KAZAKHSTAN: Kokshetau Blue Mountain City

Kokshetau is considered one of Kazakhstan’s most charming cities, located among beautiful lakes and mountains covered with dense coniferous forests.

Kokshetau is translated from Kazakh as Blue Mountain and the name is apt.

The Blue Mountain (Kokshe Tau) is the highest peak in the Kokshe Mountains, reaching 947 metres.

Many songs, poems and legends about the beauty of the area have been passed from one generation to another.

Locals have given the place a variety of names: the Area of Blue Lakes, Kazakh Pearl and the Area of Blue Mountains.

The city was established on the bank of Kopa Lake in 1824 as a fortress.

In 1868, it became a regional centre and today has a population of 160,000.

During the late 1930s, many residents of other Soviet Union republics were forcibly settled in the region because of the political repressions against ethnic Polish and German communities.

On March 16, 1944, the city was named the Kokshetau region’s administrative centre.

The picturesque image of the city that we see today on postcards was shaped in the 1970s-1980s.

During that time, Kokshetau saw rapid development, new residential districts and industrial factories.

The city became a major hub of railway and aviation routes.

Today, the city has a delightful appearance with clean streets, roads, quiet parks and squares promoting its cosy image.

Kokshetau is an urban area of youth and students with 10 higher educational institutions, 12 colleges, six lyceums and 20 schools.

The city has numerous museums, theatres and a cinema.

Abylai Khan statue adorns the main square of the city. Abylai Khan was regarded as a wise politician and diplomat, who was recognised by both the Chinese and Russian empires.

For centuries, the city and outlying areas were major political and intellectual centres of northern Kazakhstan.

Kokshetau has a beautiful mosque constructed in the beginning of the 20th century and a Russian Orthodox Church temple of Archangel Michael.

In 2004, a Roman Catholic Church was built in Gothic style using red bricks. A new mosque for 1,200 people named after Nauan Khazret opened in 2015 and construction of a new Orthodox Church is underway.

Kokshetau and its surroundings are famous for their nature and wonderful landscapes.

Burabai National Park is one of Kokshetau’s major sights. Borovoe Lake is the most significant among its lakes and distinguished by its size. Located 70 kilometres from the city, the lake is extremely popular among local and foreign tourists.

Kokshetau National Park, established in 1996, is situated 60 kilometres to the southwest of the city. The Zerenda, Shalkar and Imantau lakes can be found there with numerous pedestrian and equestrian routes.

The areas have excellent accommodations with hotels, sanatoria and rest houses constructed on the coasts. The soft mountain climate, clean air and curative dirt make rest here not only pleasant but also useful for one’s health.

Natural attractions and the city of Kokshetau have established their own unique image and strive to become a centre for international ecotourism. It is truly one of the most charming cities in Kazakhstan.

KAZAKHSTAN: Akmola Region Goes For Spiritual Tourism

Akmola Region is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau.

The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but is politically separate from Akmola Region. The region's population is 715,000; Kokshetau's is 157,000.

The area is 146,200 square kilometers. It and Karaganda Region are Kazakhstan's only two regions which don't touch the country's outer borders.

Akmola Region borders North Kazakhstan Region in the north, Pavlodar Region in the east, Karagandy Region in the south, and Kostanay Region in the west. Some gold and coal mining occur in the area.

Aqmola in Kazakh language means the white burial.

Ethnic Kazakhs account for 53.4% of the population in the 2017 census, compared to 33.7% for Russians.

Eight routes to sacred sites were approved as part of the Ruhani Zhangyru, Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity programme in the Akmola region, according to Kazinform.

The project aims to develop a tourist cluster and increase the number of visitors up to three million per year.

Approximately 80 select routes implemented by local tour operators are included in the state register for the region.

Ten operators also promote tours to historic and sacred sites in the Birzhan Sal, Burabai, Kokshetau, Korgalzhyn, Yereimentau and Zerenda areas.

The Abylai Khan’s Headquarters architectural and historical complex is a project implemented as part of the inner and pilgrimage tourism sub-programme to attract tourists to the complex located near the Kokshetau Mountains.

The database of all architectural and historical sites located on the territory of the region is not systematised.

But this project creates a single architectural and historical complex titled Khan’s Headquarters with the historical monuments added after scientific research, said Akmola region tourism department head Daniyar Idiyatov.

The project includes Abylai Khan Square, Uali Khan’s burial site located near the Khankol area and a granite cave in the Kokshetau Mountains related to Kenessary, the last Kazakh khan.

A monument erected in honour of Abylai Khan stands in the centre of Kokshetau.

Our main target markets are Russia and China. There’s also an interest from visitors from India and Iran.

A quarter of all inbound tourists are from Russia. As for the domestic market, the Ruhani Zhangyru initiative is of special importance.

Large-scale work is underway to develop domestic tourism as part of this programme. Since the beginning of the year, we have developed a series of tourist maps, guidebooks and banners for outdoor advertising, he said.

Kazakhstan Is My Homeland, the second national expedition highlighting the region’s tourist and recreational potential, was organised last year.

More than 22,000 people gathered at the Flamingo regional festival in the Korgalzhyn district.

Visitaqmola.kz was launched this year to promote the Akmola brand. Interactive stands offering tourist information services were also installed.

Ethno-cultural tours including a visit to the maral or noble deer breeding farms and national cuisine presentation are being developed in Burabai.

The area will also be launching a unique museum where visitors can become acquainted with the local history and culture using 3D glasses.

The region is administratively divided into seventeen districts and the cities of Kokshetau and Stepnogorsk.[4]

- Akkol District, with the administrative center in the town of Akkol;

- Arshaly District, the settlement of Arshaly;

- Astrakhan District, selo of Astrakhanka;

- Atbasar District, the town of Atbasar;

- Bulandy District, the town of Makinsk;

- Burabay District, the town of Shchuchinsk;

- Egindikol District, the selo of Egindikol;

- Enbekshilder District, the town of Stepnyak;

- Ereymentau District, the town of Ereymentau;

- Esil District, the town of Esil;

- Korgalzhyn District, the selo of Korgalzhyn;

- Sandyktau District, the selo of Balkashino;

- Shortandy District, the settlement of Shortandy;

- Tselinograd District, the selo of Akmol;

- Zerendi District, the selo of Zerendi;

- Zhaksy District, the settlement of Zhaksy;

- Zharkain District, the town of Derzhavinsk.

The following ten localities in Akmola Region have town status: Akkol, Atbasar, Derzhavinsk, Ereymentau, Esil, Kokshetau, Makinsk, Shchuchinsk, Stepnogorsk, and Stepnyak.


Tourism Observer