Monuments to visit Kazakhstan

The cable car takes you to the top of the hill where the TV tower overlooks the entire city. It's a popular outing for Almaty's residents, who like to climb it day and night to admire the panorama of both the city and the surrounding mountains. Several restaurants are set up at the top of the hill, along with various stalls (shooting galleries, etc.), giving the whole area a fairground feel. You can also choose to walk back down to Dostyk, through the suburbs of Almaty.

Bourabay's little bazaar on Rue Kenesary is busy every day, especially at weekends when holidaymakers flock here. You can buy all kinds of fish and shrimps straight from the lake. The target clientele are those who go picnicking on the lakes, so there's everything you need to stock up. It's also a good place to stock up on swimming gear in season, for those who have forgotten their swimming gear. You'll find bathing suits, towels, buoys, games and more..

In the early 2000s, Aralsk was more than 100 km from the shore. Local initiatives led to the construction of the first dike, which collapsed during a storm. But before it collapsed, the encouraging results prompted the government and the World Bank to support the local population's efforts and, in 2005, to build a full-fledged dam, enabling the water level to rise again. This 13-km dam, separating the northern and southern parts of the Aral Sea, has enabled the former to gain several dozen kilometers of ground lost over the past forty years. The dam itself is not very impressive, but in summer it attracts dozens of fishermen who indulge in veritable fishing miracles at the foot of the dam. A good place to feel the revival that is sweeping through the villages of the northern Aral Sea. And an opportunity to salute a successful local initiative! The expansion project has raised many hopes, not least that Aralsk will one day once again become a genuine fishing port. On the other hand, the presence of the dike irrevocably condemns what remains of the "great sea" to the south, on the Uzbek side. On the Kazakh side, however, the situation is euphoric: the "little sea" has already seen its level rise by almost ten meters and once again occupies more than a third of the surface area it had lost over the past decades. Fishing has resumed, albeit on a small-scale basis, raising the hopes of an entire population.

Built in 1999 on the initiative of President Nazarbayev, this mosque is now the city's largest. It can be spotted from afar thanks to its five minarets, the tallest of which reaches 47 m into the sky. But the white tiles enhanced by turquoise mosaics that make up the entire exterior façade are a little disappointing when seen up close, and of course offer nothing truly historic or authentic. Nevertheless, it is one of Almaty's greatest post-independence architectural achievements, most of the construction projects having subsequently benefited the new capital Astana. Entrance is via the iwan, which leads to an impressive octagonal prayer hall topped by a vast turquoise dome 36 m high and 20 m in diameter. It's a brightly-lit room, where the freshness of the marble is maintained by the dome. The dome's exterior decorations are in the Timurid style, using the same shapes and motifs as the domes of the Yessy mausoleum in Turkestan and other similar monuments in Uzbekistan. In particular, the calligraphy features suras from the Koran. These were created by Turkish architects at the turn of the century. To this day, Almaty's central mosque remains the largest in the country, accommodating up to 7,000 worshippers. The mosque compound also houses the religious administration of Kazakhstan's Muslims.

This beautiful Orthodox church is less well known than the one in Panfilov Park, but it's still worth a look. It's as green as the Zenkov Church is yellow, and can be spotted from afar thanks to its golden domes. It was built at the very beginning of the ^20th century, turned into stables by the Soviets, before being returned to worship in 1980. During your visit, you'll want to observe the customs and traditions of Orthodox countries. The small Nikolsky bazaar is just to the left of the church entrance.

This column, topped by a statue of the Golden Knight, has become the symbol of the city. It stands opposite the municipal government building, a colossus of neoclassical architecture. On the other side of the square are the National Museum, a large white structure topped by a dome, and the presidential residence, recognizable by its large gates and permanently patrolling guards. The original Golden Knight can only be seen in the National Museum of Kazakhstan in Astana; Almaty has only kept replicas.

This imposing monument was built as a tribute to the soldiers who fell in the Second World War during the defense of Moscow between November 1941 and January 1942. The men of the ^316th Division, commanded by General Panfilov, fought against the German armies to defend the capital and hold out until a counter-offensive was possible. It takes the form of an impressive stone statue designed in the purest tradition of Soviet realism, placed at the end of a stone walkway where an eternal flame burns. A soldier literally seems to emerge from the rock, while behind his outstretched arms stand out the faces and profiles of other soldiers of various nationalities. The main monument is framed by two frescoes in the same style, dedicated to World War II soldiers on the right, and to Russian revolutionaries on the left. The whole was inaugurated on May 9, 1975, for the 30th^{anniversary of} the victory. It is the work of Russian sculptors Andryushchenko and Artimovich, champions of Soviet realism who had already worked on other monuments of the same type in various republics of the Soviet empire. It was completely restored in 2012. The site is one of Almaty's must-sees, popular with newlyweds who come here to have their photos taken in full regalia. Every year on May 9, the date chosen for the end of the Second World War throughout the former USSR, the victory over fascism continues to be celebrated around the eternal flame.

There's nothing of note in Mikrorayon 10 from a cultural or architectural point of view, but this district to the east of the regional museum is worth a detour for the gigantic portraits of the "fathers of the nation" that adorn the sides of the buildings. These include Abilay Khan (block no. 19), Tole Bi (block no. 20) and Aytebek Bi (block no. 22). One of the latest portraits is of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, painted before he left office.

Before entering the museum, take the time to stroll down Tolebaev Street, between Shevchenko and Bogenbay Batyr. This street, with its cobbled, pedestrianized central alley lined with well-maintained streets used by often high-end vehicles, is the historic residential area of Almaty's elite. Sure, the buildings sometimes look old and decrepit, but in the 1970s and 1980s they were the best of the best. Prices and rents were among the highest in Almaty, and only the political classes and intelligentsia could afford to live there. Today, the past presence of these leading figures of the regime or of civil society is evoked by the large plaques, still very Soviet, which adorn the buildings on either side of the street: here a prima ballerina, here a general, further on a poet... A large part of Kazakhstan's recent official history passes by as you walk down Tolebaev Street.

At the corner with rue Bogenbay Batyr, on the left, is the apartment of Dinmukhamed Kounaev (1912-1993), First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan from 1964 to 1986. The apartment is modest in size but richly decorated, especially with the many gifts received by the First Secretary from counterparts and heads of state.

Dinmukhamed Kunaev's apartment-museum. Ready for a trip back in time? The first room on the right is Kunaev's study, where you can admire his personal collection of lighters: no fewer than 467 of them, including two donated by Kennedy himself. On the desk you'll find the telephone that was once connected directly to the Kremlin, and a collection of old LPs, some of them autographed by artists, with Michael Jackson at the top of the pile.

In the dining room, note the massive sideboard, a gift from Leonid Brezhnev, topped by two elephant sculptures, gifts from Mahatma Gandhi. At the far end of the room, the armchairs still bear the shape of the august posteriors they supported during long evenings of political discussion around an old-fashioned radio. This is followed by the TV room and the bedroom, with its little make-up room for Madame, and the kitchen with all its vintage equipment.

On your way out, you can take a tour of the building's lobby, where all Kunaev's weapons and hunting trophies are on display.