Society

In photos: Kazakhstan celebrates 20th anniversary of Astana's capital status

Citizens last Friday celebrated the 'Day of the Capital' with concerts, dance performances, patriotic events and a fireworks display.

By Aydar Ashimov

2018-07-11

Kazakhs stroll through Astana for the Day of the Capital holiday July 6. [Aydar Ashimov]

An artist paints a girl's face in Astana as her mother looks on. [Aydar Ashimov]

A girl jumps on a trampoline in Astana's central park. [Aydar Ashimov]

A dancer stretches before performing at the International Street Dance Session in Astana. Every year, dozens of dancers from Central Asia and thousands of spectators participate in the festival. [Aydar Ashimov]

A father uses a remote control to drive a toy car his son is riding in. The boy feels like a real racer. [Aydar Ashimov]

Exhibits of posters and theatre sets used for Day of the Capital, seen here, will be on display through July. [Aydar Ashimov]

Modern sculptures, such as this family of green elephants, decorate the capital. [Aydar Ashimov]

A girl waves a Kazakh flag above a crowd of revelers. [Aydar Ashimov]

Astana's central mosque is seen in the distance as scores of Kazakhs stroll down the street. [Aydar Ashimov]

The culmination of Day of the Capital festivities was a 12-minute fireworks display. [Aydar Ashimov]

ASTANA -- Kazakhstan celebrated the 20th anniversary of Astana's status as the nation's capital with ceremonies and festivities across the country last Friday (July 6).

Astana became the capital in December 1997, replacing Almaty.

Security was tight at concerts marking "Day of the Capital" in both Astana and Almaty, AFP reported.

In Astana, the entire day was filled with festivities, including an appearance by Kazakh performers in the city square, a dance performance, free ice cream, a wind instrument concert and dozens of other events.

Kazakhstan marked the 20th anniversary of Astana's status as its capital on July 6 with ceremonies and festivities across the country. The culmination of the holiday was a 12-minute fireworks display in Astana. Thousands of festival-goers stood motionless on the city streets and watched the performance. [Aydar Ashimov]

"This is a sort of endless holiday," Astana resident Nurlan Jorasbayev, 30, told Caravanserai. "We go from one place to another. We've already been to a concert and have been on the embankment. Now we're waiting for the evening fireworks."

During Friday's celebrations, Astana hosted games of kokpar (a nomadic game played with a goat's carcass, also known as buzkashi), an international music festival and other festivities. The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) opened its doors July 5.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev presided over the opening of the AIFC, which aims to ramp up international investment in the energy-rich economy.

Nazarbayev has described the centre as unique in the ex-Soviet region since it will operate on an independent legal structure based on English common law and will be overseen by Lord Harry Woolf, former chief justice of England and Wales.