Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan relatively recently (December 10, 1997). After that, the city experienced unprecedented in the former Soviet Union countries growth. It became the second largest city in Kazakhstan.

A lot of interesting and unusual architectural objects were erected in Astana in recent years. The population increased from 270 thousand in 1996 to 829 thousand in 2014. The following beautiful photos were taken in Astana by Thierry Andreoli.

Astana Opera

walk around Astana

Tags: Astana city

Despite the existing stereotype of Kazakhstan as a country of steppes, this land is rich in a variety of landscapes.

Beautiful nature of Kazakhstan looks especially picturesquely in autumn, when you can see a real riot of colors. Photos by Gregory Bedenko

stunning scenery

Tags: landscapes

The Assy observatory is an astronomical observatory standing on a mountain plateau Assy-Turgen located at an altitude of 2750 meters above sea level, 75 km east of Almaty.

This is the only observatory in Kazakhstan with the ideal astro-climate. Main area of research: observation of details of the apparent surface of the giant planets of the solar system. The observatory on Google Maps. Photo by Eduard Kim

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

The park named after the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is an arboretum located in Almaty at the intersection of Navoi Street and Al-Farabi Avenue in Bostandyk district. The park was opened in July 2010.

The total area of the park is 73 hectares. There is an observation deck built, which is located on the hill of about 12 meters height. Photos by Andrey Pereverzev

a picturesque park

Tags: Almaty city