This picture was taken at a former women’s gulag outside of the capital. It is now a museum which displays the conditions and the stories of the women who were forced to labor here in the early Soviet times. The front structure is a monument dedicated to those who suffered during that regime. Visitors are asked to bow their heads as they pass through. The structure resembles traditional Kazakh women’s head-wear.
This picture was taken during the first Regional Field Study. Part of this field study included a visit to Kolsai Lakes National Park in southern Kazakhstan. Over a millennium ago this site, Lake Kaindy, was originally a forest, but then evolved into a lake. It is fascinating that the birch trees stayed and continue to grow from under the water!
On a beautiful sunny day, I visited Panfilov Park in Almaty. Among the many historic and cultural sites located within the park, I was most fascinated by the beauty of Ascension Cathedral. It is a Russian Orthodox cathedral completed in 1907, during the final decade of the Czarist Russian Empire. Not pictured above, however, is that it is juxtaposed with Soviet era commemorations of World War II heroes as well as a museum for ancient Kazakh instruments and modern performance theater.
Our first hiking excursion was at Butakovskiy National Park. This relatively easy hike features lots of greenery, cattle, and horses. To the left in the picture is an old Soviet military ground transport machinery. The park is also located next to Medeu, a famous ice-skating rink known for hosting international competitions.
Our first stop during the first Regional Field Study was at Charyn Canyon. We walked down a path known as the Valley of Castles which featured beautiful sites and a few challenging hikes. It is sometimes referred to as the Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan.
The second Regional Field Study was a trip to the capital. Formerly named, and still called by many as Astana, it was officially renamed Nur-Sultan to commemorate the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. This photo was taken in the city center, which has a very futuristic vibe, contrasting the older, Soviet-era vibe that some parts of Almaty, the former capital, have. The city center structure in a way reminds me of National Mall in Washington, D.C. in the manner and locations that government buildings were built and how easily one can walk through. In the background is Baiterek Tower, a monument and observation tower in which one can see a 360 view of Nur-Sultan. Facing my back as I took this photo was a mall in the shape of a Yurt!
Program: Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Term: Fall 2019