Astana Square () or Old Square, formerly known as Red Square and Lenin Square, is a

city square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rel ...

Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

. It is the second largest square in Kazakhstan, after Republic Square. It hosts many public events, concerts, and ceremonies. The square is in front of the

Kazakh-British Technical University Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU) is a public university located in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It was founded in 2001. KBTU’s research is focused in the main sectors of the Kazakhstani economy – oil and gas, information technologies, banki ...

, the monument of

Aliya Moldagulova Aliya Nurmukhambetovna Moldagulova (; ; 25 October 1925 – 14 January 1944) was a Soviet sniper in the Red Army during World War II who killed over 30 Nazi soldiers. After dying of wounds sustained in battle on 14 January 1944, she was posthum ...

and Manshuk Mametova, and is on the left side of the

Panfilov Street Promenade Panfilov Street Promenade is a promenade located in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Abay Opera House, where the promenade starts, and KBTU Building are located within it, which was redesigned by Danish urban designer Jan Gehl. The promenade ends in Arba ...

The square used to be named after

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

and a statue of him stood in the center of the square until 1991.

History

In 1921, the area was named Red Square. After the demolition of the Imperial-era buildings took place by the Soviet authorities, new government buildings were erected on the square. In 1937, the square was paved with stones for the first time. In 1955, the administrative building of Kazpotrebsoyuz was built on the corner of Panfilov Street. A monument to Soviet statesman

was erected on

October Revolution Day October Revolution Day (officially Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution, ) was a public holiday in the Soviet Union and other Soviet-aligned states, officially observed on November 7 from 1927 to 1990, commemorating the 1917 October Re ...

on 7 November 1957. That same year, a construction of a new government building of Kazakh SSR was completed which is now KBTU Building. Additionally, the square was renamed to Lenin Square. After Brezhnev Square was opened in the city in 1980, the area was nicknamed "old square". In 1987 the Alley of Busts memorial complex was established on the square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

. The Lenin monument was moved to another location in 1991. In 1997, the square was renamed once again to honor the newly established capital of Kazakhstan,

Astana Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...

. The reconstruction of the square was completed in September 2017. The number of lanes of the carriageway was reduced, and pedestrians with traffic flows were separated by bollards. In the freed up space, bicycle paths have been laid, granite paving stones have been laid, and landscaping has been carried out with sod and lavender beds. The staircase esplanade has been renewed, where an open amphitheater is equipped, in front of it there are two dry fountains illuminated at night.

References

{{reflist Squares in Almaty Tourism in Almaty