среда, 26 мая 2010 г.

Almaty 2020 general plan



1. Purpose of the General Plan
The 2020 General Plan of Almaty Development is the main document of the city building with the purpose of ecological security, protection of environment and cultural legacy and establishing favourable conditions for the city sustained development.
The General Plan is designed in a way so that Almaty will continue performing functions of the Southern capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan and strengthen relations with Almaty agglomeration.
The General Plan is considered as the basis for elaborating and implementing long-term and short-term programs focused on city infrastructure development, preserving and cultivating of natural complex, reconstruction of dwellings and reorganization of production facilities, construction of public, business and cultural centers, developing tourism sphere, improvement of living conditions in the city, elaboration and implementation of urban plans to develop administrative districts and other territorial units in Almaty and design of projects aimed at city planning and building.
The objective of the General Plan for Almaty is to hold a complex of city building measures to facilitate ecologically safe, secure and socially comfortable environment.
The main idea of the architectural and city building General Plan is to preserve and continue shaping the current profile of Almaty – “City of Apples ”.
2. Indicators of Social and Economic Development
Demography
A cluster of social factors, both traditional and well-known factors and new social and economic changes and transformations that are now being shaped will have impact on dynamics of demographic processes till 2020.
Demographic development of Almaty will depend on natural and migration movements of population which scales and directions will result from social and economic transformation:
• strengthening of the city economic ability;
• development of dwelling market ;
• level of employment and salaries;
• government and local social policy, etc.
Perspective number of population is forecasted based on the hypothesis of step-by-step fertility reduction and increase (from 11,5 to 7,8 and 15,2 per 1000 inhabitants), mortality rise and fall (from 11,8 to 12,4 and 8,2 per 1000 inhabitants), growing lifetime and migration surplus. Positive migration balance was achieved in 1998-2000 and is expected to keep growing till the end of the forecasted period.
Forecasts of the number of population in Almaty are determined by sustained and accelerative demographic trends in Almaty, Almaty region and on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a whole. The most persistent forecasts concern the summative number of population in Almaty, including permanent and temporary residents. As forecasted, the perspective summative number of population in Almaty will total 1,500,000 persons that covers 1,300,000 permanent residents, and 200,000 temporary residents.
Given the analysis of the population structure, number of persons involved in city building is expected to rise by 2020 from 189,500 to 327,600 people, and in the service area this figure will increase from 354,100 to 390,000 out of the total number of population, if broken down by trades.
The goal of the social atmosphere development and city building is to establish social and psychological comfort and good conditions of living in Almaty.
Economic indicators of efficiency of the main trends that have been selected for city building will be as follows:
Compared to 2000, by 2020 increase is envisaged in
• gross regional products by 3 times;
• capital investments by 2,5 times ;
• income per capita by more than 2 time
Housing and Civil Construction
Main trends of complex building are to averagely provide 22 m 2 per a person and increase residential properties to до 27,5 million m 2. Construction will occur on free territories (1,1 thousand hectares, i.e. 2,42 million m 2 out of total area) along with territories under reconstruction by demolition of old shanty dwellings and compacting current housings - 1,8 thousand hectares (5,27 million m 2 out of total area). For the whole period, individual construction totaled 37% of all housing construction.
The following are the prioritized programs of reconstruction and development of living territories in Almaty:
• reconstruction of districts with low compactness of buildings in the structural part of city where territories are being used quite intensively (territories nearby highways, in the center, city hubs, etc.). It also includes demolition of 0,2 million m 2 of total territories where one-storied buildings are situated, and compensation to lodgers of old buildings forced to mover out because of construction of new sky-scrapers on these territories. Total area of new constructions is estimated as 1,47 million m 2;
• accomplishment of constructions and creation of housing complexes on free municipal territories that are laying outside of old districts. It will be accompanied by launching 4,2 million m 2 of residential properties, including 0,7 million m 2 resulted from reorganization of industrial territories and compacting existing public housing;
• forming of complexes of low-rise buildings, for example, cottages, that constitute up to 1,02 million m 2 of residential properties in contact areas of landscape framework and urbanized territories;
• restoration, reconstruction and municipal improvement of residential areas and historical complexes, if considered to be of great cultural and historical value and were built in XIX — early XX (20-50s); protection of living territories and improvement of the center of Almaty;
• step-by-step reconstruction of micro-districts that were founded in 60-80s and were later subject to complete overhaul, re-planning, additional building on, demolition of 1.15 million m 2 of damped housings, and new erection of comfortable earthquake-proof high-rise 12/16 – storied buildings with total area of 1,41 million m 2.
Municipal residential properties are the key element of the emerging housing market. From the experience of the developed countries, construction of municipal buildings for socially protected persons and similar categories of citizens should constitute at least 20-25% of total construction works. These are mainly multistory blocks that were made of cheapest and easily accessible technologies. Apartments in such buildings are of quality stipulated by the legislation.
Volume of new municipal housing construction equals 1,9 million m 2 out of the total area envisaged for construction till 2020. Annually, it is averagely 90 thousand m 2.
The General Plan in aimed at developing social spheres in context of new social and economic circumstances towards widely-acceptable standards of provision of services by public institutes and improvement of city facilities by 2020.
In addition, social spheres are going to be developed by new construction and reconstruction of service objects which total area is 4,77 million m 2. In this case the city will service up to 7,97 million m 2 of total area.
Economic Activities
In Almaty, it is recommended: a) to re-organize different industrial branches, including those related to sciences, culture and high technologies; b) to facilitate development of production, business and social infrastructures, services, tourism and recreation, and c) to liquidate and re-organize hazardous and resource-intensive industries.
Such restructuring of productive industries will facilitate high technologies production and resource-saving industries.
Almaty is expected to keep the status of the main city of the Republic of Kazakhstan and intensively develop scientific and technological, educational, cultural, social, productive and infrastructural capacities and networks of market infrastructure institutions on the national and international levels.
One of the plans is to effectively combine and promote interaction between the public and private sectors of economy.
The General Plan includes reorganization of production territories to make them environmentally safe and sound. Another element of the plan is to more effectively use building capacity of these territories to the benefit of the city.
Recreational City Infrastructure
The comprehensive city program of recreational infrastructure development has been designed specifically for facilitating new economic sphere in the city – tourism, using historical and cultural legacy and unique nature of Almaty. This new economic sphere will contribute to fund-raising for maintenance, restoration and recreation of historic memorials and natural capacity.
The program provides for annual increase in number of tourists from 253,5 thousand persons ( incl. 138,5 thousand tourists from Kazakhstan and 115 thousand foreign tourists ). Totally, it is required to provide 24,6 thousand seats ( incl. 14,71 thousand seats for regulated national tourism and 9,9 thousand seats for foreign tourism inflows), elevate tourism facilities and zones, develop comprehensive tourism infrastructure, including:
• expanding of tourism in Almaty since it is a crucial element of the tourism complex on the Kazakhstani part of the Silk Way; therefore, it is necessary to strengthen capacities of tourist institutions of the Almaty memorial region of Silk Way up to 25,000 seats, including the hotels of Almaty (from 5,8 до 7,8 thousand seats);
• forming of a centralized system of tourist zones connecting tourist facilities by footpaths, organization by tourist firms accommodation, services and leisure for tourists, harmonization of tourist zones by a unified system of transport itineraries;
• overhaul of tourist facilities by increasing capacities of entertainment and sport facilities, constructing an international tourist center and buildings for holding congresses, exhibition and fairs;
• development of networks of hotels, information and household facilities, tourist bureaus and transport agencies;
• fostering of tourist services in airports, railway stations; forming of a fleet and support to service companies that maintain special transport or rent cars to tourists; expanding of parking places in tourist zones
3. Objectives of Almaty Development
The main objective of urban development in Almaty – to facilitate sustained development of the city and create favorable conditions for living and working in Almaty for modern and future generations. To achieve the above goals is necessary:
• to guarantee ecological safety and stability of natural complex;
• creation of the city-garden, the biggest and most beautiful city in the Republic of Kazakhstan ;
• to secure cultural succession of decisions related to urban development; space unity, esthetic expressiveness, harmony and natural diversity of the city;
• to provide for reliable and safe transport and engineering infrastructures; to find comprehensive solutions of housing problems, overhaul and develop living territories and cultivate environment;
• efficient usage of production territories;
• development and accessibility of the system of public centers.
The above goals should be achieved by reorganizing and elevating Almaty, reconstructing buildings and improving living conditions.
Ecological requirements to Almaty development:
• to make rigorous efforts to improve situation in zones of ecological discomfort, especially in the center, on south-east, east and south of the city;
• to protect natural complex from adverse anthropogenic impact; to rehabilitate and restore vales that have been damaged because of production activities that were hold on those territories; and form new forestry on reserve territories;
• to elevate living conditions by planting and improving mezzo-climate and microclimate conditions in the public and residential zones of the city;
To comply with ecological requirements to Almaty development is necessary:
• to liquidate hazardous areas that may pose threats for population;
• to tackle sanitation, rehabilitation and reorganization of the territories that were exposed to strong technogenic load (for instance, unauthorized dumps, territories with high gas pollution и noise nearby highways, etc.);
• liquidation of hazardous productions; launching of ecologically safe non-waste or minimum-waste technologies and internal-drainage production cycles; equipping of all production, power engineering and municipal facilities with modern gas clearing, dust retaining and water purifying equipment;
• changes in structure of gas fuel used by increasing a number of vehicles on liquefied and compressed gas;
• following standards of high-quality drinking water and clearing manufacturing and public sewerage and surface of sewers;
• construction of highways for non-stop traffic;
• construction of bypass highways mainly for freight transportation;
• multi-stage processing and neutralization of manufactured and solid wastes.
Requirements of Historic and Cultural Legacy Preservation and Regeneration
Main directions of urban development should not breach the following requirements of the city historic and cultural legacy preservation and regeneration:
• to guarantee preservation, revelation and procurement of the whole historic, natural and landscape, planning, composition and architectural and environment objects of the city with urban development and architectural means, including historical relief, municipal and natural landscape, historical network of streets, squares and districts, historical system of architectural ensembles, visual dominants, accents and zones of the visual perception of the city area, immovable cultural monuments, traditional building and improving approaches;
• to position districts and streets that preserve historic features to largest extent as specially protected territories;
• to introduce and follow special building standards for territories with immovable memorials and zones of their protection so that the above standards could restrict these territories and launch appropriate regimes for construction activities on these territories;
• to introduce and fulfill special building requirement for zones of protection of historic and natural landscapes so that these requirements could restrict the above zones and determine regimes of regulating construction activities within the limits of such zones to protect and provide best conditions for visual perception of landscapes;
• to promote restoration and reconstruction of immovable memorials and facilitate revelation of memorials, their accounting and certification.
Main Directions of Preserving and Developing Natural Complexes
The natural complex of Almaty is a combination of the territories where planting and/or water objects prevail. These territories are designed as environmental, recuperating, recreational and landscape sharing facilities and form natural and landscape framework of the city. Territories of the natural complex include a) natural territories — forests and parks (the Baum’s grove), natural vales of river and streams; b) green areas — squares, gardens, boulevards, monuments of gardening and landscape architecture, along with green residential areas and public, production facilities and utilities; c) reserved territories assigned for restoring damaged natural territories and recreating lost natural territories as well as facilitating new green territories.
Preservation and development of natural territories are mainly aimed at:
• preservation of integrity of the Almaty natural complex, suburbs and Almaty agglomeration;
• shaping of recreating zones of different hierarchy levels;
• ecologization of designing and maintaining specific territories of the natural complex; extension of the natural complex area from 4 to 14,2 thousand hectares.
Territory Architecture and Planning
The General Plan provides for urban development within the limits of the cit to be accompanied by the intense deploy of the inter-city territories.
The territorial development of the city is provided by cultivating non-used territories located along main planning axes: in the western, eastern, northern and southern directions (the foothills are the natural complex).
The General Plan stipulates construction both of low-rise and high-rise buildings. High-rise buildings are going to be traditionally erected on the west of the city – between Paiymbek avenue and Tole bi street, along the Abay avenue and on the south of the city in Samal areas. Besides, many-storied buildings will be constructed in the downtown by selective reconstruction.
To form main highways of the city and construct overpasses and road junctions on different levels it is planned to demolish low-rise buildings on Seifullin str., Dostyk ave., Raiymbek prs., Abay ave., Tole bu str., Zhansugurov str., Zhandosov str., Shemyakin str., Furmanov trs., Northern semiring, etc. Construction of low-rise building will be carried out on the north-west of the city on the territories located to the north from Ryskulov prospect between Karagalinka and Borolday rivers, on the east – between Shemyakin str. and Malaya Almatinka river to the north from KazPAS ponds, on the north – nearby the Pervomayskaya oil storage.
Natural and ecological and transport framework is the basis of forming a future planning structure of the city. Such a framework is shaped by mountain rivers crossing the city in the meridian direction through parks, squares, boulevards and other green territories that are called “city lungs”.
Large-scale green territories are laid out along the main natural boundaries that connect environment with its elements in the city (Aksai, Yesentai and Kargalinka, Bolshaya and Malaya Almatinka, etc.).
As a whole, the ecological framework is a network consisting of large cells and mutually crossed corridors of meridian and latitudinal orientation for passing airstreams of mountain, valley and plain circulation. The function of a corridor valley winds will be performed by the network of alleys, boulevards, recreation zones which main component is the recreation zone nearby BAK.
A system of highways should become the next element of the urbanized framework. The General Plan covers development and improvement of the city transport infrastructure by complimenting existing roads with the new meridian and latitude highways, pass roads, maintenance services, construction of transport junctions, overpasses, flyovers, etc. Development of the city transport infrastructure will depend on creation of the centralized system of freeways provided that such freeways will further be distinguished as roads for regulated traffic and roads for ongoing movement.
For branching transit transport flows from the center of the city, it is planned to construct a system of the sustained movement rings that will encircle the center of the city.
The Big Almaty Ring Highway (BAKAD) will isolate municipal territories from external transit flows. BAKAD will be laid out from the Talgar track on the east to Zhandosov street on the west.
To improve environment situation in the city, the General Plan included overhaul of the road network, underground construction, increasing the number of electric transport, extension of maintenance services, etc.
Further city development will be accompanied by bifurcation of the municipal transportation system. Within the framework of the General Plan, it is expected to set up sub-centers of the city core at the biggest transport junctions.
After the city started developing in the western direction, a new multifunctional sub-center of the public center is being constructed on the conjunction of Abay Avenue and a prospective municipal freeway. In the northern direction the center is the Almaty-1 railway square.
The third sub-center of the city core is being organized on the east on the crossing of Kulzhinkiy and Talgarskiy tracks. It wil be the tourist complex “Ancient Almaty”.
In the center of the city, it is planned to preserve and restore traditional design and architecture, structures of historical buildings, principles of systems of alleys for pedestrians, boulevards, squares, and recreate the lost elements of the historical natural and landscape framework.
The General Plan stipulates a series of measures to promote preservation of historical and cultural monuments on the basis of archeological memorials and establish cultural and research centers, such as the National Ethnographical Center on Borolday saki tumuli and the Ancient Almaty Center on the main road of the Silk Way – Kulzhinskiy track.
Main Directions of Developing Public Territories
Functional, architectural and spatial base of the urbanized city framework is formed by public territories that comprise main functions and working places in the service sector, culture, leisure, tourism, education, administration and business spheres.
Main directions of developing public territories include developing a single system of the territories of public municipal centers and a system of local multifunctional service centers in biggest residential areas.
Development of a single system of the territories of public municipal centers provides for:
• territorial growth of this system from 1,15 to 2,60 thousand hectares, increase in the volume of public construction by 2,5 times – from 3,21 to 7,94 million square meters, including socially guaranteed construction by 2,7 times – from 1,53 to 4,06 million square meters and municipal construction by 2,3 times – from 1,68 to 3,88 million square meters;
• forming of specialized zones to locate government buildings, representation offices, diplomatic missions of foreign countries;
• enhancing representative, cultural and entertainment capacities of the central districts of the city;
• intensive development of public territories (centers, junctions, multifunctional zones) in the middle of the center, setting up most working places in this area and developing transport flows in business, administration and trades;
• intensive creation of recreational, sport, entertainment and cultural centers in contact zones of the urbanized and natural frameworks of the city that are formed by transport junctions and growing number of tourists actively visiting historic and natural parks of the middle zones.
Strengthening of a network of local multifunctional centers is to be held in biggest residential areas outskirts of the city to make living conditions for residents of these districts more comfortable, i.e. provide access to working places and social infrastructure facilities, especially to trade and entertainment facilities.
Almaty Zoning
According to the General Plan, the urban zoning of Almaty is carried out in conformity with Resolution 2.07.01-89 «Urban development» and Resolution Б.1-7-97. The General Plan identifies standards of functional usage of urban cadastral sectors by territories. An urban cadastral sector is a part of Almaty territory restricted by territorial unit of the city, taking into account red lines of freeways, territories of the natural complex and other boundaries. Within the city area, there are approximately 400 urban cadastral sectors. Their average area totals 60 — 75 hectares.
The functional designation of an urban cadastral sector determines the appropriate proportions of residential, public, production and natural facilities.
Such functional designation of the territories of urban cadastral sectors is a legal instrument to secure purposeful usage of the city territory in accordance with the requirements and main direction of Almaty development.
The functional designation of the territories of urban cadastral sectors should be taken into consideration by administrative authorities while making decisions related to urban development and usage of lands. Urban development activities that are in breach of the determined functional destination of the territories of urban cadastral sectors are prohibited by Resolution 2.07.01-89 «Urban development».
The functional designation of the territories of urban cadastral sectors within the frameworks of the General Plan is set up by the General Scheme of Almaty’s functional zoning.
The General Scheme of the functional zoning legally endorses any changes into the usage of the city territories that are stipulated by main directions of Almaty development and the Programme of short-term urban development actions.
General schemes portray the following key trends of transforming functional usage of territories:
• increasing share of territories of natural destination and residential areas in parallel with condensing volume of production zones;
• intense growth of public territories;
• decreasing number of the territories of specialized functional usage and growing share of the territories of combined functional usage.
4. Transport Infrastructure Development
Transport is the main source of pollution in the city (approximately 80% of all pollutants’ emissions). Therefore, among the other components of the General Plan there are overhaul of the road network, underground construction, rolling stock upgrading, increasing a number of electric transport, streamlining of fuel stations and maintenance services.
Main types of municipal public transport in Almaty are the underground (high-speed transport) and general transportation means such as buses, trolley-buses, street railway, taxi.
The General Plan is aimed at accomplishing construction activities and putting into operation a thee-line underground in Almaty:
First line will start from Raimbek’s station (north crossing of Raimbek prospect and Furmanov Str.,) along Furmanov Str., till Abay prospect and along Abay prospect till Sain Str. The first part of the first line is ending with Alatau station (to the east of Gagrin’s str.). Here, passengers will transfer from one line to the other line. Totally, there will be 10 stations along the first line. The length of the line is 13,3 km, the length of the first part - 8,5 km.
Second line will start from the Park Gorkogo station at the Central Park of leisure under Zhibek Zholy str. and then turn to Gogol str., after that – to Auezov str., and then along Abay prospect crossing the first line (on the Alatau station) and then tracing along Кщянифлшну str. (on the western side) till Toraigyrov str. and will end at the Orbita station. Totally, there will be 9 stations along the second line. One of them is designated for transferring to the first line. The length of the second line is 14 km.
Third line continues the first line and starts on the Raimbek station tracing on the north till the railway station Almaty I. Then, this line is going along the railways between Almaty I and Almaty II. Partially, this line is going on the land. The length of this part is 3,5 km. Total length of the third line is 8,5 km. Four stations will be located on the third line.
Electric deport is located on two platforms: one of them is to the north from the Almaty-II, another – to the west from the crossing of Sain str. and Toraigyrov str.
The General Plan stipulates construction of new highways and reconstruction of existing highways designed for ongoing and regulated traffic as well as roads in the region (total length of these roads is 207km) and creating three main high-speed transport rings:
Big Ring ( length is 103 km):
-BAKAD (Big Almaty Ring Highway) – starts on the east from Talgar track, turns as a semi-ring the Almaty airport, Energeticheskiy village, Yntymak village, Ashibulak village on the north, western part of TPP-2 (thermal power plant), Avangard village till crossing with the external highway Almaty-Uzynagash and along this road till Zhandosov str., then along Sain str.Al-Farabo prospect, South-West semi-ring till Talgar track and along the track till the end.
Middle Ring ( length is 61 km): – starts from Talgar track, goes on the north along the road to the Airport till Mailin str., along Bekmakhanov str., highway to the oil storage, Burundai highway, along Sain str, Al_farabi prospect, South-West semi-ring and long Talgar track till the end.
Small Ring ( length is 32 km): -starts from Talgar track, goes long Ryskulov str., Bekmakhanov str., Mukanov str., Baizakov str., crossing the new part of the road on the flyover to the west from KazGNU and then goes along the South-East semi-ring.
Traffic roundabouts are going to be constructed on different levels on crossings of highways and roads. Totally, 51 roundabouts will be created. By 2020, roundabouts will be set up on the Big Ring – 7 roundabouts, Middle Ring – 11, Small Ring – 7. It is also planned to facilitate development of the service sectors, including filling stations, parking places, garages, service centers, etc.
Electric transport is also going be promoted – new trolley-bus itineraries will be launched by Medeo skating ring, along Al-Farabi prospect, Sain str. Street railway routes will increase in the downtown and on the west of the city.
5. Engineering Infrastructure Development
Water supply system
The General Plan identifies the following directions of developing the municipal water supply system:
• to preserve and facilitate the existing zonal water supply system and increase its daily output capacity up to 1081 thousand m3 as drinking, production and fire-prevention water conduit;
• to improve water supply system by reconstructing and erecting new diversion facilities, increasing reservoir capacities and constructing new water conduits;
• to provide sustained water supply to low-rise building areas (Shanyraki from 1 to 6, Aigerim, Ulzhan, Shkolnik 1,2, Dubok, Taugul-3, Darkhan, Kalkaman 2,3, Duman 1,2, etc.), also settlements considered to be within the limits of the city (Kirov, Trudovick, Ozhet, Akbulak, Druzhba, Karasu, etc), and new construction districts that are mostly located to the west from Algabas village, to the west from Pervomaika village, in Mamyr, by constructing new water conduits, freeway networks taking into accounts the specifics of the current water supply system;
• to preserve and facilitate existing sources of water supply in the city (surface waters of Bolshaya Almatinka and Malaya Almatinka, Almaty and Talgar pools of subsurface waters;
• to increase water quality by recreating environment and improving conditions of water usage on the territories where sources of surface waters are found, and also by step-by-step rehabilitation and modernization of all the operating water supply stations and adapting new purification technologies.
Water disposal system
In terms of the sewerage system, the General Plan provides for the following actions: to increase efficiency of the sewerage system and increase its daily capacity to 626 thousand m3 by modernizing existing facilities of total biological purification and setting up the, so called, bioponds, for additional purification of water drain. Among the other actions, there is construction of emergency sewage disposal to the Ili river and three circles of the suburb collector; improvement of the sewerage system; creating of new mainline collectors; replacement of the obsolete networks; erection of two pumping stations and pressure conduits (37 km) and the construction of a drain siphon over the Bolshaya Almatinka river (4 km) and bridge between fish ponds (1 km). Moreover, it is planned to refine on technologies and upgrade sewage treatment by improving technological processes so that to prevent from discharging into the municipal sewerage inadmissible wastes and to introduce new biological purification technologies on airing stations.
Heat supply system
Within the framework of the General Plan, the main direction of developing the heat supply system in Almaty is as follows:
• upgrading, reequipping and developing existing heat supply systems based on modern technologies and equipment;
• disposing advanced, high quality and non-conventional thermal and electric power sources in the zone of decentralized heat supply.
In terms of heating system, the following actions are stipulated:
• to replace step-by-step the automated heating and power station – 1 ( АТЭЦ -1) with new, ecologically safe equipment with capacity of around 1300 Gkkal/h, the main fuel is natural gas;
• to supplement the automated heating and power station – 2 ( АТЭЦ -2) with two energetic boilers and one tuboset. It is offered to use coal of better quality for this station as fuel. Natural gas is used as cushion fuel. The capacity determined is 1700 Гкал \ час ;
• construction of thermal lines from АТЭЦ -2 to the Western thermal district with total length of approximately 30 km, construction of a connecting thermal line between АТЭЦ -2 and АТЭЦ -1 to the pumping station with the length of 13 km, construction and reinforcement of certain parts of thermal lines in the context of the existing heat supply system;
• construction of a new boiler-house on the north fueled by gas (this district is located to the west from Pervomaika village);
• reconstruction, modernization, development of regional boiler-houses on the south;
• setting up new thermal networks and reconstructing the existing networks, using modern technologies and channel-free packing.
Power supply system
The General Plan presents two conceptions of the power supply system development.
Conception of minimum: the generating capacity of municipal power stations is dropping out, taking into account the results of using main equipment at АТЭЦ -1,2,3.
Conception of maximum: compliance with the 2030 Programme of Power Industry Development ratified by the Government Resolution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the 2005 Plan of Action for achieving energetic independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Emerging shortfall should be insensibly covered using the Ekibastuz hydroelectric power station during the next 10-15 years, provided that the current voltage of existing power networks equals 500 МВ as a maximum. In future, this figure can vary from 500 кВ to 800 МВт.
As a long-term project, it is planned to construct the main power station on the platform of Chiganak and therefore to cover emerging shortfall.
The main directions of developing the city power supply systems are as follows: reconstructing and reequiping power grids and facilities located in the areas where construction is being carried out; condensing of losses by reducing transit power flows through the municipal networks (35-110 ке ); creating new power stations (110/10 кв ) to supply power for new residential areas; developing external backbone networks (220 кВ and more); constructing two power station which voltage is 220/110 кв and accomplishment a circle of high-voltage transmission lines (220 кВ ) around the city; adapting energy-efficient technologies and differentiated tariffs for power consumption.
Gas supply system
The General Plan is aimed at solving all problems related to natural gas supply for consumers of all categories. To provide consumers with the forecasted volume of gas and fulfill all the regulations regarding constructing facilities and gas supply systems, the project stipulates the following measures:
• construction of two gas-distributing stations « ГРС -3» and « ГРС -2 А », their capacity is 690 thousand m3/per hour and 550 thousand м 3/per hour;
• reconstruction of ГРС -1 and ГРС -2 so that these stations could be exploited as gas-regulating high pressure units;
• construction of twp key gas-regulating units;
• construction and assembling of gas regulating units in the districts where new buildings are situated;
• building of high pressure, low pressure and middle pressure gas conduits to connect the projected and reconstructed districts.
The General Plan presents two variants of gas flow forecasting: maximum gas flows provided that power sources are totally used (i.e. 1085,0 thousand m3/per hour), and gas flows without taking in account fuel consumed by АТЭЦ -2 and the boiler-room on the north (i.e. 785,8 thousand m3/per hour).
6. General Plan Implementation and Monitoring
Executive and legislative authorities of Almaty are responsible for the General Plan implementation and monitoring.
The Almaty Akimat regularly informs the residents of Almaty on the interim results of the General Plan implementation. Given the 2005 short-term Almaty development programme, the General Plan needs to be adjusted.
The General Plan is subject to adjustments each five years. The main goal is to adapt a short-term urban development programme for the next year and make necessary adjustments to the General Plan, review main directions of urban development and update general schemes of Almaty zoning.

среда, 19 мая 2010 г.

History of Almaty


Background Information

Almaty is situated in the center of the Eurasian continent on the southeast of the Republic of Kazakhstan in longitude 77 East and 43 latitude North on the bottom of Zailiisky Alatau – the most northern mountain range of TyanShan. Gagri and Vladivostok are situated on the same parallel.

The Almaty climate is sharply continental with significant temperature fluctuations during the year and the day. At the 500-meter height you can see city streets directed to the north, steppes, hottest Prikaskelenskiye Muyunkumy. You can feel glaciers’ breath in the residential areas on the south while being at the 1500-1700 meter height over the sea level in Medeu and Kamenskiy Plato tracts.

Flora and fauna of Zailisky Alatau are impressively diverse and luxuriant. Almaty suburbs are considered to be the part of the Ile-Alatauski national park that is hosting natural reservations and wildlife sanctuaries. Most rare kinds of birds and animals that live on the protected territories are recorded in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, including a snow leopard (irbis) that is now depicted on the Almaty emblem.

At the bottom of the mountains tobacco, melon, grain and grapes plantations are replaced by orchards and berry fields. Over 8 thousand hectares of the city territories are cultivated and planted with gardens, parks, squares and boulevards. This is the place of origin of the Almatinskiy aport.

The city area is over 170 square meters and situated between the Bolshaya and Malaya rivers and their inflows. City rivers and lakes are the main water supply sources for Almaty.

ALMATY EVOLUTION STAGES

During X-IX B.C. in the bronze era the first farmers and cattle-breeders established settlements on the territory of Almaty . It is evidenced by Terenkary and Butakty settlements located on the territory of the city. Archaeologists found there ceramics, instruments and products made of stone, bone and metal.

VII B.C. – beginning of the Common Era. During the saki’s period, Almaty was chosen for residence by saki tribes and later uisun tribes. The evidences of these times are numerous burial tumuli and ancient settlements, especially giant burial mounds of saki tsars. The most famous archaeological finds are the Golden man from the Issyk tumulus, Zhalaulinsky treasure, Kargaky diadem, Semirechinskaya arts bronze (boilers, lamps and alters). During the period of saki and usun governance, Almaty became the early education center.

VIII – X. The next stage of Almaty evolution is attributed to the Middle Ages and characterized by the city culture development, transfer to the settled way of living, farming and handicraft development, emerging a number of towns and cities on the territory of Semirechye . Archeological diggings on the territories of ancient settlements resulted in numerous ceramic, metal and bone finds.

X – XIV. Settlements situated on the territory of the, so called, Big Almaty, became the part of trade routes of the Great Silk Way . At that time, Almaty turned out one of the trade, craft and agricultural centers on the Great Silk Way and possessed a mint. One of the evidences of this mint was found on the territory of the existing Border Guards Academy . They found two silver coins of XIII (dirkhems). Experts testify that the city was first mentioned as Almatu in old books in the thirteenth century.

XV - XVIII The city was on the way to degradation as trade activities were condensing on this part of the Great Silk Way . Notwithstanding, this period was saturated with very important political events that had significant impact on the history of Almaty and Kazakhstan as a whole. It was a period of crucial ethnic and political transformations and forming of the Zetysu original culture. The Kazakh state and nation were founded here, close to Almaty.

These lands also witnessed the tragic developments related to the Jungar intervention and rigorous efforts of the Kazakh to protect their land and preserve independence. In 1730 the Kazakh defeated the Jungar in the Anyrakay mountains 70 km to north-west from Almaty. It was a critical moment of the Patriotic War between Kazakhs and Jungars.

4 February 1854 . The new history of the city started from strengthening the Russian piedmont fort “Verniy” nearby the Zailiysky Alatau mountain range between Bolshaya and Malaya Almanka.

The construction of the Verniy Fort was almost finished by autumn 1854. It was a fenced pentagon and one of its sides was built along the Malaya Almatinka. Later, wood fence was replaced with the wall of brick with embrasures. Main facilities were erected around the big square for training and parading.

On July 1 1855 the first displaced Kazakh appeared in Verniy. Since 1856, Verniy started accepting Russian peasants. They founded the Bolshaya Almatinskaya Stanitsa (Cossack village) nearby the fortification. The inflow of migrants was increasing and led to construction of the Malaya Almatinskaya Statitsa and Tatarskaya (Tashkentskaya) sloboda. It was the place of settlement for Tatar mechants and craftsmen. In May 1859 the number of population totaled 5,000 persons. Construction activities were managed by engineer L. Aleksandrovskiy and military engineer T. Gumnitskiy.

On 11 April 1867 the Verniy Fort was transformed into the town and called Almatinsk. However, the population did not like the new name of the town and soon the town was re-named as Verniy as reported by the government Steppe Commission. Such a transformation of the fortification into the town is justified by the Reform of 1867-1868. Verniy became the center of the Vernenskiy uezd and Semirechenskaya oblast. G.A. Kolpakovskiy was the first governor of the Semirechenskaya oblast.

The first City Plan was elaborated by N. Krishtanovskiy. He offered the following parameters of the city: on the south along Almatinka was 2 km, and on the west was 3 km. He also offered to supply the city with hay, horse and green markets and lay out four parks.

The new city area was divided into residential parts, and the latter – into districts. Three categories of the city buildings were distinguished. Buildings of the first and second categories were two-storied or, at least, one-storied constructions with the high semi-basement. Buildings of categories I and II were erected around and in the center of the city, others – on the outskirts. It was quite possible to purchase land and build a house.

The Gostinodvornaya square was a composition center of the city. Today, there is the Almaty center there. Main administrative and public buildings were situated around the Municipal park (today, this is the Park named after 28 Panfilof warriors).

G.N. Serebryanikov (1839-1883) was the first city architect.

On 28 May 1887 at 4 am the earthquake almost totally destroyed Verniy for 11-12 minutes . Brick buildings were mostly damaged.

On 1 June 1887 the military governor of the Semirechinskaya oblast approved the order “Due to the revealed unreliability of brick constructions in case of earthquakes, it is hereby ordered to build wooden houses only” («Semirechinskiye vedomosti », №91, 1 June 1887 ).

To investigate earthquake consequences and develop an adequate plan of action in case of emergency, I.V.Mushketov set up a special post-earthquake research commission in Semirechye.

The earthquake deteriorated the image of the city. As a result, people were inclined to build up one-storied construction made of wood or adobe. Significant contribution to the reconstruction and improvement of the city image was made by A.P.Zenkov. He was a military engineer and architect. He was the first to elaborate and deploy the seismic construction standards (for example, Cathedral).

The earthquake of 1910 was the bright evidence of appropriateness of these standards. Greening of the city was a great achievement. It was the merit of the city governance and brothers Eduard and Otto Baums. Otto Baum was a silviculturist, since 1883 he was in charge of the Public garden (Gorkiy park), in 1880 he laid out the grove that is nowadays is known as the Baum’s grove.

In the report of 1909 “ Russia . Complete geographic description of our motherland” edited by Semenov-Tan-Shanskiy, there is an interesting description of Verniy: “Verniy is a concentration of all the government institutions including those managed by the military governor. This is the post of duty of Turkestanskiy and Tashkentskiy bishop. The population of the city is 37, 000 people (26 000 – Russian, the rest – taranchi, dungane, sarty, Tatar, Kyrgyz; in Verniy there are 2 100 buildings, 9 churches, 4 mosques, 18 educational institutions, a small regional museum, 66 plants and factories with 313 working places. Municipal incomes total 119.515 rubles, expenses - 119.113 rubles.

Paul Gurde (1846-1914) was the second and the last architect of Verniy before the Revolution of 1917. He was the author of the Almaty emblem.

The Revolution of 1917 did not significantly change the image of the town. The only signal of the new governance – new slogans and posters on the buildings

March 1917. The military governor and mayor were dismissed. The Temporary Government appointed new commissars Shkapskiy and Tynyshpayev .

2 March 1918 . The Soviet regime was officially imposed. In addition, the regional executive committee was set up and headed by P.M.Vinogradov .

5 February 1921 . The joint solemn sitting was summoned for the participation of the representative of government regional and sub-regional institutions, professional trades, the Moslem poor to make a decision to assign a new name to Verniy – Alma-Ata . The Semirechenskiy military and revolutionary committee resolved: «The former name of the administrative center of Semirechye that was given to prove loyalty towards colonialism is not acceptable when the city becomes the revolution center. Form now, Verniy is called Alma-Ata » (please see the Almatinskiy regional archives).

3 December 1926 . The Council of Labour and Defence approved the construction of the Turkestan-Sibir railway that was a crucial element of the republic reconstruction, specifically on the east and southeast of the republic.

The Turksib construction was a decisive economic aspect that foreordained the destiny of Alma-Ata as a capital of Kazakhstan .

2 March 1927 . It was the initiative of the Central Executive Committee of the Kazakh Republic to transfer the capital from Kzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata . The VI Kazakhstani Congress approved this initiative (Materials of the VI Kazakhstani Congress, Kzyl-Orda, 1927). 29 April 1927 it was officially decided on the sitting of the RSFSR Committee to transfer the capital of the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Social Republic from Kzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata . Government officials and agencies moved to the new capital as soon as the Turksib railway was put into operation. It happened in May 1929 on the Turksib pilot train (please see the Almaty municipal archives «Documentation on the transfer of the capital of Kazakhstan to Almaty).

On 28 April 1930 the last tie cotter was hammered in the the Aina-Bulak station to connect two enormous economic regions – Sibir and Kazakhstan . Turksib was put into operation on May 1 and the first train from Moscow arrived in Almaty.

In 1930 the construction of the highway and railway to the Alma-Ata station was completed.

Besides, the Alma-Ata airport was opened in 1 930 and people from the capital of Kazakhstan could fly now from Alma-Ata to Moscow . Alma-Ata became the air gate to Kazakhstan . Transformation of the small town into the capital of the Republic was supplied by the large-scaled construction of new administrative and government facilities and housing.

In autumn 1929 года the population of the city totalled 100,000 people compared to 45,000 in 1926.

The government of the Republic approved the plan of action and main figures of constructing new facilities in the city for 1929-1930. Investments to a) the housing amounted to 6,5 million rubles, b) construction of administrative facilities – 2,9 million rubles, and c) utilities – 2,2 million rubles. Schools, public housing and health facilities were referred to priorities.

Given the transfer of the capital of Kazakhstan to Alma-Ata , in 1936 the Architecture and Planning Bureau #1 of RSFSR elaborated the General Plan aimed at re-creating Alma-Ata as the new cultural and comfortable capital of Kazakhstan . The Plan was based on the existing rectangular system of districts that would further be strengthened and reconstructed.

1941-1945. During the World War II the city territory was changed to a large extent . To organize the home front and concentrate industrial and material resources, the residential stock was compressed to arrange accommodation for 26,000 persons evacuated. Alma-Ata hosted over 30 industrial facilities from the front areas, 8 evacuated hospitals, 15 institutes, universities and technical schools, around 20 cultural institutions, etc. Movie production companies from Leningrad , Kiev and Moscow were also evacuated to Alma-Ata .

Owing to self-denying labour, over 52,000 Almata-Ata residents were awarded. 48 residents were granted with the title of the Soviet Union Hero. Three rifle divisions were raised in Alma-Ata , including the well-known 8 th Panfilov’s division) along with 2 rifle battalions and 3 aviation regiments that were raised on the basis of the air club of Alma-Ata .

The new Alma-Ata Development project was elaborated 1949-1950 by the Leningrad division of “Giprogor” and based on the five-year plan of reconstruction and development of Kaz.SSR. The project envisaged the extension of territories in the southwest direction, construction of three/four-storied buildings in the center. Special attention was paid to improving transportation and communication infrastructure. One of the initiatives was to provide for anti-mudflow protection of the city.

In 1962-1963 Lengiprogorm designed the General Alma-Ata plan till 1980. They marked out four planning zones and offered reconstruction of the existing built-up facilities.

From 1966 to 1971, 1,400,000 square meters of public and cooperative housing were put into operation. Annually, around 300,000 square meters of dwellings were under construction. It was the period of constructing earthquake-proof multi-storied buildings.

The historical system of Vernit planning was reflected in the new General Plan of Alma-Ata designed in 1968that supported the conception of the dynamic center. Within this conception, the downtown should have been re-located in the direction of the city development.

Construction unification and type-design practice diversified architectural forms. At that time were constructed lots of schools, hospitals, cultural and entertainment facilities, including the Lenin’s Palace , Kazakhstan Hotel, sport complex “Medeu”, etc.

Resorts were designed and constructed. The municipal transport infrastructure was under development. Special attention was paid to ecological problems and environment preservation. Since 1981, the underground construction project has been developed.

The new 2020 General Plan of Almaty was developed in 1998 and aims at forming ecologically safe, secure and socially comfortable living conditions. The main objective is to promote Almaty’s image as a city-garden (by Baimagambetov). One of the components of the General Plan is to continue multi-storied and individual construction, reorganize industrial territories, improve transport infrastructure and launch underground.

In 1993 the government made a decision to rename Alma-Ata . The new name of the city is Almaty.

In 1997 President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev approved the Decree to transfer the capital from Almaty to Astana.

On 1 July 1998 was passed the Law concerning the special status of Almaty as a scientific, cultural, historical, financial and industrial center.

вторник, 18 мая 2010 г.

Almaty, Teletower

Телебашня Алматы.
«Телебашня Алматы.» на Яндекс.Фотках



Almaty, Palace of the Republic

Дворец Республики
«Дворец Республики» на Яндекс.Фотках

Palace of the Republic built in 1970, formerly known as the Palace of Culture named after Lenin, was inaugurated during the celebration of 100 anniversary of Lenin's birth. Team of founders of the Palace (V. Alle, V. Kim, G. Razumov, N. Ripinskaya, A. Sokolov, L. Ukhobotov etc.). Three-dimensional composition of the building consists of its internal volume, easily located under a single powerful roof (an area of 10 sq m ²). "Tent" roof supported by eight reinforced concrete piers.
The auditorium at 3000 seats, settled a single amphitheater without balconies and tiers, is the central place of the entire composition of the Palace. The color solution is composed of a white room (the ceiling), gold (walls) and red (seat).
In finishing the lobby and foyer reflects the national character of buildings (Figures fence lines, marble floors, etc.).




Almaty, City council

Мэрия Алма-Аты.
«Мэрия Алма-Аты.» на Яндекс.Фотках

The centerpiece of the complex of the Independence Monument is 28-meter stele, on which stands a symbol of Kazakhstan - 6-foot sculpture "Golden Man", Managing winged leopard.


Almaty, Almalin district municipality building

Алмалинский акимат
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понедельник, 17 мая 2010 г.

Opera theater named after Abay

A beautiful town at the foot of the emerald ridges of the Tien Shan is not by chance called "garden city". In the spring, when southern outskirt of drowning in flowering apple, apricot and cherry orchards, the city becomes like a fairy tale. This luxury green outfit and a magnificent panorama of mountains make Almaty different from other cities. Gardens, groves, parks, boulevards, flower gardens occupy more than eight thousand hectares of urban area.

Title Almaty comes from the word - an apple. It is here found their homeland famous Almaty Aport apple kind. Some sources claim that in ancient times it was at this place, on the famous caravan route - the Silk Road is a shopping village Almaty. In the XIII century it was destroyed by a horde of Genghis Khan. And in 1854 near the ancient ruins of the city arose Faithful. In Soviet times the city was renamed Alma-Ata, and from 1929 to 1997, Alma-Ata was the capital of Kazakhstan.
Southern capital is considered the cultural center of the republic. In Almaty, there are 270 cultural organizations. Including 14 theaters, concert halls 7, 2 Philharmonic ...

The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abay - the first and the brilliant experience of a national search form in the architecture of Kazakhstan. Built in 1936-1941. Architects – N. Kruglov, N. Prost, designer – T. Basenov. An architectural monument of the Soviet period.


The funicular to the mountain Kok Tobe

Фуникулер на гору Кок-Тобе
«Фуникулер на гору Кок-Тобе» на Яндекс.Фотках

In order to better look at Almaty, you must climb by cable car to the top of the Kok-Tobe – green hill, from where one can open a magnificent panorama of the Almaty, a garden city.

It laid out in rectangular cell: some streets are on the slope of the mountains from the top down, while others cross them at right angle. Hills area bordering the city in the south. Kok-Tobe reaches a height of 1,070 m. At the top is an observation deck.

Kok Tobe - this is the best place for the review of the city at night.

Almaty, Rakhat Towers building complex

Алма-Ата, комплекс Рахат Тауэрс.
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Near to Almaty. Turgen waterfalls.

Водопад Медвежий.
«Водопад Медвежий.» на Яндекс.Фотках

Цветочек аленький
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Кайракский водопад или водопад Бузгуль.
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"Египетская" пирамида
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Turgen waterfalls are located in the beautiful valley Turgen Trans-Ili Alatau in the Ile-Alatau State Natural Park. Turgen Gorge is famous for its waterfalls, hot springs, coniferous and mixed forests, alpine and subalpine meadows, lakes and springs, medicinal herbs and berries, it goes deep into the 44 km to the vast plateau Assy.


Almaty, View from the Lake Sairan

Almaty.Вид с озера Сайран
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Near to Almaty, Big Almaty Lake


Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках


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небольшой водопадик
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Near to Almaty, Issik Lake

озеро Иссык
«озеро Иссык» на Яндекс.Фотках

озеро Иссык
«озеро Иссык» на Яндекс.Фотках

озеро Иссык
«озеро Иссык» на Яндекс.Фотках

озеро Иссык
«озеро Иссык» на Яндекс.Фотках

Almaty, Business Center “Nurly Tau”, Alfarabi street


Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

Almaty, crossing Alfarabi street and Furmanov street


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Almaty, City lake “Sayran”


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Almaty, Dostyk Avenue, monument dedicated to Jambyl Jabayev


Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

Jambyl Jabayev (Kazakh: Жамбыл Жабаев) (28 February 1846 — 22 June 1945) was a Kazakh traditional folksinger (Kazakh: akyn).
Many patriotic, pro-revolution and pro-Stalin poems and songs were attributed to Jambyl in the 1930s and were widely circulated in the Soviet Union.
The Kazakh city of Taraz was named after Jambyl from 1938 to 1997. Jambyl Province, in which Taraz is located, still bears his name.
It has been claimed that the actual authors of published poems of Jambyl were Russian poets, officially a "translators."
Poet Andrey Ignatievich Aldan-Semenov claimed that "creator" of Jambyl it was he who, when in 1934, was given the task of the party to find some akyn. Jambyl found them on the recommendation of the collective farm chairman, the criterion of choice was poor and many childrens and grandchildrens. Poems written for him Aldan-Semenov, after his arrest in the same business to include other "translators".
According to the Kazakh journalist Erbol Kurnmanbaev, "Jambyl was a akyn of his clan shaprashty, but until 1936 no information of his greatness was not." In 1936, a young talented poet Abilda Tazhibaev found of he. He did it as directed by the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan Levon Mirzoyan, who wanted to find "By the first decade of Kazakhstan in Moscow, the akyn, same old, as Suleiman Stalsky (Dagestani poet)." Tazhibaev published under the Jambyl's name poem "My Country." It was translated into Russian poet Pavel Kuznetsov, published in the newspaper "Pravda" and was a success. Since then, under the Jambyl's name worked the group of his "secretaries" - the young Kazakh poets which, according to Eugeny Witkowski, in 1941-1943. joined the Russian poet Mark Tarlovsky.
Source: Wikipedia

Almaty, City park

Алматы
«Алматы» на Яндекс.Фотках

Almaty, Residential building, Furmanov street

Улицы Алматы
«Улицы Алматы» на Яндекс.Фотках

Almaty, Hotel "Kazakhstan"

улицы Алматы
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Almaty, Fontains

городские фонтаны
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городские фонтаны
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Almaty, residential complex, crossing Kabanbay street and Ablaykhan street

улицы Алматы
«улицы Алматы» на Яндекс.Фотках

Almaty, Ascension cathedral

Вознесенский собор
«Вознесенский собор» на Яндекс.Фотках

Вознесенский Собор
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Almaty, crossing Furmanov street and Abay Street, Perfume shop “French house”

Тюльпаны Алматы
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Zaili Alatau Mountains, Gorge Almaarasan, near Almaty


«Заилийское Алатау, ущелье Алмаарасан» на Яндекс.Фотках
«Заилийское Алатау, ущелье Алмаарасан» на Яндекс.Фотках

Ущелье Алмаарасан
«Ущелье Алмаарасан» на Яндекс.Фотках

ущелье Алмаарасан
«ущелье Алмаарасан» на Яндекс.Фотках


Almaty history

Prehistoric Almaty

During 1000–900 BCE in the Bronze Age the first farmers and cattle-breeders established settlements on the territory of Almaty.

During the Saka’s period (from 700 BCE to the beginning of the Common Era), these lands were chosen for residence by Saka tribes and later Uisun tribes inhabiting the territory north of the Tian Shan mountain range. The evidences of these times are numerous burial tumuli and ancient settlements, especially giant burial mounds of Saka tsars. The most famous archaeological finds are the Golden man from the Issyk Kurgan, Zhalauly treasure, Kargaly diadem, Zhetysu arts bronze (boilers, lamps and altars). During the period of Saka and uisun governance, Almaty became the early education center.


Middle Ages

The next stage of Almaty evolution is attributed to the Middle Ages (8–10th centuries) and is characterized by city culture development, transfer to a settled way of living, farming and handicraft development, and the emergence of a number of towns and cities in the territory of Zhetysu.

In 10–14th centuries, settlements in the territory of the so called "Big Almaty" became part of the trade routes of the Silk Road. At that time, Almaty became one of the trade, craft and agricultural centers on the Silk Road and possessed an official mint. The city was first mentioned as Almatu in books from the 13th century.


15th–18th centuries

In the 15th–18th centuries, the city was on the way to degradation as trade activities were decreasing on this part of the Silk Road. Notwithstanding, this period was saturated with very important political events that had significant impact on the history of Almaty and Kazakhstan as a whole. It was a period of crucial ethnic and political transformations. The Kazakh state and nation were founded here, close to Almaty.

These lands also witnessed the tragic developments related to the Dzungar intervention and rigorous efforts of the Kazakh to protect their land and preserve independence. In 1730 the Kazakh defeated the Dzungar in the Anyrakay mountains, 70 km to north-west from Almaty. It was a critical moment of the Patriotic War between Kazakhs and Dzungars.


Foundation of Verniy

On 4 February 1854 the modern history of the city began with the strengthening of the Russian piedmont Fort Verniy nearby the Zailiysky Alatau mountain range between Bolshaya and Malaya Almatinka rivers. The construction of the Verniy Fort was almost finished by autumn 1854. It was a fenced pentagon and one of its sides was built along the Malaya Almatinka. Later, wood fence was replaced with the wall of brick with embrasures. Main facilities were erected around the big square for training and parading.[5]

In 1855 the first displaced Kazakh appeared in Verniy. Since 1856, Verniy started accepting Russian peasants. They founded the Bolshaya Almatinskaya Stanitsa (Cossack village) nearby the fortification. The inflow of migrants was increasing and led to construction of the Malaya Almatinskaya Stanitsa and Tatarskaya (Tashkentskaya) sloboda. It was the place of settlement for Tatar mechants and craftsmen.

In 1867 the Verniy Fort was transformed into the town and called Almatinsk. However, the population did not like the new name of the town and soon the town was re-named as Verniy.

According to the First City Plan, the city perimeters were 2 km on the south along Almatinka river, and 3 km on the west. The new city area was divided into residential parts, and the latter — into districts. Three categories of the city buildings were distinguished. Buildings of the first and second categories were two-storied or, at least, one-storied constructions with the high semi-basement. Buildings of categories I and II were erected around and in the center of the city, others — on the outskirts.

On 28 May 1887, at 4 a.m., an earthquake almost totally destroyed Verniy in 11–12 minutes. Brick buildings were mostly damaged. As a result, people were inclined to build up one-storied construction made of wood or adobe.


20th century Almaty

Almaty from the Revolution of 1917 to World War II

In 1921, the joint solemn sitting was summoned for the participation of the representative of government regional and sub-regional institutions, professional trades, the Muslim people to make a decision to assign a new name to Verniy — Alma-Ata.

In 1926, the Council of Labour and Defence approved the construction of the Turkestan-Siberia Railwayrailway that was a crucial element of the republic reconstruction, specifically on the east and southeast of the republic. The Turkestan-Siberia Railway construction was also a decisive economic aspect that foreordained the destiny of Alma-Ata as a capital of Kazakh ASSR. In 1930 the construction of the highway and railway to the Alma-Ata station was completed.

On 2 March 1927, It was the initiative of the Central Executive Committee of the Kazakh Republic to transfer the capital from Kyzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata. The VI Kazakhstani Congress approved this initiative.[6]

On 29 April 1927, it was officially decided on the sitting of the Russian SFSR Committee to transfer the capital of the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic from Kyzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata.

Besides, the Alma-Ata airport was opened in 1930 and people from the capital of Kazakhstan could fly now from Alma-Ata to Moscow. Alma-Ata became the air gate to Kazakhstan. Transformation of the small town into the capital of the Republic was supplied by the large-scaled construction of new administrative and government facilities and housing. Given the transfer of the capital of Kazakhstan to Alma-Ata, in 1936 the Architecture and Planning Bureau elaborated the General Plan aimed at re-creating Alma-Ata as the new cultural and comfortable capital of Kazakhstan. The Plan was based on the existing rectangular system of districts that would further be strengthened and reconstructed.

Almaty in World War II

During World War II the city territory was changed to a large extent. To organize the home front and concentrate industrial and material resources, the residential stock was compressed to arrange accommodation for 26,000 persons evacuated. Alma-Ata hosted over 30 industrial facilities from the front areas, 8 evacuated hospitals, 15 institutes, universities and technical schools, around 20 cultural institutions, etc. Motion pictureproduction companies from Leningrad, Kiev and Moscow were also evacuated to Alma-Ata.

Owing to self-denying labour, over 52,000 Alma-Ata residents were awarded. 48 residents were granted the title of Hero of The Soviet Union. Threerifle divisions were raised in Alma-Ata , including the well-known 8th Panfilov’s division, along with 2 rifle battalions and 3 aviation regiments that were raised on the bases of the air club of Alma-Ata.

Almaty from 1945 to 2000

From 1966 to 1971, 1,400,000 square meters of public and cooperative housing were put into operation. Annually, around 300,000 square meters of dwellings were under construction. It was the period of constructing earthquake-proof multi-storied buildings. Construction unification and type-design practice diversified architectural forms. At that time were constructed lots of schools, hospitals, cultural and entertainment facilities, including the Lenin’s Palace, Kazakhstan Hotel, sport complex “Medeo”, etc.

The Medeu Dam, designed to protect the city of Almaty and the Medeo skating rink from catastrophic mudflows, was built in 1966 and reinforced a number of times in the 1960s and 1970s.

The supersonic transport Tupolev Tu-144 went into service on 26 December 1975, flying mail and freight between Moscow and Alma-Ata in preparation for passenger services, which commenced in November 1977. The Aeroflot flight on 1 June 1978 was the Tu-144's 55th and last scheduled passenger service.

Since 1981, the underground Almaty Metro construction project has been developed.

On 16 December 1986 Jeltoksan riot took place in response to General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev's dismissal of Dinmukhamed Kunayev.

In 1997 the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev approved the Decree to transfer the capital from Almaty to Astana.[7]