GOLDEN HORSE

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.