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 ...

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa (, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a maximum depth of about 6 m. It ...

Kokshetau Hills The Kokshetau Hills (; ) is a system of mountains of moderate altitude in the North Kazakhstan Region and Akmola Region, Kazakhstan.Kokshetau Uplands ( Saryarka) and the southern edge of the

Ishim Steppe Ishim Steppe (, , ''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 Omsk oblasts in Russia, and the North Kazakhstan Region in Kazakhstan. ...

. It is named after Mount Kokshe. Kokshetau is the 17th-most populous city in Kazakhstan, the 4th-most populous city in northern part of the country, and the largest city in Akmola Region. It was the administrative center of Kokshetau Region (

oblast An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...

) from 1944 to 1991 as part of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and from 1991 as part of Kazakhstan to 1997 when it was abolished. 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 a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The climate of Kokshetau features hot summers and cold winters. It has 176,849 inhabitants (2024 est.), up from 123,389 (1999 census), while

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

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 (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

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

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

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

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

,

Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...

and

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

. 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 (, ''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 (, ; ) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. It was known a ...

, among others. The city's main football team is

FC Okzhetpes Football Club Okzhetpes (, ''Oqjetpes Kókshetaý Fýtbol Klýby'') is a Kazakhstani professional football based in the Torpedo Stadium in Kokshetau. The club currently plays in the Kazakhstan Premier League. History Although having finished on ...

. Kokshetau is about from

Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

, northwest of the national capital

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 ...

along the A1, from

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

along the A13, and from

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

. The city is served by Kokshetau Airport (KOV). The

akim An ''akim'' (, , әкімдер / ''äkimder''; ; , ) is the head of a local government in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. ''Akim'' is derived from the Arabic word '' hakim'', which means "ruler" or "governor". Definitions Kazakhstan In Kazakhs ...

(mayor) is Anuar Kumpekeev from the Amanat Party. Kokshetau is an important economic, educational, and cultural centre of the Akmola Region. Attractions in and around Kokshetau include Akmola Regional Museum of History and Local Lore,

Bukpa Hill Bukpa (; ) 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 Mount Koks ...

, Kokshetau City Park, Kokshetau City History Museum, Museum of Literature and Art. The northwest entrance to Burabay National Park () and Burabay

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

is a little over 43 miles (70 km) from Kokshetau. Kokshetau was awarded the title Kazakhstan City of Culture for the year 2021.

Names and etymology

*, a transliteration of the Russian form * * The name Kokshetau (; ) 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, thus "Blueish Mountain/Smoky-Blue Mountain" in English. That is how from ancient times

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

were calling the highest mountain in

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

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

collapse of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

, Kazakhstan declared its independence on 16 December 1991 (

Kazakhstan Independence Day Independence Day of Kazakhstan (, , ), is the main national holiday of Kazakhstan, celebrated annually on 16 December. Significance In an attempt to keep unity within the Soviet Union, the country held a referendum on 16 March 1991; Kazakhstan ...

), and 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, respec ...

. In

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

it became known as Kokshetau.

Chronology of name changes

Historically, several names in various languages have identified Kokshetau. *

Stanitsa A stanitsa or stanitza ( ; ), also spelled stanycia ( ) or stanica ( ), was a historical administrative unit of a Cossack host, a type of Cossack polity that existed in the Russian Empire. Etymology The Russian word is the diminutive of the word ...

Kokchetavskaya (1827–1868; which is a romanized back-transliteration from

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

name in

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

: ; ) * Kokchetav (1868–1993; in publications dating from the Soviet period, the city name was occasionally spelled in English as "Kokchetav", which is a back-transliteration from post-revolution

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

name in

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

: ,

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

name in

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

script (1868-1918): ; Kazakh name in

Yañalif The New Turkic Alphabet or Yañalif ( Tatar: jaꞑa əlifba/yaña älifba → jaꞑalif/yañalif, , Cyrillic: Яңалиф, "new alphabet"), is the first Latin alphabet used during the latinisation in the Soviet Union in the 1930s for the Turkic ...

script (1929-1940): , Kazakh name in

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

script (after 1940): ) * Kokshetau (since 1993; which is a romanized back-transliteration from

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

name in

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

: ; Kazakh name in

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

script: , Kazakh name in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

script (new version before 2021): , Kazakh name in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

script (latest version of the Kazakh Latin alphabet after 2021): )

Physical geography and geology

Location

Kokshetau is located in the country of Kazakhstan and lies in the northern portion of

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

. The city is located on the border of the

West Siberian Plain The West Siberian Plain () is a large plain that occupies the western portion of Siberia, between the Ural Mountains in the west and the Yenisei, Yenisei River in the east, and the Altai Mountains on the southeast. Much of the plain is poorly d ...

, on the southeastern shore of

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa (, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a maximum depth of about 6 m. It ...

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

Kokshetau Hills The Kokshetau Hills (; ) is a system of mountains of moderate altitude in the North Kazakhstan Region and Akmola Region, 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 city lay along low hills and by a kidney-shaped lake. There are numerous hills in the vicinity of the city (

Bukpa Hill Bukpa (; ) 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 Mount Koks ...

). 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 are ...

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

Shagalaly The Shagalaly (, ''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 name "Shagalaly" in t ...

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 (; , ; rus, Кокшета́у, p=kəkʂɛ'taʊ; ), formerly known as Kokchetav (; ) between 1868 and 1993, is a lakeside city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region. It stretches along the southern shore of Lak ...

. ;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 ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

*

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 ...

* Ekibastuz *

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

(Russia) *

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

* Rudny *

Shchuchinsk Shchuchinsk (, ''Şuchinsk''; , ) 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) in Akmola Region and is the centre of a l ...

*

Karaganda Karaganda (, ; ), also known as Karagandy (, ; ; ) (also sometimes romanized as Qaraghandy), is a major city in central Kazakhstan and the capital of the Karaganda Region. It is the fifth most populous city in the country, with a population o ...

*

Kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus (burial mound) 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 mu ...

(Russia) *

Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura ( ...

(Russia) Nearby towns *

Atbasar Atbasar (, ''Atbasar'') is a town in Atbasar District, Akmola Region of the northern Kazakhstan. It was founded in 1845. Atbasar is the 44th biggest city in Kazakhstan. Atbasar lies at an altitude of 282 meters above sea level. Population: Geo ...

*

Arkalyk Arkalyk or Arqalyq (, ', ; ) is a city in Kostanay Region, northern Kazakhstan. Earlier, it was the centre of Torgay Region, which was abolished in 1997. Established in 1956, it acquired the status of the city in 1965. The distance from the town ...

* Tara (Russia) *

Taiynsha Taiynşa (, ''Taiynşa''), known as Krasnoarmeysk between 1962 and 1997, is a city and the administrative center of Taiynşa District in North Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan (KATO code - 596020100). Population: Geography Taiynşa town lies to ...

* Akkol *

Derzhavinsk Derzhavinsk (, ''Derzhavinsk'') is a town located in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern E ...

* Ereymentau *

Esil Esil (, ''Esıl''; ) is a town in northern-central Kazakhstan. The seat of Esil District in Aqmola Region, it is located on the right bank of the Ishim River The Ishim (; ) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and h ...

*

Ishim Ishim may refer to: *Ishim (river), a river in Kazakhstan and Russia *Ishim, Tyumen Oblast, a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia *Ishim (angel), a rank of angels in the Jewish angelic hierarchy See also

*Ishimsky (disambiguation) *Ishimbay {{Disam ...

(Russia) * Makinsk * Stepnyak *

Stepnogorsk Stepnogorsk (; ) is a town in Akmola Region, Kazakhstan. History Stepnogorsk was established in 1959, and has been a town since 1964. It began as a closed town A closed city or town is a settlement where travel or residency restrictions ar ...

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

Kaindy Kayyngdy (; or Каинда ''Kainda'') is a city in the Chüy Region in northern Kyrgyzstan. It became a city in 2012. Its population was 9,561 in 2021. It is the seat of Panfilov District. It features the railroad station closest to the Kazakh ...

* Akkol (Zerendi District) * Kishkenekol * Astrakhanka * Balkashino * Shortandy *

Zerendi Zerendi (, ''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 (, ; ) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. It was known a ...

*

Zhaksy Zhaksy (, ''Jaqsy'') is a village in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the seat of Zhaksy District in Akmola Region. Climate Zhaksy has a humid continental climate (Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: ...

Time

The

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

from the

UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...

used by Kokshetau is 5 hours after UTC, or UTC+5:00 (Kazakhstan Time). This is also used by all of

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 ...

. This time apply throughout the year as

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 ...

does not observe

Daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time, daylight time (Daylight saving time in the United States, United States and Daylight saving time in Canada, Canada), or summer time (British Summer Time, United Kingdom, ...

(DST).

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Kokshetau lies in a

cold semi-arid climate Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

zone (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''

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 ...

'') 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 from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

amounts to . Typically, the city's

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa (, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a maximum depth of about 6 m. It ...

and rivers of Kylshakty and

Shagalaly The Shagalaly (, ''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 name "Shagalaly" in t ...

are frozen over between the second week of November and the beginning of April. *''Average January temperature'': *''Average July temperature'': *''Average annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

'': to

Legal status and administrative-territorial division

Kokshetau is the capital (administrative centre) of the

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

(oblys, county, area). Kokshetau city administration (, ) (area of ), with a population of roughly 193,492 residents, includes one settlement administration and the Krasnoyarsk rural district, which includes two rural settlements, served by the city public transport system. Kokshetau was the centre of a

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

covering seventy-eight thousand square kilometres of the Virgin Lands; it administered 15 agricultural districts and connected 4 other towns, 116 state farms, and 25 collective farms, and that region encompassed a population of more than 600,000.

Administrative districts and microdistricts

Kokshetau is divided into seven administrative districts (). : * Aul * Beybitshilik * Bostandyk * Bukpa * Kokshe * Sary-Arka * Zhaylau

Districts

Traditionally, Kokshetau was divided into seventeen administrative microdistricts () that today have no administrative function. These are administrative units that possess no independent governance structures. They are used for management of utilities and publicly owned housing. Kokshetau includes the following microdistricts:

Authorities, local government and politics

Kokshetau authorities

The city administration and Kokshetau City Mäslihat is in the Kokshetau Akimat building on Mukhtar Auezov Street. Kokshetau City Mäslihat is a representative body of the city, elected every four years and holds its sessions in Kokshetau Akimat. The Mayor of Kokshetau is Amanat Party member Bauyrzhan Gaisa. ;Local government The bodies of local self-government of Kokshetau are: * Kokshetau City Mäslihat, a representative body. Consisting of 17 deputies for four years. * Mayor of Kokshetau, head of the Kokshetau City Administration manages the administration on the principles of unity of command.

Regional authorities

Most key buildings of the regional government are along Abai Street and Mukhtar Auezov Street. Abai Street is named after a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher

Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...

. On the eastern side of Abai Street on Abylai Khan Square sits the Akmola Regional Akimat, in a modern cream and brown-toned building. ;Local government The bodies of local self-government of Akmola region are: * Akmola Regional Mäslihat (parliament of Akmola Region), a representative body. Consisting of 32 deputies for five years.

List of akims (mayors) of Kokshetau (1992–present)

The

Akim An ''akim'' (, , әкімдер / ''äkimder''; ; , ) is the head of a local government in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. ''Akim'' is derived from the Arabic word '' hakim'', which means "ruler" or "governor". Definitions Kazakhstan In Kazakhs ...

( Kazakh: әкім, äkım) of Kokshetau is the chief authority in the city of Kokshetau. The position was established in 1992. The mayor is responsible for the administration of government services, the composition of councils and committees overseeing Kokshetau City Administration departments and serves as the chairperson for the meeting of the Kokshetau City Mäslihat. The mayor also functions to help devise long-term development plans in consultation with other stakeholders and bodies to improve the condition, livability, and sustainability of the city.

Politics

The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

(''Kokshetau City Mäslihat'') of Kokshetau is made up of 17 representatives that are elected every four years. The Kokshetau City Mäslihat governs the city alongside the Akim (Mayor). The 2023 local government elections for Kokshetau City Mäslihat in Kokshetau yielded the following results:

History

Early history

Kokshetau past incorporates 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 Kazakhstan ...

. For many centuries, nomadic

Kazakh tribes Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to someone or something related to Kazakhstan: *Kazakhs, an ethnic group *Kazakh language * Kazakh alphabets, Alphabets used to write the Kazakh language * Kazakh Braille, Braille alphabet of the Kazakh lang ...

lived on the territory of the former Kokshetau Region. The territory of Kokshetau was part of the Middle Horde, the clans of the tribal union of the Argyns that occupied vast regions of Northern and Central Kazakhstan. In the 18th – 19th centuries, the headquarters of famous

khans Khan may refer to: * 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 various ethnicities Art and entertainment * Khan (band), an English progressiv ...

, such as Abylai Khan,

Kasym Khan Muhammad 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 1 ...

, Kenesary Khan, were located on the land of Kokshetau Region.

Foundation of Kokshetau (1824–1917)

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 on the shores of Lake Ulken Shabakty. 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 (; ) 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 Mount Koks ...

, on the southern shores of

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa (, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a maximum depth of about 6 m. It ...

, 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 A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising f ...

from Russia ( Povolzhye) 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, 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 area. Sometimes ...

. 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 monarch, 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, ci ...

. By that time the population in the town was above 5 thousand people.

Soviet era (1918–1991)

In 1928, Kokshetau District was divided into several boroughs and until 1944 Kokshetau's territory was part of

Karaganda Region Karaganda Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Karaganda. The region borders Akmola and Pavlodar Region to the north, Abai Region to the east, Jetisu, Almaty, and Zhambyl Regions to the south, and Kostanay and Ulytau regio ...

and later part of

North Kazakhstan Region North Kazakhstan Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan, with a population of 522,171. Its capital is Petropavl, with a population of 221,907 people. It is the only region of Kazakhstan in which ethnic Kazakhs don't make up a majority. History ...

. On 16 March 1944, according to the Decree of the

Presidium of Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislative branch of the great Soviet ...

of

Kazakh SSR The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Located in northern Centr ...

, Kokshetau became the administrative center of the newly created Kokchetav 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.

Fall of the Soviet Union and modern history (1991–present)

On 3 May 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 regions were reorganized, Kokshetau became the center of

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

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

Bukpa Hill Bukpa (; ) 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 Mount Koks ...

Lookout. The

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa (, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a maximum depth of about 6 m. It ...

is visible to the left, and the St George's Church to the right. File:General_plan_of_the_Kokchetav_stanitsa,_19th_century.jpg, General plan of Kokchetav

stanitsa A stanitsa or stanitza ( ; ), also spelled stanycia ( ) or stanica ( ), was a historical administrative unit of a Cossack host, a type of Cossack polity that existed in the Russian Empire. Etymology The Russian word is the diminutive of the word ...

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

uezd An uezd (also spelled uyezd or uiezd; rus, уе́зд ( pre-1918: уѣздъ), p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context () was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, the ...

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, An 1880 image of

Bukpa Hill Bukpa (; ) 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 Mount Koks ...

in the background File:Market_Square_(late_19th_early_20th_century;_Kokshetau,_Kazakhstan).jpg, Market Square (modern-day Abylai Khan Square) in the late 19th early 20th century File:Military_hospital_in_Kokshetau_(Kokchetav),_Kazakhstan.jpg, 1916: Military hospital in Kokchetav

Demographics

Population

Kokshetau is the seventeenth-largest city in Kazakhstan. 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 northeast of the national capital Astana and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. In 2010, the city had a popul ...

,

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

and

Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

. Residents of Kokshetau are referred to as "көкшетаулықтар" (''kökşetaulyqtar'') in Kazakh and "кокшета́уцы" (''kokshetautsy'') in

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

. Vital statistics for 2023: *Births: 3,173 (male – 54.87%, female – 45.13%) *Deaths: 1,545 (male – 52.10%, female – 47.90%) Infant mortality rate (2023): * 15 infant deaths (aged under one year) Marriage and divorce statistics (2023): * There were 1,359 marriages in total * There were 360 divorces granted Note: 2024 and 2020 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 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

,

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

,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

and

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

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 Union of Soviet Socialist Rep ...

.

Languages

Kazakh and

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

are both the main spoken languages. Throughout its history Kokshetau has been a city of many languages. The state and official language in Kokshetau, as in all

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 ...

, is the

Kazakh language Kazakh is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch spoken in Central Asia by Kazakhs. It is closely related to Nogai, Kyrgyz and Karakalpak. It is the official language of Kazakhstan, and has official status in the Altai Republic of Russia ...

. Kazakh is one of the

Turkic languages The Turkic languages are a language family of more than 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and West Asia. The Turkic langua ...

and the mother tongue of

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

living in Kokshetau. Despite Kokshetau's Kazakh majority,

Russian language Russian is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic languages, Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is ...

is the most-widely spoken native language in the city, although Kazakh is understood as well. Russian language is used as official language and as one of mediums of instruction and media administration. Russian is used in theaters and newspapers from Kokshetau. It is also common to find the Kazakh being spoken in the city, mainly by Kazakhs and other Turkic people, while many elderly people speak Kazakh or Russian, depending on their upbringing.

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

,

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

, some

Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...

,

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

,

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

,

Ingush Ingush may refer to: * Ingush language, Northeast Caucasian language * Ingush people, an ethnic group of the North Caucasus See also *Ingushetia (disambiguation) Ingushetia is a federal republic and subject of Russia. Ingushetia may also refer ...

,

Belarusians Belarusians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Belarus. They natively speak Belarusian language, Belarusian, an East Slavic language. More than 9 million people proclaim Belarusian ethnicity worldwide. Nearly 7.99&n ...

,

Koreans Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 m ...

,

Azerbaijanis Azerbaijanis (; , ), Azeris (, ), or Azerbaijani Turks (, ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group living mainly in the Azerbaijan (Iran), Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran and the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. They are predomin ...

,

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

,

Bashkirs The Bashkirs ( , ) or Bashkorts (, ; , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Russia. They are concentrated in Bashkortostan, a Republics of Russia, republic of the Russian Federation and in the broader historical region of B ...

,

Moldovans Moldovans, sometimes referred to as Moldavians (, , ), are an ethnic group native to Moldova, who mostly speak the Romanian language, also referred to locally as Moldovan language, Moldovan. Moldovans form significant communities in Romania, It ...

, Mari in Kokshetau speak Russian. Substantial numbers of people also use Shala Kazakh (a Russo-Kazakh mixed language) in their everyday lives.

Ethnic and national composition

Kokshetau is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. It has changed its demographics, nowadays having more ethnic

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

in a city that formerly had a

Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...

majority. It is the only regional center in Northern Kazakhstan where Kazakhs make up the majority. As of January 2024, the population of Kokshetau is 176,849, and the extended urbanized area has 193,492 inhabitants. Historically, Kokshetau was ethnically diverse. As of the 2020 Census, ethnic Kazakhs made up (~58%) of the city population, representing an increase from 36% in 1999. Ethnic composition of Kokshetau

Religion

Kokshetau is one of the most religiously diverse cities of Kazakhstan with more than 56.65 per cent of its population adhering to Islam. Religious buildings are scattered around the city.

Sunni Islam

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

(primarily

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...

) 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. Kokshetau has a mosque constructed in the beginning of the 20th century. A new

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

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, located on the Aulbekova Street.

Russian Orthodox Church

Kokshetau has a

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

temple of

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

. The Kokshetau and Akmola diocese is located in the Church of the Resurrection in the city.

Russian Orthodox The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

churches: * Church of the Resurrection, Kokshetau (capacity 1,500), ( ROC). It is located on the new embankment of

Lake Kopa Lake Kopa (, ; ) is a lake in the city of Kokshetau, located on the territory of Akmola Region close to the foot of Kokshetau Elevation in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level and has a maximum depth of about 6 m. It ...

. The church was built in the traditions of Russian church architecture of the mid-XIX century. * Church of the Holy Archangel Michael, Kokshetau, ( ROC) * St George's Church, Kokshetau. Kokshetau's first Christian Church.

Other religions

Other religions practiced are

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

(primarily

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 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, and

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

). 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. In 1997, a

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

was built in neo-Gothic style using red bricks.

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

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

Entertainment, tourism and culture

Kokshetau is the major cultural center of Akmola Region. Culture in Kokshetau, first developed during the period of Russian Empire, grew under the Soviet Union, which established many of the first cultural institutions of the city. Now it has 2 theatres and 5 museums. There is 1 cinema and 12 libraries. The city is full of clubs, restaurants, and bars. As the capital of Akmola Region, Kokshetau is a melting pot of cultures from all ethnic groups of the region. Though

Kazakh people The Kazakhs ( Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common culture, language and history that is closely related to those of other Turkic peoples of Western and Central Asia. The majo ...

are an indigenous community of Kokshetau, the city's culture represents many languages and ethnic groups, supports differences regarding religion, traditions and linguistics, rather than any single and dominant culture.

Theatres

Kokshetau has a strong theater culture. Kokshetau is home to many theatre groups, mainly operating under the support of the ministry of culture. Theatre halls in the city organize several shows and performances throughout the year. Kokshetau's major theaters are: * From the central Abylai Khan Square, pedestrianised

Kanysh Satbayev Kanysh Imantayuli Satbayev (11 April 1899 – 31 January 1964) was a Kazakh professor, geologist and one of the founders of Soviet metallogeny (specifically the Kazakhstani school) and the principal advocate and first president of Kazakhstan Ac ...

Street runs south a couple of blocks to the Palace of Culture (; opened in 1977), which also incorporates Akmola Regional Russian Drama Theater, and it is quite popular among locals. * Akmola Regional Kazakh Music and Drama Theatre named after Shahhmet Kussainov (opened in 1996) is the biggest theatre in Kokshetau and is popular among Kazakh speaking people. * Children's puppet theater "Altyn Saka" (opened in 2022)

National events/festivals

The city organises many public celebrations that greatly attract the locals as well as the visitors. * "

Dombyra The dombra, also known as dombyra (; ) is a long-necked musical string instrument used by the Kazakhs, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Nogais, Bashkirs, and Tatars in their traditional folk music. The dombra shares certain characteristics with the ko ...

Fest" * "Sabantuy" (annual) * "Festival of Kazakh culture" (annual). It is the most widely celebrated festival among Kazakhs. * "Bir shanyrak astynda" * "Russian (Russkaya) Pesnya"

Philharmonic

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

Historical museums

Museum_of_History_of_Kokshetau_in_March_2025

Kokshetau is home to several of Akmola Region's most important museums. Kokshetau has several museums dedicated to Akmola Region's history and culture. Museums in the city include: * Akmola Regional Museum of History and Local Lore (opened in 1920) offers a display of minerals and semi-precious stones in the foyer, and rooms on the ground floor devoted to palaeontology and to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the latter focused on displays related to local war heroes. It is the largest museum in Kokshetau. * Kokshetau City History Museum (KCHM; opened as

Valerian Kuybyshev Valerian Vladimirovich Kuybyshev (; – 25 January 1935) was a Russian revolutionary, Red Army officer, and prominent Soviet politician. Biography Early years Born in Omsk in Siberia on , Kuybyshev studied at the , a Cadet Corps in O ...

’s Memorial Museum in 1949), located at the a street on a hillside. The wooden house of the museum is where Valerian Kuybyshev, one of the Revolution's most famous heroes, had grown up. The house is surrounded by trees, with a stable or coach-house at the back and a particular memorial tree planted by his mother in 1903 in memory of Valerian's brother, accidentally shot and killed by a friend. This little museum initially was dedicated to a really tough revolutionary. As a boy Valerian Kuybyshev had started taking part in the anti-tsarist movement and then in the days of the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

struggle had led troops against the White Guards in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, he was one of those revolutionaries in the true spirit of the Revolution. There were also

Amankeldı İmanov Amankeldı Üderbaiūly İmanov (; – 20 April or 18 May 1919), often referred to mononymously as Amankeldı or Amangeldy, was a Kazakh revolutionary who was leader of the Central Asian revolt of 1916 in Kazakhstan. Later fighting alongside t ...

and Alibi Dzhangildin who are national heroes of the Central Asian uprising in 1916. The city's museum offers a view of Kokshetau's history through old maps and photos. * Museum of Mercy and Courage (opened in 1982) Biographical museums: * Museum of the

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

Malik Gabdullin (opened in 1993), located at the corner of Auelbekov and Nazarbayev streets, on the eastern side of the town centre, the modern-looking two-storey wooden building. Malik Gabdullin was born in 1915, in a village 30 km away from Kokshetau. When he was made a Hero of the Soviet Union in 1943, the authorities constructed for his family a larger and nicer wooden house adjacent to this, but his pious father donated the wood from this building to efforts to reconstruct the Kokshetau Mosque, when the latter was damaged by fire in 1956. Literature museums: * Museum of Literature and Art (opened in 1989)

Cinemas

The first film screening in the city of Kokchetav (now Kokshetau) took place in 1910. * Cinema Alem (formerly known as the Druzhba Cinema; it was built in 1963, and as of 2023 was still being used as a cinema). It is located in Independence Square and is currently the largest cinema in the city.

Libraries

Public 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. There are several archives in Kokshetau. * Akmola Regional Universal Scientific Library (ARUSL) named after Magzhan Zhumabayev. ARUSL was inaugurated in 1946. It is Akmola Region's main

academic library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an es ...

and scientific

information centre A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center or tourist information centre is a physical location that provides information to tourists. Types A visitor center may be a Civic ce ...

.

University libraries

The Kokshetau State University library contains over 735,000 units of educational and scientific literature and a rare fund, which consists of 104 copies of printed works published in the 19th century in Kazakh, Russian, German and English languages, making it one of the largest libraries in all of

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

.

Kazakhstan Capital of Culture 2021

Kokshetau was selected as a Kazakhstan Capital of Culture for 2021.

Palaces

* Kokshetau Palace of Culture * Palace of Culture «Dostar» * Palace of Childhood and Youth «Bolashak Sarayi» * Kokshetau Wedding Palace, a civil registry building. It was built in 2017.

Mausoleums

* Nauan Hazrat Mausoleum. The construction of the mausoleum began in 2020. It was built around the grave of the famous religious figure Nauryzbay Talasuly. It is located near the old Muslim cemetery. This site was added to the list of objects of historical and cultural heritage of Akmola Region, as well as the list of 100 sacred places of Kazakhstan.

Cemeteries

There are 5 cemeteries in Kokshetau. * Old Cossack cemetery. It is located at the area of Barmashino where a monument to a Soviet soldier is situated. The mass grave of Soviet officers and soldiers who died in local hospitals is also located there. * Old Orthodox cemetery. The cemetery was closed to new burials in the 1969. * Old Muslim cemetery * Muslim cemetery (Second Cemetery) * Christian cemetery (Third Cemetery)

Monuments and memorials

* The statue of

Shoqan Walikhanov Shokan Shyngysuly Walikhanov (, ), given name Mukhammed Kanafiya ()Shoqan, his pen-name, later became his official name. (November 1835 – April 10, 1865) was a Kazakh scholar, ethnographer, historian and participant in the Great Game. ...

who had been a traveller, scientist, geographer, and one of the first Kazakh democrat, a tall handsome figure in a granite officer's greatcoat. He had been an officer in the tsar's army and was supposed to be a descendant of

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

himself, no less. His grandfather Abylai Khan had been called the last Khan of the Kazakh Khanate. * On the west side of the Abylai Khan Square there is a statue of Abylai Khan, depicted squatting regally, his right hand on his hip in a display of relaxed strength. Behind the Kazakh ruler rises a very tall stalk of wheat, on the tip of which a bird is flying. * In the central park there is also a statue of

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 ...

, standing next to a simple Soviet monument to the Kazakhstnis killed in the Civil War; it was removed from the central square. * A bust of Talgat Bigeldinov, a pilot who notched up 305 combat missions, shot down seven enemy aircraft and was twice made

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

, is followed by a series of polished stones inscribed with he names of the Hero Cities of the Soviet Union. These run for two blocks, ending up at the

War Memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

. A young flag-bearing soldier kneels before an

eternal flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which ca ...

. Behind him rises peculiar silvery sculpture of a star with a point missing. The portraits of local war heroes are presented on the surrounding wall, in alphabetical order, starting with Talgat Bigeldinov. * In the centre of the city, just in front of the Akmola Regional Museum of History and Local Lore, an inscription on a wall-like monument records a decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest organ of state power, highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislativ ...

of the USSR from 1958, awarding Kokshetau Oblast the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

by virtue of its success in surpassing the yearly plan for bread production. * There is also a statue of a young, rathe studently-looking

Valerian Kuybyshev Valerian Vladimirovich Kuybyshev (; – 25 January 1935) was a Russian revolutionary, Red Army officer, and prominent Soviet politician. Biography Early years Born in Omsk in Siberia on , Kuybyshev studied at the , a Cadet Corps in O ...

, a

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

military commander during the Civil War and key figure behind the

first Five-Year Plan First five-year plan may refer to: * First five-year plan (China) * First Five-Year Plans (Pakistan) * First five-year plan (Soviet Union) The first five-year plan (, ) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a list of economi ...

, who gave his name to the city of

Samara Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev (1935–1991), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast in Russia. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with a population of over 1.14 ...

during the Soviet period.

Economy and services

In autumn 1941, the Podolskiy Sewing Machines Plant, two factories from the city of Ordzhonikidze and military hospitals were evacuated to Kokshetau. Kokshetau has traditionally been an important commercial center in northern Kazakhstan, but after the collapse of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

most of the old manufacturing lines, whose markets included the entire Soviet Union, either stopped working or had to greatly reduce their operations. The collapse of the Soviet Union also meant the collapse of Kazakhstan's industrial base. Nevertheless, the city continues to be an important regional center for the

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

, 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. Kokshetau Oblast had really started developing as the machine factories and other industries grew, and the numerous rest homes, sanatoria, and holiday spots were set up. From Ekibastuz 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 along large distances. It consists of one or more conductors (commonly multiples of three) suspended by towers or poles. ...

designed for a transmission voltage of 1,150 kV, the Ekibastuz-Kokshetau powerline. Kokshetau's retail business is growing with several newly built malls and shopping centres.

Industry

Major industrial employers of Kokshetau include: * Altyntau Kokshetau – gold mining enterprise. The site comprises a gold deposit and the Gold Recovery Plant commissioned in 2009. The innovative high-tech equipment manufactured in Canada, Australia, USA, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy and Russia is installed at the plant. Over the last eight years of operation, the output increased 2.5 times and metal recovery increased by one fifth hitting 75% in 2019. * Tynys – the production of medical products, weighing equipment, water meters, aircraft units and assemblies, polyethylene pipes. * KamAZ-Engineering – machine-building plant. * Kokshetau Mineral Waters – TURAN water is bottled at Kokshetau Mineral Waters plant using KHS equipment. TURAN water is produced from Kuskol water deposit located in an ecologically pristine area near Kokshetau. The deposit is subject to constant government control, and the water well is guarded 24/7. Food factories supply Kokshetau and

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

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

Public services

Kokshetau is policed by Police Department of the Akmola Region (a

territorial police force A territorial police force is a police service that is responsible for an area defined by sub-national boundaries, distinguished from other police services which deal with the entire country or a type of crime. In countries organized as federation ...

) whose headquarters are in the city. Fire services in Kokshetau are provided by Department of Emergency Situations of the Akmola Region. Domestic waste services in Kokshetau are provided by Kokshe Tazalyk and EcoGroup 2020 Services under contract.

Health and medical care

Kokshetau has an extensive network of municipal and regional health facilities. Kokshetau is a major healthcare and medical service centre in

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

. During the war five evacuated hospitals were places on the territory of North-Kazakhstan region, including 3 hospitals in Kokshetau. Several hospitals of Kokshetau, refurbished with modern technologies, provide healthcare and conduct medical research. Local hospitals include the Avicenna Medical Centre, Viamedis Rehabilitation Centre among many others. Temporary hospitals were established and vaccines were available in all major hospitals during the 2020-2021

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Private medical institutions also operate in the city.

Telecommunication

The official opening of the Kokshetau city telephone network took place on 1878. As of 2005, the total capacity of the telephone network in Kokshetau was about 42,634 numbers. The city has several mobile operators (

Kcell Kcell (KASE: KCEL) is the Cellular Communication Operator in Kazakhstan, part of Kazakhtelecom. The company was founded in 1998 and provides cellular services under the Kcell brand, which is mainly focused on the corporate segment, and Activ, ...

/ Altel, Tele2 Kazakhstan, Beeline). In addition to the mobile network providers, Kazakhtelecom provides

internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

services.

Kazpost Kazpost () is the national postal service of Kazakhstan. History Independent Kazakhstan 150px, 50-kopeck stamp of 1992, Kazakhstan's first stamp after independence Since 1992, Kazakhstan is a member of the Universal Postal Union. April 5, 199 ...

is the official national postal operator of Kazakhstan. Based in Kokshetau, it currently operates through 10 postal offices in city.

Media

Kokshetau is the center of television and radio broadcasting in

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

. Many public and private TV and radio channels operate in Kokshetau. Media in Kokshetau covers print media, newspapers, publisher, broadcast, local TV stations, and Internet, with some media having influence over the region. All major Kazakhstani newspapers are active in Kokshetau. The city has a developed telecommunications system.

Newspapers and magazines

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. It is main city channel. The channel tells about the events of social, cultural, economic life, the activities of scientific and educational institutions of the city. * Balapan *

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

* Channel One Eurasia * Channel 31 *

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

*

Euronews Euronews (stylised in lowercase) is a pan-European television news broadcasting, news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of the ...

*

Gakku TV Gakku TV (, ''"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. The channel airs on cabl ...

* Khabar 24 *

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

*

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

* Qazsport 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

Transportation

File:Kokshetau-1_Railway_Station-1992.jpg, Main entrance to Kokshetau Railway Station, designed by V. Utebekov as viewed from vokzal alañy, 1992 File:Kokshetau_airport.jpg, Façade of terminal building and

apron An apron is a garment worn over other clothing to cover the front of the body to protect from liquids. They have several purposes, most commonly as a functional accessory that protects clothes and skin from stains and marks. However, other typ ...

area of the Kokshetau Airport (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

/

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 sch ...

: KOV/UACK) near Akkol File:Kokshetau_traffic_interchange_in_May_2016.jpg, A full

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), 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 passe ...

near Kokshetau 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 includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

and rail networks. Kokshetau has a strong public-transport system.

Local public transport

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

marshrutka ''Marshrutnoye taksi''GAZelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...

light commercial vehicles) and taxis that are available 24 hours a day. Public transport in Kokshetau is heavily privatized and mostly handled by private operators.

City buses

The first bus services in Kokshetau were introduced in 1939. Bus timetables and detailed schematic map of the route are at every stop. Distances between stops are about 300–500 meters. Buses in the city cost ₸80-₸120. Buses, mostly

Yutong Yutong (officially Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles, especially electric buses, headquartered in Zhengzhou, Henan. Yutong also has businesses in construction machinery, real estate, and other in ...

, LiAZ and MAZ buses, are the most common and popular mode of transport in the city.

Public vans

In the square between the bus and railway stations gather a range of taxis and minibuses offering to take you to

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 ...

or

Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

.

Taxi

In Kokshetau taxis are available at any time of the day or night. Ride-sharing services such as

Yandex Taxi Yandex Taxi (; stylised as Yandex.Taxi), a division of Yandex, operates a ridesharing company in Russia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Israel and UAE. The Yandex Taxi div ...

and inDrive are available in the city via mobile apps. Taxi fare is from 400 to 2500 tenge, depending on the distance from the city center and the results of negotiations with the driver.

Intercity transportation

Railway stations

The city is an important railroad hub in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Kokshetau Railway station is served by the Kazakhstan Railways, which links Petropavl to Almaty. The first train pulled into the Kokshetau Railway station on 2 June 1922. Railways are Kokshetau's one of the main modes of intracity and suburban transportation. Kazakhstan Railways (who manage the station) provide freight and passenger traffic to and from Kokshetau. There are two

railway stations A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such a ...

in the city: Kokshetau-1 and Kokshetau-2. The main railway station Kokshetau-1 station 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 is the city's main station and a major stop for numerous passenger trains traveling between

Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

and the other

regions of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions (; ; ; ) and 4 cities. The regions are further subdivided into districts of Kazakhstan, districts (; ; ; ). The four cities, Almaty, Baikonur, Shymkent, and the capital city Astana, do not belong to the ...

each day. The popular Tulpar-Talgo service to

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 ...

takes sixteen hours. It sits at the eastern end of the long

Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...

Street, Kokshetau's central thoroughfare. A tall concrete clock tower guides you to it. Among the trains passing Kokshetau-1 station are the daily services between Almaty and Petropavl,

Kyzylorda Kyzylorda ( , formerly known as Kzyl-Orda (), Ak-Mechet (Ак-Мечеть), Perovsk (Перовск), and Fort-Perovsky (Форт-Перовский), is a city in south-central Kazakhstan, capital of Kyzylorda Region and former capital of the ...

and Petropavl, and

Karaganda Karaganda (, ; ), also known as Karagandy (, ; ; ) (also sometimes romanized as Qaraghandy), is a major city in central Kazakhstan and the capital of the Karaganda Region. It is the fifth most populous city in the country, with a population o ...

and

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

. There are also less frequent trains passing northwards on to various Russian destinations, including

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

,

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...

and

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

, and local electric train services to Ereymentau and Astana.

Intercity buses

Kokshetau Central Bus Terminal ''(Kökşetau avtobeketı)'', which opened in 1981, serves the city of Kokshetau. The bus station is on the Vernadsky Street 8 across the road from Kokshetau Railway Station. It links the city with the villages in

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

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

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 ...

,

Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

,

Zerenda Lake Zerendі (, ''Zerendı'') is a small lake in Zerendi District, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan. Located just west of Zerendi village, the picturesque lake is a tourist attraction. Geography Lake Zerendi is located in the Kokshetau Hills, northern ...

, Burabay,

Karaganda Karaganda (, ; ), also known as Karagandy (, ; ; ) (also sometimes romanized as Qaraghandy), is a major city in central Kazakhstan and the capital of the Karaganda Region. It is the fifth most populous city in the country, with a population o ...

,

Pavlodar Pavlodar (; ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located northeast of the national capital Astana and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. In 2010, the city had a popul ...

,

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

,

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

,

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...

,

Tobolsk Tobolsk (, ) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1587, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and was the historic capita ...

,

Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura ( ...

and

Kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus (burial mound) 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 mu ...

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

Airport

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 (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

, and used to be the headquarters of now-defunct

Air Kokshetau Air Kokshetau, also legally known as JSC Aircompany Kokshetau ( / ; ), was an airline based in Kokshetau, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan, based at Kokshetau Airport, Kokshetau International Airport. It operated a fleet of eight aircraft. It started ...

. 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 is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

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

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, 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 from Kazakhstan with its head office at Shymkent International Airport in Şymkent. It operates services to all major cities of Kazakhstan and neighboring countries. Its main base is Şymk ...

fly to and from

Aktau Aktau (; ) is a city in south-west Kazakhstan, on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Aktau is on the Mangyshlak Peninsula in the Mangystau Region. Known for its strategic location on the Caspian Sea, Aktau is a port, playing a key role in th ...

and

Shymkent Shymkent (, ; ) is a city in southern Kazakhstan, located near the border with Uzbekistan. It holds the status of a city of republican significance, one of only three cities in Kazakhstan with this distinction, alongside Almaty and Astana. As of ...

as well as Qazaq Air operates two weekly flights to

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 ...

. The former largest carrier of the Kokshetau Airport —

Air Kokshetau Air Kokshetau, also legally known as JSC Aircompany Kokshetau ( / ; ), was an airline based in Kokshetau, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan, based at Kokshetau Airport, Kokshetau International Airport. It operated a fleet of eight aircraft. It started ...

— is not serving any regular destinations as of 2021.

Road transportation and bridges

There are a number of municipal, regional and republican

roads A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...

that serve Kokshetau. The main roads to/from Kokshetau are: *Republican roads (National Highways) ** The city is served by the A1, which begins in

Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) 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. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...

() and leads to

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 ...

() passing Kokshetau,

Shchuchinsk Shchuchinsk (, ''Şuchinsk''; , ) 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) in Akmola Region and is the centre of a l ...

and Makinsk.

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

intersect in Kokshetau; ** The A13 (Omsk–Kokshetau road), which connects Kokshetau to

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

(Russia). Kokshetau is located a couple of hours' drive south of Russia's Siberian border; Other major roads passing through Kokshetau include: *Regional roads (Regional Highways) ** The R11 highway connects Kokshetau to Saumalkol and

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

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

Zerendi Zerendi (, ''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 (, ; ) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. It was known a ...

and

Atbasar Atbasar (, ''Atbasar'') is a town in Atbasar District, Akmola Region of the northern Kazakhstan. It was founded in 1845. Atbasar is the 44th biggest city in Kazakhstan. Atbasar lies at an altitude of 282 meters above sea level. Population: Geo ...

There are seven Kylshakty bridges and dozens of

grade-separated In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...

intersections in the city.

Architecture and landmarks

Squares

* The city centres on a large and bare Abylai Khan Square, at the intersection of

Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...

and

Kanysh Satbayev Kanysh Imantayuli Satbayev (11 April 1899 – 31 January 1964) was a Kazakh professor, geologist and one of the founders of Soviet metallogeny (specifically the Kazakhstani school) and the principal advocate and first president of Kazakhstan Ac ...

streets. * Independence Square. It is the center of Kokshetau.

Old Town

West of the centre many attractive single-storey log-built houses survive, usually featuring painted wooden shutters. A couple of particularly fine examples, both enjoying official recognition as historical monuments, are the whitewashed wooden cottage at 22 Kenesary Khan Kasymuly Street, at the corner of

Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...

Street, with intricate carving at the base of the roof, and the cottage at 33

Felix Dzerzhinsky Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (; ; – 20 July 1926), nicknamed Iron Felix (), was a Soviet revolutionary and politician of Polish origin. From 1917 until his death in 1926, he led the first two Soviet secret police organizations, the Cheka a ...

Street. The latter sits opposite a small Kokshetau City History Museum (32 Kanay-bi Street), itself housed in a single-storey wooden building.

Landmarks

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.

Historical architecture

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. 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).

Soviet-era architecture

Industrialization in Kokshetau started in the late 1920s. The city's 3,000-worker Soviet construction trust built some of the large, gray, faceless apartment buildings that were so typical of Soviet society and still stand, often in disrepair, today. The apartments housed the trust's own construction workers, among others, in units of one to three rooms. The city's apartment houses are called “

Khrushchyovka ''Khrushchevkas'' ( rus, хрущёвка, khrushchyovka, p=xrʊˈɕːɵfkə) are a type of low-cost, concrete- paneled or brick three- to five-storied apartment buildings (and apartments in these buildings) which were designed and constructe ...

” and “

Stalinka Stalinka, Stalinist apartment buildings or Stalin era, Stalin-era buildings, are a common colloquial term for apartment buildings constructed in the USSR from 1933 in the Soviet Union, 1933 to 1961 in the Soviet Union, 1961, primarily during the ...

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

Contemporary architecture

When the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

was falling, but the Soviet Union still was intact, five citizens from the city paid a visit to Waukesha. Among them was then mayor of the city, Askar Khassen, who took the idea of building more single homes in Kokshetau, as comfortable as the homes in the US. On the hilly outskirts of Kokshetau, someone may find the fingerprint of

Waukesha County Waukesha County () is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its median income of $88,985 placed ...

. There are big, expensive, single-family homes. They're inching up the hills. In Kokshetau, the locals have a name for this high-priced neighborhood of single-family homes, "Small America" or "Khassen's Cottages". Prominently located at the opening of this housing development are tall brick pillars, a sign outlining location of lots, and a decorative brick wall, all reminiscent of the gated entries seen in some Waukesha County subdivisions. When the Soviet Union crumbled and Kazakhstan became an independent country in 1991, the city's construction trust-turned-business began to put a face on their buildings.

Education and research

Kokshetau is a major educational centre in

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

. Kokshetau's education system includes institutions of all grades and conditions: preschool, general, special (correctional), and vocational (secondary and higher education), as well as others. 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.

Secondary, primary and nursery

Primary and secondary education system of Kokshetau includes: * 48 nurseries, 27 of which are municipal, 4 mini-centers - 3 state and 1 private, 17 private kindergartens * 24 (

secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

) 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. Basic science and some introduction to ...

s and 6

gymnasiums A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

* 16 colleges * 1 center for the correctional development of children "Meyirim" * 5 institutions of additional education for children (the center for extracurricular activities "Aulet", the State Enterprise "Children's Music School", the State Enterprise "Children's Art School" founded in 1979, the educational enterprise of labor training, the center for the development of gifted children "Kokshetau Daryny") Additionally, there are evening schools for adults and specialist technical schools. Some of the top high schools are: * Kokshetau Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics (NIS Kokshetau PhM) was established in 2009, as a branch of the

Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools The Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) is a network of schools for students of age 11 to 18 throughout Kazakhstan. The schools are named after Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev, former president of Kazakhstan, who has promoted the idea as a means ...

(NIS), a network of schools in Kazakhstan. * Kokshetau Bilim-Innovation Public Lyceum (former “Kazakh-Turkish Lyceum”) for gifted children.

Colleges

* Kokshetau higher medical college trains intermediate level specialists in eight specialisations.

Institutions of higher education

Kokshetau is home to most of

Akmola Region Akmola Region (, ; ) is a centrally located regions of Kazakhstan, region of Kazakhstan. It was known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet Union, Soviet rule. Its capital is Kökşetau. The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but ...

's major universities. The city is currently home to the following state higher educational institutions that are accredited and licensed to operate in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with more than 12,000 students:

National

*

Kokshetau State University Kokshetau State University (, , abbreviated as KSU) is a public university located in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan, founded in 1996. It is named after Shoqan Walikhanov. KSU, being a classical university, has an important social and cultural mission. Ac ...

(which is named after Shokan Ualikhanov), established 1962 — offers opportunities to study

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

, graduate and

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

programs in most fields. It is the biggest university in Kokshetau with 499 academic staff. The university has over 7,400 students, who have a choice of eight faculties. The main university building located in the city center. Since 2018, a medical faculty has been opened at Kokshetau State University with 740 students, 200 of whom receive grants from the akim (50 grants are allocated annually).

Private

* The Kokshetau University (named after Abay Myrzakhmet). It was founded in 2000. The largest private higher educational institution in Kokshetau. * 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 is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

has always been important in Kokshetau. The city has a long sporting heritage. Kokshetau is a center of Akmola Region sports. A number of well-known athletes, both world and

Olympics The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...

champions, are associated with the city.

Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

and

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

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 (, ''Oqjetpes Kókshetaý Fýtbol Klýby'') is a Kazakhstani professional football based in the Torpedo Stadium in Kokshetau. The club currently plays in the Kazakhstan Premier League. History Although having finished on ...

football club, based in the Okzhetpes Stadium, and which has a capacity of 4,500, which participates in the

Kazakhstan Premier League The Kazakhstan Professional Football League (, ''Qazaqstan Premier Ligasy''), commonly referred to as the Kazakh Premier League or simply the Premier League, is a professional association football league in Kazakhstan and the highest level of the ...

, 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 (, ''Q ...

.

Ice hockey

Burabay Sports Complex serves as home arena to the

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

club

Arlan Kokshetau Arlan Hockey Club (, ) commonly referred as Arlan Kokshetau, is a professional ice hockey team based in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. Founded in 2009, they play in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, the top level of ice hockey in Kazakhstan. The team a ...

, which competes in the

Kazakhstan Hockey Championship The Pro Hokei Ligasy, commonly referred to as ''Kazakhstan Hockey Championship'', is the highest level of ice hockey in Kazakhstan. Founded in 1992, eleven teams from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan compete to win the Kazakhstan Hockey Cup. Teams ...

.

Arlan Kokshetau Arlan Hockey Club (, ) commonly referred as Arlan Kokshetau, is a professional ice hockey team based in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. Founded in 2009, they play in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, the top level of ice hockey in Kazakhstan. The team a ...

hockey players were the champions of Kazakhstan in the season 2017/2018.

Arlan Kokshetau Arlan Hockey Club (, ) commonly referred as Arlan Kokshetau, is a professional ice hockey team based in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. Founded in 2009, they play in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, the top level of ice hockey in Kazakhstan. The team a ...

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 ...

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

Basketball

The BC Sinegorie of the Kazakhstan Basketball League is the only professional basketball team in Kokshetau. It was founded in 2014 and its home arena is the Triatlon Sport Complex.

Infrastructure

* Okzhetpes Stadium – stadium with capacity 4,500, home ground for

FC Okzhetpes Football Club Okzhetpes (, ''Oqjetpes Kókshetaý Fýtbol Klýby'') is a Kazakhstani professional football based in the Torpedo Stadium in Kokshetau. The club currently plays in the Kazakhstan Premier League. History Although having finished on ...

* Burabay Sport Complex – sport complex, capacity 3,000. Home to

Arlan Kokshetau Arlan Hockey Club (, ) commonly referred as Arlan Kokshetau, is a professional ice hockey team based in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. Founded in 2009, they play in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, the top level of ice hockey in Kazakhstan. The team a ...

* Ice arena for winter sports – indoor sporting arena.

Clubs

Professional sports teams based in Kokshetau include:

Tourism and shopping

The hotels in the city have good occupancy year round due to a lot of commuters who travel to work and meetings in Kokshetau. Kokshetau Airport has also conducted renovation projects. The largest hotel of the city is the Dostyk Hotel. The Kokshetau Hotel is located at the Abylai Khan Square at the centre of Kokshetau, while the Green Which Hotel Kokshetau is located near the Amanat Party building. The location of Kokshetau itself, is an inspiring factor for the foreigners to visit the city in order to enjoy the view of the Mount Kokshe.

Shopping and commerce

Kokshetau is home to Akmola Region's largest shopping mall, RIO, opened in 2009, which is a major regional shopping destination within a radius of 150 kilometers from Kokshetau and with a floorspace of . Many renowned brands have a presence at the centre including LC Waikiki, Beeline Kazakhstan, Miniso, Koton and

Detsky Mir Children's World () or Detsky Mir is a Russian children's retailer. Founded in June 1957, as of March 2022, the company had 1125 stores. It is the largest children's goods retailer in Russia and the CIS, with the retail chain in Russia, as well ...

. Attracting over 800,000 visitors a year, the centre's retail areas contain shops (including eateries) from chain stores up to high-end boutiques. The centre has over 900 parking spaces. Local residents also tend to shop at traditional bazaars: Ortalyk Bazaar, Zhibek Zholy Bazaar, and Eastern Bazaar. Modern shopping areas are found mostly in central streets of the city.

Parks and recreation

Parks and gardens

Kokshetau is home to a large number of parks, recreation areas and open spaces, mainly established in the early years of the Independence and well maintained and expanded thereafter. * Central Park, the city's largest and oldest park, established in 1957. It is the oldest city park. It features a few run-down fairground rides, and discos on summer weekend evenings. From the park, the pedestrianised Bauyrzhan Momyshuly Street runs south. It covers a territory of approximately 3,5 hectares. * Revolution Fighters Park. The park is located in east-southern part of Kokshetau.

Fountains

As of 2021 the city had 10 fountains.

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 Am ...

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

Significant depictions in art, literature, and popular culture

* The city was marked by the ethnographer and publicist

Grigory Potanin Grigory Nikolayevich Potanin (; 4 October 1835 – 6 June 1920) was a Russian botanist, ethnographer, and natural historian. He was an explorer of Inner Asia and was the first to catalogue many of the area's native plants. Potanin was also an ...

, who visited it in the 1890s. * Anastasia Tsvetayeva dedicated to the city the story in her famous and one of the best-known work ''Old Age and Youth'', 1967 (Russian: Starost i molodost'). * The city was depicted and documented from a South African writer and leftist Alex La Guma's perspective in his book '' A Soviet Journey'' (1978), who visited it in the late 1960s.

International relations

The city of Kokshetau is member of some international organizations:

United Cities and Local Governments United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is an umbrella international organisation for cities, local and regional governments, and municipal associations. The organization achieved inclusion of Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities int ...

(UCLG), and the International Assembly of CIS Countries' Capitals and Big Cities (MAG).

Twin towns – Sister cities

Kokshetau is twinned with:

Cooperation and friendship

In addition to its sister city, Kokshetau has an official co-operation agreements (''yntymaqtastyq turaly kelısım'') with: *

Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yenisey, Yenisey River, and is the second-largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk, with a p ...

,

Siberian Federal District Siberian Federal District ( rus, Сибирский федеральный округ, p=sʲɪˈbʲirskʲɪj fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnɨj ˈokrʊk) is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its population was 17,178,298 according to the 20 ...

, Russian Federation (since August 2022) One road in Kokshetau has been named after its sister city; a road in Beybitshilik district is named ''Waukesha (Waukeshskaya) Street''.

Notable people

*

Nikolay Kuibyshev Nikolay Vladimirovich Kuibyshev (; 1 August 1938) was a Red Army military leader and Komkor. The son of an Imperial Russian Army officer, Kuibyshev joined the army and fought in World War I. Kuibyshev joined the Red Army in 1918 and became comman ...

(1893-1938), military leader

Artists and literary figures

* Lazzate Maralbayeva (born 1951), French painter and architect * Bakhytzhan Kanapyanov (born 1951), poet and publisher

Sportsperson

* Daryn Zhunussov (born 1991), ice dancer * Timur Dosmagambetov (born 1989), footballer * Sultan Abilgazy (born 1997), footballer * Anna Nurmukhambetova (born 1993), weightlifter *

Vedat Albayrak Vedat Albayrak (born Vano Revazishvili on 2 March 1993; ) is a Turkish judoka, born in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. At the 2016 Summer Olympics he represented Greece under the name Roman Moustopoulos. He was eliminated in the second round of the men' ...

(born 1993), judoka * Vladimir Niederhaus (born 1967), football official * Alexandr Chervyakov (born 1980), biathlete * Yevgeniy Gidich (born 1996), professional racing cyclist *

Gleb Brussenskiy Gleb Brussenskiy (; born 18 April 2000) is a Kazakh professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Major results ;2017 : 1st Time trial, National Junior Road Championships : 6th Overall Tour de DMZ ;2018 : 1st Combined team, S ...

(born 2000), professional cyclist * Nikolay Ivanov (born 1971), cross-country skier * Yevgeniya Voloshenko (born 1979), cross-country skier *

Mariya Grabovetskaya Mariya Grabovetskaya (born 10 April 1987) is a female weightlifter from Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. Career She won the silver medal at the 2007 Junior World Championships, with a total of 277 kg. At the 2008 Summer Olympics she initia ...

(born 1987), weightlifter * Tatyana Osipova (born 1987), cross-country skier * Mykhailo Burch (born 1960), footballer * Yekaterina Babshuk (born 1991), footballer * Pavel Dubitskiy (born 1982), athlete *

Sergey Kopytov Sergey Kopytov (born 5 October 1965) is a Kazakhstani weightlifter. He competed in the men's heavyweight I event at the 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 ...

(born 1965), weightlifter * Anton Kuksin (born 1995), footballer * Yevgeniy Meleshenko (born 1981), hurdler * Nikolay Ozhegin (born 1971), judoka *

Yaroslava Yakushina Yaroslava Ivanovna Yakushina (, born 24 June 1993) is a Russian boxer. She competed in the middleweight event at the 2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as ...

(born 1993), boxer

References and sources

;References ;Sources * Bureau of National Statistics: http://www.stat.gov.kz

External links

* *
Official web site

360° QTVR fullscreen panoramas
of the Kokshetau
Visitaqmola.kz – Tourism website for Akmola Region
*
WikiSatellite view of Kokshetau at WikiMapia
{{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 19th-century establishments in Kazakhstan 1824 establishments in the Russian Empire 1824 establishments in Asia