Kazakhstan Things to Do Tips by TheWanderingCamel

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Ascension - known to everyone as the Zenkhov Cathedral after the architect who designed it - is one of the few buildings in Almaty to have survived the massive earthquake of 1910. Built entirely of wood in 1904 (it's claimed even the nails holding it together are all wooden)and painted in a magnificent palette of colours, it is undoubtedly both the most famous and the prettiest building in Almaty. - an truly gingerbread cathedral.
During the Communist regime the cathedral was used asa concert hall, but now it serves as a church once more, with daily services and people coming in and out all day to pray.

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Address: Panfilov Park

A huge bronze sculpture, known as the Glory Memorial, brutally heroic in scale, is the memorial to the 28 Kazakh soldiers who, it is said, fought off 50 Nazi tanks in 1941 and so saved Moscow from the Nazis.

Their commander was General Panfilov for whom the park where the memorial now stands is named.

An eternal flame burns at the base of the memorial.

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Address: Panfilov Park

The Museum of Kazakh Instruments is well worth a visit. The building itself is charming -a quirky wooden structure with a pagoda-like roof, it was designed by the same architect who designed the Cathedral - Andrei Zenkhov, who obviously had a great affinity for working with wood.
Inside the rooms are well laid out and labelled with displays of wonderful traditional instruments. Song and music is an incredibly important part of Kazakh culture, the repository of much of the folklore, belief systems and history of these nomadic people and the museum is an important link in maintaining these traditions in a modern age.

The museum is open 1000 -1730, closed on Monday

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Address: Kazybek bi Street
Directions: Across the road from the Glory Memorial in Panfilov Park

The gold-starred blue onion domes, turquoise blue walls and white wooden fretwork of St Nicholas's Cathedral (Nikolski Sobar) reflect the charm of the interior. The church is a remnant of Old Russia - much loved and used by the babushkas who have remained in the city as many young Slavic people have left.
Although the church was used as stables for a while, it became a church again as early as 1980 -long before independence saw the Zenkhov Cathedral returned to religious service

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Directions: Near the corner of Ulitsas Kosmonavtov and Baitursynova Street in the west of the city.

A cable car ride up to the top of Koktyube -one of the hills hill overlooking Almaty is a pleasant outing. At the top you'll find several outdoor restaurants where you can get a snack or a drink while you decide whether to take the ride down or walk. The view all around is lovely, it confirms the impression you will already have of just what a green and attractive place this is.

The TV transmitter on top of the hill is an Almaty landmark.

This is a popular weekend outing with the locals and therefore very busy.

The cable car leaves from a small station beside the Palace of the Republic between 1100 and 1900.

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Directions: The cable car leaves from a small station beside the Palace of the Republic between 1100 and 1900.

Surrounded as it is by mountains, it's only a short drive to one of the city's favourite recreation areas - Medeo. Whether you come in the summer for the cafes, the walks and the fresh mountain air, or in the winter to skate on the huge ice rink (open on weekends to the public), it will only take you half an hour to get here.
aT 1700m, Medeo is always cooler than Almaty,and if it's raining in the city, it wil be snowing in the mountains, so come prepared for the rapid changes that alpine regions can, and do, experience.

Weekends are always busy, so if it's real peace and quiet you are after, come on a weekday.

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Directions: Take the No 6 bus or one marked "Medeo" from opposite the Hotel Kazakhstan on Dostyk Street. They run all day with the last bus returning at 2200.

Zelyony Bazaar (aka the Green Market) is the main market in Almaty. Mountains of fresh fruit and vegetables lovingly arranged in pyramids of different colour - try the white apricots if you are there in early summer, they are delicious; dried fruits and nuts in abundence; caviar; Korean salads of every combination of vegetable you can think of; kumys (fermented mare's milk) and shubat (fermented camel milk); salty white balls of cheeses -Safeway was never like this.

There are several cheap eating places here.

The other areas of the market are a bit depressing, jammed as they are with cheap and shoddy goods and anxious people, both buyers looking for a bargain and sellers looking for a sale.

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Address: Ulitsas Zhibek Zholu
Directions: North od Panfilov Park

All the capital cities of the old Soviet Union staged huge parades in a massive square watched by the Party leaders and their apparachiks from a central podium. Almaty was no exception but now the square is named for the Republic (Respublika Algany) and, although the podium is still there, the monuments that adorn the space celebrate Kazakh history.

A tall column in the centre - the Monument to Independence - is topped with a replica of the famous Golden Warrior, so symbolic of Kazakh pride in their past, and there are large bas-reliefs depicting the great moments in the country's history and some nice sculptures of an old-style Kazakh man and woman.

The Presidential Residence - known as the White House - is on the square, and the State Museum is nearby.

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Whilst the Museum of Traditional Instruments is the most attractive museum in Almaty, it is by no means the only one worth visiting.

The Central State Museum is a huge, gloomy building just off Republic Square. There is quite a lot of interesting stuff here with exhibits dating from prehistoric times through to the modern era of independence. There are good displays of everyday objects and applied folk art -including a stunning yurt hanging encrusted with embroidery and coral beadwork. The signage, like a lot of the lighting, is barely adequate but a visit will leave you with a fair idea of the history of the country.

The Art Museum houses fine and applied arts - with the applied arts section - textiles, jewellery and costume - probably being more interesting than the fairly ordinary paintings on display unless you are interested in the rather esoteric study of the recent development of figurative art in the region or the particularly stolid style of official Soviet art..

Refer to the website given here for contacts and addresses of artists currently working in Almaty.

Both museums have good handicraft and carpet shops.

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Directions: State Museum - Furmanov Street - open 0900-1800 with last admissions at 1700. Closed Tuesday

Fine Art Museum - Satpaev Street - open 100-1300 and 1400-1800, closed Monday
Website: http://expat.nursat.kz/?141