Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa ( kk, Қопа, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kazakh Uplands, Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a max ...

Kokshetau Hills The Kokshetau Hills ( kk, Көкшетау қыраты; russian: Кокшетауская возвышенность) is a system of mountains of moderate altitude in the North Kazakhstan Region and Akmola Region, Kazakhstan.Saryarka) and the southern edge of the

Ishim Plain Ishim Steppe (russian: Ишимская равнина, kk, Есіл даласы, ''Yesil dalasy'') is a plain in the southern part of Western Siberia, between the Irtysh and Tobol rivers. Administratively it is part of Kurgan, Tyumen, and Om ...

. It is named after the

Mount Kokshe Mount Kokshe, also known as Kokshetau or Kokshe-Tau ( kk, Көкше-тау; , russian: Кокше-тау, гора́ Синю́ха, Gora Sinyukha, Literal translation, lit. 'blueish mountain') is a mountain in the Kokshetau Massif, Akmola Reg ...

. Earlier, it was the administrative center of Kokshetau Region, which was abolished in 1997. It is also situated at the junction of the Trans-Kazakhstan and South Siberian railways. Kokshetau lies at an elevation of approximately

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. It has 150,649 inhabitants (2022 est.), up from 123,389 (1999 census), while

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

had a total population of 738,587 (2019 est.), down from 1,061,820 ( 1989 census), making it the tenth most populous region in Kazakhstan. The city's history has been influenced by people of many nations and religions. Kokshetau retains multiethnic population, with 59% ethnic

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...

(up from 36%), the rest being mostly 28% ethnic

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

(down from 42%) and other ethnic groups such as

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...

,

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

and

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

. Kokshetau City Administration (area of ), with a population of roughly 165,153 residents, includes one settlement administration (which consists of the work settlement of Stantsyonny) and the Krasnoyarsk rural district, which includes two rural settlements (the villages of Krasny Yar and Kyzyl Zhuldyz). The city is considered to have been founded in 1824 as a military fortress, while it was granted city status in 1895. It was the centre of Kokshetau Region, which was abolished in 1997. It is well known for its nature and tourist sites, such as Burabay and

Zerendi Zerendi ( kk, Зеренді, ''Zerendı'') is a small town in northern-central Kazakhstan, located 45 kilometres from Kokshetau. It is the seat of Zerendi District in Aqmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola ...

, among others. Kokshetau is about from Petropavlovsk, northwest of the national capital

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

along the A1, from

Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...

along the A13, and from

Kostanay Kostanay ( kz, Қостанай, Qostanai ) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk (russian: Николаевск) until 1895 and then as Kustanay (russian: Кустанай) until 1997. Kostanay ...

. The city is served by

Kokshetau Airport Kokshetau (meaning ''Blueish Mountain'' in Kazakh, kz, Көкшетау, Kökşetau; ; rus, Кокшета́у, p=kokʂɛtaʊ) is a city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region, which stretches along the southern shore of La ...

. Kokshetau is an important economic, educational, and cultural centre of the Akmola Region. Kokshetau was awarded the title Kazakhstan City of Culture for the year 2021.

Names and etymology

The name Kokshetau ( kk, Kökşetau; ) is of Kazakh origin literally meaning a (), ''kokshe'' / "", meaning () and ''tau'' / "", meaning () — the name of always turning blue, as if in a deep haze of mountains. That is how from ancient times

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...

were calling the highest mountain in

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

"

Mount Kokshe Mount Kokshe, also known as Kokshetau or Kokshe-Tau ( kk, Көкше-тау; , russian: Кокше-тау, гора́ Синю́ха, Gora Sinyukha, Literal translation, lit. 'blueish mountain') is a mountain in the Kokshetau Massif, Akmola Reg ...

" (947 m), located 60 miles away from the city. Following the

collapse of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

and independence of Kazakhstan, on 7 October 1993, by the Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the city of ''Kokchetav'' ( rus, Кокчета́в, p=koktɕɪˈtav) was renamed to the more Kazakh sounding ''Kokshetau'' as part of the government's campaign to apply Kazakh names to cities, but the city's airport still retains KOV as its

IATA code IATA codes are abbreviations that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes to facilitate air travel. They are typically 1, 2, 3, or 4 character combinations (referred to as unigrams, digrams, trigrams, or tetragrams, respecti ...

.

Physical geography and geology

Location

The city lies in the northern portion of

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

. Kokshetau is located on the border of the

West Siberian Plain The West Siberian Plain (russian: За́падно-Сиби́рская равни́на ''Zapadno-Sibirskaya ravnina'') is a large plain that occupies the western portion of Siberia, between the Ural Mountains in the west and the Yenisei River ...

, on the southeastern shore of

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa ( kk, Қопа, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kazakh Uplands, Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a max ...

, at an altitude of 234 meters above sea level, in the north of the

Kokshetau Hills The Kokshetau Hills ( kk, Көкшетау қыраты; russian: Кокшетауская возвышенность) is a system of mountains of moderate altitude in the North Kazakhstan Region and Akmola Region, Kazakhstan.Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

. There are numerous hills in the vicinity of the city (

Bukpa Hill Bukpa ( kk, Buqpa; ) is a hill that rises in the north-western area of Kokshetau, the capital of Akmola Region in the northern part of Kazakhstan. It is open to the public and provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond, including ...

). The city is located in the flat part of the

interfluve An interfluve is a narrow, elongated and plateau-like or ridge-like landform between two valleys.Leser, Hartmut, ed. (2005). ''Wörterbuch Allgemeine Geographie'', 13th ed., dtv, Munich, p. 766, . More generally, an interfluve is defined as an ar ...

of the

Kylshakty The Kylshakty ( kk, Қылшақты, ''Qylşaqty'') is a river in Northern Kazakhstan that flows through the Akmola Region in Central Kazakhstan. It is long and has a drainage basin spanning . Geography The river starts in the Kokshetau Ma ...

river, flowing in the eastern part of the city, and the

Shagalaly The Shagalaly ( kk, Шағалалы, ''Şağalaly''), formerly known as Chaglinka, is a river of northern Kazakhstan. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . The river flows through the territory of Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions. The ...

river, flowing from the western side of the city. The city has several parks and gardens. Also, within the city limits can be found small forests, mostly consisting of birches and pine plantations. The Kokshetau area is known for its two national parks, Burabay and

Kokshetau Kokshetau (meaning ''Blueish Mountain'' in Kazakh, kz, Көкшетау, Kökşetau; ; rus, Кокшета́у, p=kokʂɛtaʊ) is a city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region, which stretches along the southern shore of Lak ...

.

Time

The

time offset The UTC offset is the difference in hours and minutes between Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and local solar time, at a particular place. This difference is expressed with respect to UTC and is generally shown in the format , , or . So if the tim ...

from the UTC used by Kokshetau is 6 hours after UTC, or UTC+6:00 (ALMT). This is also used by most of

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

. This time apply throughout the year as

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

does not observe

Daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...

(DST).

Administrative districts and microdistricts

Kokshetau is divided into seven administrative districts. * Bukpa * Kokshe * Bostandyk * Sary-Arka * Beybitshilik * Aul * Zhaylau Kokshetau is divided into seventeen administrative microdistricts. * City Centre * Barmashino * Abylai Khan Avenue * Regional hospital * Birlik * Sary-Arka * Sunkar * Koktem * Vasilkov * Town of builders * Railway station * Jubilee * Khassenov market * Central * Zhaylau * Shanghai

Administrative-Territorial Division

Kokshetau_(city_administration),_Kazakhstan

Kokshetau is the capital of the

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

. Kokshetau city administration ( kk, Kökşetau qalasy äkımdıgı, russian: Городская администрация Кокшетау) (area of ), with a population of roughly 165 153 residents, includes one settlement administration and the Krasnoyarsk rural district, which includes two rural settlements.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, Kokshetau lies in a

cold semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

zone (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''

BSk BSK is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to: Sports * OFK Beograd, Serbian football club * FK BSK Borča, Serbian football club * FK BSK Batajnica, Serbian football club * FK BSK Banja Luka, Bosnian-Herzegovinian football club * FK BSK L ...

'') with extreme continental influences. The city has an extreme continental climate with long, very cold, frigid, snowy, dry winters and warm, dry, sunny summers (featuring occasional brief rain showers). Winter is frosty and long (more than 5 months). In spring, prevails clear and dry weather, with a large number of sunny days. Autumn begins in August or September, and the weather is observed from clear at the beginning of the season, to cloudy in October–November. The average annual temperature in Kokshetau is . Summer temperatures occasionally reach 35 °C (95 °F) while −30 to −35 °C (−22 to −31 °F) is not unusual between mid-December and early March. The warmest month is July with daily mean temperature near , and the coldest month is January, with a daily mean of . Snow and ice are dominant during the winter season. July is the wettest month (averaging of precipitation) while March is the driest (averaging of precipitation). Yearly

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

amounts to . Typically, the city's

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa ( kk, Қопа, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kazakh Uplands, Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a max ...

and rivers of

Kylshakty The Kylshakty ( kk, Қылшақты, ''Qylşaqty'') is a river in Northern Kazakhstan that flows through the Akmola Region in Central Kazakhstan. It is long and has a drainage basin spanning . Geography The river starts in the Kokshetau Ma ...

and

Shagalaly The Shagalaly ( kk, Шағалалы, ''Şağalaly''), formerly known as Chaglinka, is a river of northern Kazakhstan. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . The river flows through the territory of Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions. The ...

are frozen over between the second week of November and the beginning of April. ;Nearby places The village of Krasny Yar lies adjoined directly to the west of Kokshetau, on the bank of the River Shagalaly. Also contiguous with Kokshetau, directly to the east, with no natural border, is the smaller village of Stantsyonny. Nearby cities *

Petropavl Petropavl ( kk, Петропавл, Petropavl ) or Petropavlovsk () is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. The city is also kno ...

*

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

*

Ekibastuz Ekibastuz ( kk, Екібастұз, translit=Ekıbastūz, , ەكئباستۇز; russian: Экибастуз) is a city in Pavlodar Region, northeastern Kazakhstan. The population was Ekibastuz is served by Ekibastuz Airport. History The history ...

*

Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...

(Russia) *

Kostanay Kostanay ( kz, Қостанай, Qostanai ) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk (russian: Николаевск) until 1895 and then as Kustanay (russian: Кустанай) until 1997. Kostanay ...

* Rudny *

Karaganda Karaganda or Qaraghandy ( kk, Қарағанды/Qarağandy, ; russian: Караганда, ) is the capital of Karaganda Region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, fourth most populous city in Kaza ...

*

Kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus constructed over a grave, often characterized by containing a single human body along with grave vessels, weapons and horses. Originally in use on the Pontic–Caspian steppe, kurgans spread into much of Central Asi ...

(Russia) *

Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura River. Fueled by the Russian oil and gas indu ...

Nearby towns * Atbasar *

Arkalyk Arkalyk ( kz, Arqalyq; cyrl, Арқалық, russian: Аркалык) is a city in Kostanay Region, northern Kazakhstan. Earlier, it was the centre of Torgay Region, which was abolished in 1997. Today, it is the administrative centre of Torgay D ...

* Tara (Russia) * Taiynsha *

Akkol Akkol ( kz, Ақкөл, ''Aqköl'', zh, 阿科尔), formerly known as ''Alexeyevka'' (russian: italic=yes, Алексеевка, until 1997), is a town in northern Kazakhstan. It is located north of the national capital Nur-Sultan along the hig ...

* Derzhavinsk *

Ereymentau Ereymentau ( kk, Ерейментау, ''Ereimentau''; russian: Ерейментау) is a town in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the seat of Ereymentau District in Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola ...

*

Esil Esil ( kk, Есіл, ''Esıl''; russian: Есиль) is a town in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the seat of Esil District in Aqmola Region. It is located on the right bank of the Ishim River The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Е ...

* Ishim (Russia) * Makinsk *

Shchuchinsk Shchuchinsk ( kz, Щучинск, ''Şuchinsk''; russian: Щучинск, ) is a city in northern-central Kazakhstan, located 75 kilometres south-east of Kokshetau on Lake Shchuchye. It is the seat of Burabay District (form. Shchuchinsk District ...

* Stepnyak *

Stepnogorsk Stepnogorsk ( kk, Степногорск, translit=Stepnogorsk; russian: Степногорск) is a town in Akmola Region, Kazakhstan. History Stepnogorsk was established in 1959, and has been a town since 1964. It is located about 200 km ...

Nearby villages * Krasny Yar * Stantsyonny * Kyzylzhulduz * Kyzyltan * Kaindy *

Akkol Akkol ( kz, Ақкөл, ''Aqköl'', zh, 阿科尔), formerly known as ''Alexeyevka'' (russian: italic=yes, Алексеевка, until 1997), is a town in northern Kazakhstan. It is located north of the national capital Nur-Sultan along the hig ...

(Zerendi District) *

Kishkenekol Kishkenekol ( kk, Кішкенекөл; russian: Кишкенеколь), known as Kyzyltu until 1997, is a village and the administrative center of Ualikhanov District, and the only settlement of Kishkenekol rural district North Kazakhstan Regio ...

* Astrakhanka * Balkashino *

Shortandy Shortandy ( kk, Шортанды, ''Şortandy''), is a village in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the seat of Shortandy District in Aqmola Region. References

Populated places in Akmola Region {{Kazakhstan-geo-stub ...

*

Zerendi Zerendi ( kk, Зеренді, ''Zerendı'') is a small town in northern-central Kazakhstan, located 45 kilometres from Kokshetau. It is the seat of Zerendi District in Aqmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola ...

*

Zhaksy Zhaksy ( kk, Жақсы, ''Jaqsy'') is a village in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the seat of Zhaksy District in Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская обла� ...

History

Kokshetau has a rich centuries-old past, which has incorporated all the main stages and turning points of the

history of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, the largest country fully within the Eurasian Steppe, has been a historical crossroads and home to numerous different peoples, states and empires throughout history. Throughout history, peoples on the territory of modern Kazakhsta ...

. The territory of modern-day Kokshetau has seen the rise and fall of many cultures and empires. For many centuries, nomadic

Kazakh tribes A ''zhuz'' ( kz, ٴجۇز , Жүз, translit=Jüz, , also translated as " horde") is one of the three main territorial and tribal divisions in the Kypchak Plain area that covers much of the contemporary Kazakhstan. It represents the main tribal ...

lived on the territory of the former Kokshetau Region. The territory of Kokshetau was part of the

Middle Horde A ''zhuz'' ( kz, ٴجۇز , Жүз, translit=Jüz, , also translated as " horde") is one of the three main territorial and tribal divisions in the Kypchak Plain area that covers much of the contemporary Kazakhstan. It represents the main tribal d ...

, the clans of the tribal union of the

Argyn The Argyn ( kz, Арғын) tribe (or clan) is a constituent of the Kazakh ethnicity. The Argyn are a component, of the ''Orta jüz'' (Орта жүз; "Middle Horde" or "Middle Hundred"). Kazakhs historically consisted of three tribal federat ...

s that occupied vast regions of Northern and Central Kazakhstan. In the 18th – 19th centuries, the headquarters of famous

khans Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...

, such as Abylai Khan,

Kasym Khan Qasim bin Janibek Khan (, romanized: ''Qasym bin Jänıbek Han''), known by his shortened regal name as Qasim Khan (also spelled as Kasym Khan) was a son of Janibek Khan. He ruled as the fourth Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from about 1511 to 15 ...

, Kenesary Khan, were located on the land of Kokshetau Region. As Russia's hand stretched southwards, Kokshetau was initially founded on 29 April 1824 as an administrative outpost at the foot of the southern side of

Mount Kokshe Mount Kokshe, also known as Kokshetau or Kokshe-Tau ( kk, Көкше-тау; , russian: Кокше-тау, гора́ Синю́ха, Gora Sinyukha, Literal translation, lit. 'blueish mountain') is a mountain in the Kokshetau Massif, Akmola Reg ...

on the shores of

Lake Ulken Shabakty Lake Ulken Shabakty ( kz, Үлкен Шабақты, ''Ülken Şabaqty''; russian: Большое Чебачье) is a lake in the Burabay District, North Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. Fishery on the lake is common. The lake lies by Burabay ...

. The Middle Horde signed treaties of protection with Russia. The local population strongly opposed the fact that the new settlement was placed in the chosen place. In the summer of 1827, the district order was transferred to the new place where the city of Kokshetau is now located. The settlement began to be called Kokchetav. The construction of the settlement began at the foot of

Bukpa Hill Bukpa ( kk, Buqpa; ) is a hill that rises in the north-western area of Kokshetau, the capital of Akmola Region in the northern part of Kazakhstan. It is open to the public and provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond, including ...

, on the southern shores of

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa ( kk, Қопа, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kazakh Uplands, Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a max ...

, and a picket was set up to protect the district order.Map of Kazakhstan Akmolinskaya Oblast 1868 Sibir Kirgizy
/ref> By the middle of 19th-century, the population of the settlement was significantly increasing due to the migration of the

peasants A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...

from Russia (

Povolzhye The Volga Region (russian: Поволжье, ''Povolzhye'', literally: "along the Volga") is a historical region in Russia that encompasses the drainage basin of the Volga River, the longest river in Europe, in central and southern European Rus ...

) and Ukraine who were driven to migrate by starvation and poverty to farm the steppe. In 1868, when the Akmolinsk Oblast was formed, Kokshetau became a district city in this region, which further developed as a center of agricultural and animal husbandry and as a

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

. In 1876, the city lost its military significance. The line and fortress were abolished. In 1895, Kokshetau was granted

city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, city status ...

. By that time the population in the town was above 5 thousand people. In 1928, Kokshetau District was divided into several boroughs and until 1944 Kokshetau's territory was part of Karaganda Region and later part of

North Kazakhstan Region North Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы, translit=Soltüstık Qazaqstan oblysy; russian: Северо-Казахстанская область, translit=Severo-Kazakhstanskaya oblast) is a Regions of Kazak ...

. On 16 March 1944, according to the Decree of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of

Kazakh SSR ; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы) *1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы) , linking_name = the ...

, Kokshetau became the administrative center of the newly created

Kokchetav Oblast Kokshetau Oblast ( kz, Көкшетау облысы, ''Kökşetaw oblısı'' ; rus, Кокшета́уская о́бласть, r=Kokshetauskaya oblast', p=kokʂɪˈtaʊskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), was an administrative division (an ''oblast'') ...

. Relatively rapid growth and development of Kokshetau took place during the years of development of virgin lands, especially in the second half of the 1950s. In the spring of 1997, Kokshetau Oblast was abolished, the city was deprived of the status of a regional center. On 8 April 1999, after Akmola and

North Kazakhstan North Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы, translit=Soltüstık Qazaqstan oblysy; russian: Северо-Казахстанская область, translit=Severo-Kazakhstanskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakh ...

regions were reorganized, Kokshetau became the center of

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

. File:Kokshetau (Kokchetav) - 1890 (panoramic view, Aqmola Region, Kazakhstan).jpg, A 19th-century panorama view of Kokshetau as seen from the

Bukpa Hill Bukpa ( kk, Buqpa; ) is a hill that rises in the north-western area of Kokshetau, the capital of Akmola Region in the northern part of Kazakhstan. It is open to the public and provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond, including ...

Lookout. The

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa ( kk, Қопа, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kazakh Uplands, Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a max ...

is visible to the left, and the St George's Church to the right. File:Akmola_Regional_Museum_of_History_and_Local_Lore_(Kokshetau,_Kazakhstan).jpg, One of the first stone constructions in the city (built in ; now regional museum of local lore) File:The_Shoqan_Shynghysuly_Walikhanov_monument_in_Kokshetau,_Kazakhstan,_1.jpg, A bronze statue of

Shoqan Walikhanov Shokan Shyngysuly Valikhanov ( kk, Шоқан Шыңғысұлы Уәлихан, russian: Чокан Чингисович Валиханов), given name Mukhammed Kanafiya ( kk, Мұхаммед Қанафия)Shoqan, his pen-name, later becam ...

by Tulegen Dosmagambetov in Kokshetau File:General_plan_of_the_Kokchetav_stanitsa,_19th_century.jpg, General plan of Kokchetav

stanitsa A stanitsa ( rus, станица, p=stɐˈnʲitsə; uk, станиця, stanytsya) is a village inside a Cossack host ( uk, військо, viys’ko; russian: казачье войско, kazach’ye voysko, sometimes translated as "Cossack Arm ...

, 19th century File:Map_of_Kokshetau_in_the_late_19th_century.jpg, Map of Kokchetav

uezd An uezd (also spelled uyezd; rus, уе́зд, p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context ( uk, повіт), or Kreis in Baltic-German context, was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russian Empire, and the ea ...

in the late 19th century File:A_19th-century_view_of_Kokshetau,_Kazakhstan.jpg, A 19th-century view of the city File:Eukterion_in_Kokshetau.jpg, 1880:

Bukpa Hill Bukpa ( kk, Buqpa; ) is a hill that rises in the north-western area of Kokshetau, the capital of Akmola Region in the northern part of Kazakhstan. It is open to the public and provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond, including ...

in the background File:Market_Square_(late_19th_early_20th_century;_Kokshetau,_Kazakhstan).jpg, Market Square (late 19th early 20th century) File:Military_hospital_in_Kokshetau_(Kokchetav),_Kazakhstan.jpg, 1916: Military hospital in Kokchetav File:Kokchetav_1974-1975.jpg, 1975: The view of the central square File:House_of_the_Soviets_in_the_city_of_Kokchetav_(1978).jpg, 1978: House of the Soviets in the city of Kokchetav

Demographics

Kokshetau is the eighteenth-largest city in Kazakhstan. Kokshetau is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. Kokshetau ranks fourth in terms of population in Northern Kazakhstan, ranking after

Pavlodar Pavlodar ( ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located 450 km northeast of the national capital Astana and 405 km southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. , the cit ...

,

Kostanay Kostanay ( kz, Қостанай, Qostanai ) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk (russian: Николаевск) until 1895 and then as Kustanay (russian: Кустанай) until 1997. Kostanay ...

and

Petropavl Petropavl ( kk, Петропавл, Petropavl ) or Petropavlovsk () is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. The city is also kno ...

. It has changed its demographics, nowadays having more ethnic

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...

in a city that formerly had a Slavic majority. It is the only regional center in Northern Kazakhstan where

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...

make up the majority. Despite Kokshetau's Kazakh majority,

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

is the dominant language in the city. It is also common to find the Kazakh being spoken in the city, mainly by Kazakhs and other Turkic people. Residents of Kokshetau are referred to as ''Kökşetaulyqtar'' in Kazakh and ''Kokshetautsy'' in

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

. Histogram of population evolution of Kokshetau from 1959. Note: 2020 and 2018 are population estimates; 1897 is the Russian Imperial Census;

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

,

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

, 1979 and 1989 are the

Soviet Census The following is a summary of censuses carried out in the Soviet Union: See also * Russian Census *Censuses in Ukraine Notes References {{USSRCensus Demographics of the Soviet Union Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially th ...

.

Ethnic and national composition

As of January 2022, the population of Kokshetau is 150,649, and the extended urbanized area has 165,153 inhabitants. Historically, Kokshetau was ethnically diverse. As of the 2020 Census, ethnic

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...

made up (~58%) of the city population, representing an increase from 36% in 1999. The ethnic makeup of the city's population as of year 2020 was: In 1989, Kokshetau had a population of 136,757. The ethnic mix was about 18.5% Kazakh, 54.5% Russian and 27.0% other ethnic groups.

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and Kazakh are both the main spoken languages.

Religion

The city's religious profile is highly diverse.

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(primarily

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

) is the predominant religion within Kokshetau, with 56.65% of residents identifying as Muslims in the 2009 Census. There were 83,436 Muslims reported in the 2009 census. Kokshetau's first Mosque was established by Ablay (Abilkhair) Gabbas in 1846. Other religions practiced are

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(primarily

Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...

,

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

, and

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

). Christianity is Kokshetau's second largest religion. There were 60,168 Christians reported in the 2009 census. Much of Kokshetau's civic life and civil society is secular in the sense that it has no religious character. Kokshetau has a mosque constructed in the beginning of the 20th century and a

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

temple of

Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

. The Kokshetau and Akmola diocese is located in the Church of the Resurrection in the city. In 1997, a

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

was built in

neo-Gothic style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

using red bricks. A new

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

for 1,200 people named after Nauan Hazrat opened in 2015. Mosques: * Nauan Hazrat Mosque (capacity 1,200—1,400), located at the corner of Momishuly and Auelbekov streets. It is the largest mosque in Akmola Region. * Zhakiya Kazhi Mosque

Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...

churches: *

Church of the Resurrection, Kokshetau The Church of the Resurrection ( kk, Мәсіхтің қайта тірілу шіркеуі, translit=Mäsıhtıñ qaita tırılu şırkeuı; russian: Храм Воскресе́ния Христо́ва, or ''Khram Voskreseniya Khristova'') is ...

(capacity 1,500), ( ROC) * Church of the Holy Archangel Michael, Kokshetau, ( ROC) *

St George's Church, Kokshetau The St. George's Church Kokshetau ( kk, Әулие Георгий Жеңістің Шіркеуі, translit=Mäsıhtıñ qaita tırılu şırkeuı; russian: Гео́ргиевская це́рковь, or ''Georgyevskaya tserkov'') was a Russia ...

. Kokshetau's first Christian Church.

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

churches: * Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Kokshetau

Culture

Theatres

Kokshetau has a strong theater culture. * Akmola Regional Russian Drama Theater (opened in 1977), which also incorporates Palace of Culture * Akmola Regional Kazakh Music and Drama Theatre named after Shahhmet Kussainov (opened in 1996) * Children's puppet theater "Altyn Saka" (opened in 2022)

Philharmonic

* Akmola Regional Philharmonic named after Ükılı Ybyrai was founded in 1956.

Museums

There are about fife museums in Kokshetau. * Akmola Regional Museum of History and Local Lore (opened in 1920) * Kokshetau City History Museum (KCHM; opened as Valerian Kuibyshev’s Memorial Museum in 1949) * Museum of Mercy and Courage (opened in 1982) * Museum of Literature and Art (opened in 1989) * Museum of the

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

Malik Gabdullin (opened in 1993), located at the corner of Auelbekov and Nazarbayev streets, on the eastern side of the town centre.

Cinemas

The first film screening in the city of Kokchetav (now Kokshetau) took place in 1910. * Cinema Alem

Libraries

The city has 12 libraries. In addition to the libraries affiliated with the various universities and schools, the Akmola Regional Universal Scientific Library is a major research library. * Akmola Regional Universal Scientific Library (ARUSL) named after Magzhan Zhumabayev (opened in 1946)

Economy

Kokshetau has traditionally been an important commercial center in northern Kazakhstan, but after the collapse of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

most of the old manufacturing lines either stopped working or had to greatly reduce their operations. Nevertheless, the city continues to be an important regional center for the

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

, acting as a commercial hub for the surrounding areas in the region. In recent years, the city has started attracting more investment from various corporations. Large industrial enterprises of Kokshetau include: gold mining enterprise JSC "Altyntau Kokshetau"; JSC "Tynys" – the production of medical products, weighing equipment, water meters, aircraft units and assemblies, polyethylene pipes; machine-building plant OJSC "KamAZ-Engineering"; JSC "Kokshetau Mineral Waters". Food factories supply Kokshetau and

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

with sausages, semi-finished meat products, bread, dairy products, and confectionery. The city also has a gold recovery factory and a new ceramic brick factory. From

Ekibastuz Ekibastuz ( kk, Екібастұз, translit=Ekıbastūz, , ەكئباستۇز; russian: Экибастуз) is a city in Pavlodar Region, northeastern Kazakhstan. The population was Ekibastuz is served by Ekibastuz Airport. History The history ...

to Kokshetau runs an

overhead power line An overhead power line is a structure used in electric power transmission and distribution to transmit electrical energy across large distances. It consists of one or more uninsulated electrical cables (commonly multiples of three for three-p ...

designed for a transmission voltage of 1,150 kV, the Ekibastuz-Kokshetau powerline.

Media

Kokshetau is the center of television and radio broadcasting in

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

. All major Kazakhstani newspapers are active in Kokshetau. There are local TV stations, the Internet, and print media. The city has a developed telecommunications system.

Newspapers

Kokshetau's first newspaper was the weekly ''Tselinnyy kray'', established in 1920, which would change its name to the ''Akmolinskaya Pravda'' in 1992. In the city, there are some popular urban newspapers. ''Akmolinskaya Pravda'', ''Stepnoy mayak'' and ''Kokshetau'' are Russian-language media headquartered in the city. ''Akmolinskaya Pravda'' is the oldest newspaper of the city. * ''Regional socio-political newspaper "Akmolinskaya Pravda"'' is a long-running daily local paper, with local and regional coverage. * Republican newspaper "Bukpa" * Regional newspaper "Arka Azhary" * Regional newspaper "Stepnoy mayak"

TV and radio

Kokshetau television networks: * Local television news is covered by TV channel Kazakhstan–Kokshetau * Balapan *

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...

* Channel One Eurasia * Channel 31 *

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

*

Euronews Euronews (styled on-air in lowercase as euronews) is a European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and covers world news from a European perspective. The majority of Eurone ...

*

Gakku TV Gakku TV ( kk, "Гәкку ТВ", ''"Gäkku TV"''; Russian: «Гакку́ ТВ») is the first music channel in Kazakhstan that only airs content produced in Kazakhstan. Gakku TV aims to expand Kazakh music and culture and boost patriotism. Th ...

*

Khabar 24 , logo = , launch_date = 1 September 2012 , owner = Khabar Agency , country = Kazakhstan , headquarters = Astana, Kazakhstan , language = Kazakh, Russian , area = , former_names = ...

*

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

*

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

*

Qazsport Qazsport is the first Kazakhstan, Kazakh national sports TV channel. The channel launched on 1 July 2013, as KAZsport and is based in Nur-Sultan, Astana, Kazakhstan. Qazsport broadcasts the Kazakh championships alongside live broadcasts of major ...

Kokshetau radio stations: * " Kazakh Radio": 101.0 FM * " Russian Radio Asia": 102.0 FM * " Autoradio Kazakhstan": 102.5 FM * " Shalkar Radio": 103.7 FM * " Europe Plus Kazakhstan": 104.2 FM * " Energy FM": 104.8 FM * "Radio NS": 105.7 FM * "Zhuldyz FM": 106.1 FM * "Radio Dacha": 106.5 FM * "People's Radio": 107.0 FM * "Tengri FM": 107.6 FM

Internet media

*Kokshetau City Administration *Kokshetau - Kazakhstan *Aqmola News *Akmolinskaya Pravda

Transport

File:Kokshetau-1_Railway_Station-1992.jpg, Kokshetau Railway Station, designed by V. Utebekov as viewed from vokzal alañy, 1992 File:Kokshetau-1 Railway Station - May 2021.jpg, The building of the Akmola branch of the Kazakhstan Railways File:Kokshetau_airport.jpg, Terminal building and

apron An apron is a garment that is worn over other clothing to cover the front of the body. The word comes from old French ''napron'' meaning a small piece of cloth, however over time "a napron" became "an apron", through a linguistics process cal ...

area of the

Kokshetau Airport Kokshetau (meaning ''Blueish Mountain'' in Kazakh, kz, Көкшетау, Kökşetau; ; rus, Кокшета́у, p=kokʂɛtaʊ) is a city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region, which stretches along the southern shore of La ...

(

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...

/

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

: KOV/UACK) near

Akkol Akkol ( kz, Ақкөл, ''Aqköl'', zh, 阿科尔), formerly known as ''Alexeyevka'' (russian: italic=yes, Алексеевка, until 1997), is a town in northern Kazakhstan. It is located north of the national capital Nur-Sultan along the hig ...

File:Kokshetau_traffic_interchange_in_May_2016.jpg, A full

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...

near Kokshetau File:MAZ_city_bus_(white)_in_Kokshetau,_Kazakhstan.jpg, alt=, A Kokshetau bus depot operating a service in Kokshetau File:Kokshetau-1_station._Kazakhstan,_2019.jpg, alt=, Train No. 057X Astana - Oral, under the electric locomotive KZ4AT-0012 at

Kokshetau-1 station Kokshetau—1 station ( kk, Көкшетау-1 станциясы, translit=Kökşetau-1 stansiasy; russian: Станция Кокшета́у-1, ''Stantsiya Kokshetau-1'') also previously known as Kokchetav I station ( rus, Кокчета́в I ...

, 2019 Partly due to its location, Kokshetau is a major transport hub on the

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

and rail networks.

City transport

The city transport in Kokshetau consists of a network of buses, minibuses (

marshrutka ''Marshrutka''Kokshetau Railway station on 2 June 1922. Railways are Kokshetau's one of the main modes of intracity and suburban transportation. Kazakhstan Railways provide freight and passenger traffic to and from Kokshetau. There are two railway stations in the city: Kokshetau-1 and Kokshetau-2. The main railway station

Kokshetau-1 station Kokshetau—1 station ( kk, Көкшетау-1 станциясы, translit=Kökşetau-1 stansiasy; russian: Станция Кокшета́у-1, ''Stantsiya Kokshetau-1'') also previously known as Kokchetav I station ( rus, Кокчета́в I ...

is located north-east from the centre of Kokshetau and includes a main building (built in 1981) and some other technical buildings.

Kokshetau-1 station Kokshetau—1 station ( kk, Көкшетау-1 станциясы, translit=Kökşetau-1 stansiasy; russian: Станция Кокшета́у-1, ''Stantsiya Kokshetau-1'') also previously known as Kokchetav I station ( rus, Кокчета́в I ...

is the city's main station and a major stop for numerous passenger trains traveling between

Nur-Sultan Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

and the other

regions of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions ( kk, облыстар/''oblystar''; singular: облыс/''oblys''; russian: области/''oblasti''; singular: область/''oblast). The regions are further subdivided into districts ( kk, ауда� ...

each day. The popular Tulpar-Talgo service to

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...

takes sixteen hours. There is also Kokshetau Central Bus Terminal that links Kokshetau with the villages in

Akmola Region Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...

and other cities in Kazakhstan and the neighboring countries. Frequent schedules of bus routes connect Kokshetau to

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

,

Petropavl Petropavl ( kk, Петропавл, Petropavl ) or Petropavlovsk () is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. The city is also kno ...

,

Karaganda Karaganda or Qaraghandy ( kk, Қарағанды/Qarağandy, ; russian: Караганда, ) is the capital of Karaganda Region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, fourth most populous city in Kaza ...

,

Pavlodar Pavlodar ( ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located 450 km northeast of the national capital Astana and 405 km southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. , the cit ...

,

Kostanay Kostanay ( kz, Қостанай, Qostanai ) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk (russian: Николаевск) until 1895 and then as Kustanay (russian: Кустанай) until 1997. Kostanay ...

,

Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...

,

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...

,

Tobolsk Tobolsk (russian: Тобо́льск) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1590, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and i ...

,

Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura River. Fueled by the Russian oil and gas indu ...

and

Kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus constructed over a grave, often characterized by containing a single human body along with grave vessels, weapons and horses. Originally in use on the Pontic–Caspian steppe, kurgans spread into much of Central Asi ...

. Many of these are cross-country services operating from north to south, for which Kokshetau provides interchange facilities.

Air travel

Kokshetau and surrounding communities are served by one commercial international airport: Kokshetau International Airport , which is the seventeenth-busiest airport (2019) by passenger traffic in Kazakhstan. It is located north-east from the centre of city, on the route to

Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...

, and used to be the headquarters of now-defunct Air Kokshetau. The airport has a capacity of handling 200 passengers per hour. The Kokshetau International Airport, which opened in 1945, was significantly upgraded in 2013 with a new 2850-metre runway capable of accommodating all aircraft types without any restrictions. In 2013, the airport received its first scheduled flight after the renovation to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia. The airport can be reached by car, public transport, or taxi. Seasonal flights to

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

, were available in 2004 but have been cancelled since. It serves mostly domestic flights.

SCAT Airlines SCAT Airlines, legally PLL SCAT Air Company, is an airline with its head office on the property of Shymkent International Airport in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. It operates services to all of the major cities of Kazakhstan and to neighbouring countries ...

fly to and from

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...

,

Aktau Aktau ( kk, Aqtau, Ақтау , russian: Актау) is a city in Kazakhstan, located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Its current name means "white mountain" in Kazakh, which may be due to its cliffs that overlook the Caspian. From 1964 to ...

and

Turkistan Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang. Overview Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turk ...

as well as

FlyArystan FlyArystan is a low-cost airline based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is the wholly owned low cost subsidiary of Air Astana, the country's leading airline. FlyArystan's foundation was approved by Air Astana's joint shareholders, Samruk-Kazyna Sovereig ...

operates three weekly flights to

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...

. The former largest carrier of the Kokshetau Airport — Air Kokshetau — is not serving any regular destinations as of 2021.

Highways

Kokshetau has connections to

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

() and

Petropavl Petropavl ( kk, Петропавл, Petropavl ) or Petropavlovsk () is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. The city is also kno ...

() by the A1.

European route The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...

intersect in Kokshetau. * The A13, which connects Kokshetau to

Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...

(Russia); Other major roads passing through Kokshetau include: * The R11 highway connects Kokshetau to

Kostanay Kostanay ( kz, Қостанай, Qostanai ) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk (russian: Николаевск) until 1895 and then as Kustanay (russian: Кустанай) until 1997. Kostanay ...

(via the M36); * The R12 highway connects Kokshetau to Atbasar

Architecture

The city is full of numerous buildings and monuments that reflect its rich and diverse history. The architecture of Kokshetau has been shaped through its history by the progression of historical eras. Many buildings of Kokshetau are ranged from a different number of architectural styles. The architecture of the city dates back to 19th century, the city had numerous wooden buildings with elaborate decor. Kokshetau is the home of a unique architectural tradition and community with number of historical buildings in city. Industrialization in Kokshetau started in the late 1920s. There are a number of two-story wooden houses in the city built mostly in the middle of the 20th century as temporary habitations. Among other notable buildings are the mansions of the merchant Andrei Vasilievich Sokolov (late of the 19th century - beginning of the 20th century), the Akmola Regional Museum of History and Local Lore (beginning of the 20th century). The city’s apartment houses are called “

Khrushchyovka ''Khrushchyovka'' ( rus, Хрущёвка, Khrushchyovka, p=xrʊˈɕːɵfkə) or (a derogatory nickname) ''Khrushchoba'' ( rus, Хрущоба, Hrushchoba, t=Khru-slum) is an unofficial name for a type of low-cost, concrete- paneled or brick ...

” and “ Stalinka” due to the peculiarities of architectural approaches in their construction.

Education

Kokshetau is a regional centre of education and has a large number of educational establishments, including universities, professional colleges and gymnasiums (high schools). Primary and secondary schools in Kokshetau include state-run and private institutions.

Pre-university education

Kokshetau has 34 (

secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...

) schools, including 6

lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...

s and 6 gymnasiums.

Post-secondary education

The city is currently home to the following state higher educational institutions: * Kokshetau Technical Institute of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan * Kokshetau Academy of Economics and Management A number of other non-state-funded institutions for further education operate in the city.

Sport

Sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

has always been important in Kokshetau.

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

are by far the most popular sports in the city. Kokshetau has many parks that provide excellent pitches for impromptu games. The city is home to the

FC Okzhetpes Football Club Okzhetpes ( kk, Оқжетпес Футбол Клубы, ''Oqjetpes Kókshetaý Fýtbol Klýby'') is a Kazakhstani professional football based in the Torpedo Stadium in Kokshetau. The club currently plays in the Kazakhstan Premie ...

football club, based in the

Okzhetpes Stadium Okzhetpes Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Okzhetpes of the Kazakhstan Premier League The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( k ...

, and which has a capacity of 4,500, which participates in the

Kazakhstan Premier League The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қазақстан Премьер Лигасы, ''Qazaqstan Premer Ligasy''), commonly referred to as Kazakh Premier League or simply Premier League, is the top division of football in Kazakhstan ...

, the top division of football in Kazakhstan. In 2015 and 2018, they finished first place in the

Kazakhstan First Division The Kazakhstan First Division is the second division of football in Kazakhstan. The League is controlled by the Football Union of Kazakhstan and feeds into the Kazakhstan Premier League The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қа ...

. A number of well-known athletes, both world and

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

champions, are associated with the city. Burabay Sports Complex serves as home arena to the

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

club Arlan Kokshetau, which competes in the

Kazakhstan Hockey Championship The Pro Hokei Ligasy formerly known as ''Republic of Kazakhstan Open Ice Hockey Championship'' ''( kk, Шайбалық хоккей бойынша Қазақстан Республикасының ашық чемпионаты, russian: Откры ...

. Arlan Kokshetau hockey players were the champions of Kazakhstan in the season 2017/2018. Arlan Kokshetau players also became the first team from Kazakhstan to win

IIHF Continental Cup The Continental Cup is a second-level ice hockey tournament for European clubs (behind Champions Hockey League), begun in 1997 after the discontinuing of the European Cup. It was intended for teams from countries without representatives in the E ...

in the season 2018/2019. The city has an ice rink for winter sports. Several sports clubs are active in the city:

Parks and recreation

Kokshetau is home to a large number of parks and recreation areas. * City Park, the city's largest and oldest park, established in 1957. * Revolution Fighters Park

Elikti

Elikti is a

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...

near Kokshetau, located on the slopes of Mount Elikti, at the elevation of 500 metres above sea level. The resort area is about 25 kilometres (16 mi) of Kokshetau city by the P11 road on the way from Kokshetau to Ruzayevka. It is popular for its mild climate, a large quantity of sunny days and a great amount of snow through the winter. Visitors can buy or rent any necessary skiing and snowboarding equipment.

Recreation around Kokshetau

Around Kokshetau, there are numerous nearby freshwater lakes such as Lake Burabay,

Lake Ulken Shabakty Lake Ulken Shabakty ( kz, Үлкен Шабақты, ''Ülken Şabaqty''; russian: Большое Чебачье) is a lake in the Burabay District, North Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. Fishery on the lake is common. The lake lies by Burabay ...

, Lake Kishi Shabakty, Lake Aiyrtau and the Lake Zerendi, which are popular among Kokshetau residents for recreation, swimming and watersports and can be quickly reached by car. File:Lake Burabai3.jpg, Lake Burabay File:Lake_Chebachye_-_panoramio.jpg,

Lake Ulken Shabakty Lake Ulken Shabakty ( kz, Үлкен Шабақты, ''Ülken Şabaqty''; russian: Большое Чебачье) is a lake in the Burabay District, North Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. Fishery on the lake is common. The lake lies by Burabay ...

File:Малое_Чебачье.jpg, Lake Kishi Shabakty File:Aiyrtau.jpg, Lake Aiyrtau File:Zerenda June 01.jpg, Lake Zerendi

International relations

Waukesha_and_Kokshetau,_sister_cities_since_1989

Twin towns – Sister cities

Kokshetau is twinned with the following regions, cities, and counties:

Cooperation agreements

Kokshetau has cooperation agreements with: *

Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk ( ; rus, Красноя́рск, a=Ru-Красноярск2.ogg, p=krəsnɐˈjarsk) (in semantic translation - Red Ravine City) is the largest city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yeni ...

, Russia (2022)

References

External links

Official web site

360° QTVR fullscreen panoramas
of the Kokshetau
Visitaqmola.kz – Tourism website for Akmola Region
{{Authority control Cities in Central Asia Cities and towns in Kazakhstan Populated places established in 1824 Akmolinsk Oblast (Russian Empire) Kokchetav Oblast Populated places in Akmola Region Populated places established in the 19th century 19th-century establishments in Kazakhstan 1824 establishments in the Russian Empire 1824 establishments in Asia