The capital of Kazakhstan is one of the most modern megacities of the post-Soviet space, which continues to develop dynamically. In the 60s of the last century, the region was an all-Union center for the development of Kazakhstan and South Siberian virgin lands. Therefore, the center of the virgin land Akmolinsk was renamed the city of Tselinograd. With independence, the city became Akmola, and after the transfer of the capital - Astana.
general information
The city is located in the north of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in the territory of the Akmola region. Located on two banks of the Ishim River, on the steppe plain. In 2017, the population of Astana (the former city of Tselinograd) for the first time exceeded a million people. The population density is 1299 people per km 2, this figure in the country is higher only in Almaty. The territory covers an area of 797.33 km 2 and is constantly expanding; in 2018, 8719 ha were annexed.
16 km from the city is the modern international airport Nursultan Nazarbayev. Through Astana, roads and railways connect the city with other regions of the country and Russia.
Base
The territory where the city of Tselinograd is located has been inhabited since ancient times, there was an intersection of caravan routes. Over the centuries, settlements appeared and disappeared. In 1830, the city of Akmolinsk was founded, originally as a Cossack outpost, built on a small island in the middle of a wetland. Having served the due time, people settled around the outpost, forming a settlement. Later it became one of the main points of trade with nomadic peoples, a place for storing European goods and holding the largest summer fair in the region.
Over time, the Russian village connected with the nearby Kazakh aul. In 1863, the Akmola fortification received the status of a district city, later becoming the center of the Akmola district. The railway built in 1931-1936 gave a great impetus to the development of the settlement.
Virgin development
With the beginning of the development of virgin and fallow lands in Kazakhstan, Akmolinsk was renamed the city of Tselinograd. What area will be around the center for the development of virgin lands was not a question - it was called Tselinograd. The region began to provide grain to the whole country. At this time, new public buildings were built (including Tselinnikov Palace, Youth House, Ishim Hotel) and microdistricts, which were built up with typical residential high-rise buildings. The largest industrial enterprises for the production of agricultural machinery in the republic have earned.
Thousands of people from all over the Soviet Union were sent to the development of virgin lands in the region, many of them remained in Kazakhstan. The population has grown sharply due to labor resources, working at enterprises servicing land development. According to the latest Soviet data from 1989, 281, 252 people lived in the city of Tselinograd. By ethnic composition: Russians made up 54.10%, Kazakhs - 17.71%, Ukrainians - 9.26%, Germans - 6.72%, followed by Tatars, Belarusians and representatives of other nationalities.
Post-soviet history
With independence, Kazakhstan began to actively rename settlements. In 1992, Akmola became the new name of the city of Tselinograd. A severe economic crisis has begun in the country, which has greatly affected almost all settlements. Many industrial enterprises were closed in the city, in fact, only organizations associated with the railway worked normally.
In 1994, the Parliament of Kazakhstan adopted a resolution on the transfer of the capital from Almaty to Akmola. In 1997, President Nazarbayev made the final decision to begin the process of moving the capital. The city began to be put in order, redecoration of central districts and buildings intended for public institutions began. However, due to the scarcity of budget funds, the process was slow.
In 1998, the head of state (based on numerous petitions from the public) Akmolinsk was renamed to Astana. From Kazakh, the toponym is translated as "capital" or "metropolitan", the decision was expected, since many translated the former name as "white grave".
