Bayterek. A tower crowned by a glass golden ball. Bayterek is supposed to represent the Tree of Life, and to remind a Kazakh legend where a mythical bird lays a golden egg containing the secrets of Human desires and happiness in the top of that tree. The place is a strange mix of modern architecture, Kazakh mythology and cult of personnality. In the golden orb, one can enjoy a great overview on the city and place his hand in a print of Nazarbaev's hand, in a golden triangle at the center of it.

The center of Astana is built on an east-west axis, with a large esplanade linking all those places. In the morning, the sun rises behind the glass pyramid, at noon it passes over Bayterek, and sets in the evening behind a large transluscent tent : Khan Shatyr. The material used for the tent is so that the temperature inside remains the same all year long. Inside the yurt is a big shopping mall. When visiting the place, I think about the symbolism of this. In Kazakh nomadic culture, the yurt is the center of the family life and traditions. Isn't it representative of modern lifestyle to bring this temple of consumption in the very core of family life ?

The architecture of this city is indeed impressive, and gives the city of being in a megalopolis. However this feeling is still somewhat artificial and misleading. Sometimes if one turns into the wrong street behind this or this tower, one can arrive out of the city, facing the desert. The city is unfinished and in many parts cranes are just part of its skyline. In the Palace of Independance, it is possible to see the city plan and have an outlook on how the city should look like in 2050. For instance, behind Khan Shatyr will be built an inside city, a complex of building with the capacity of 1 million of people who will be able to enjoy a life inside with constant 27°C of temperature, and also parks and river. People living here have very different opinion about this city, some liking it and some don't. I don't know about living here but it's definitly worth a visit! After almost two weeks here, there's only one place left to see : the airport, which will take us home tomorrow!