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Floral flourishes decorate Nurzhol Boulevard, or "Radiant Path."
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Photograph by M. Chumin, A. Pavsky, ITAR-TASS
In 1985 Aqmola was the name of the city where Kazakhstan's current capital was built. The name changed to Astana in 1998.
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The Baiterek, towering over Astana's central promenade, flares green against a dappled evening sky. Intended as a symbol of the new capital, the 318-foot monument evokes a giant tree with a golden egg in its branches. In the Kazakh myth of Samruk, a sacred bird lays a golden egg in the branches of a poplar each year.
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Visitors eagerly match palms with the solid gold handprint of President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the Baiterek monument's observation deck.
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On special occasions, placing a palm on the handprint triggers a recording of the national anthem, said to be written by the president.
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A flock of giant doves flutters on a stained-glass conference room ceiling at the Palace of Peace and Harmony. The 203-foot-high pyramid designed by Norman Foster provides spaces for worshippers of all religions.
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Kazakhstan's new capital is the opposite of understated. After dark, government buildings change hues as the night progresses, creating a theme park atmosphere. The presidential palace suggests a gaudy version of the White House. Prize-winning British architect Norman Foster is one of many foreigners who helped shape the city. His purple Khan Shatyr shopping mall has an indoor sand beach and wave pool on the top floor.
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Go-go dancers strut on the bar of the Fashion club, among the trendiest of Astana's dozen or so discotheques. The busiest time is on weekends between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., when dance floors are jammed and the air is dense with hookah smoke.
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Flanked by traditional Kazakh dancers, a bride awaits her formal unveiling at an opulent wedding palace, where she has just been married in a ceremony capped by the release of two white doves. The revelry begins when the veil is lifted.
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Even in the most modern household, respect for Kazakh tradition runs deep. This serious young bride is preparing for a formal farewell ceremony at her parents' apartment, to be followed by toasts with fermented mare's milk.
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McMansions that could have been airlifted from any American suburb are among the more incongruous sights in Astana, whose architectural style is nothing if not eclectic.
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The French Riviera it isn't, but Astana makes the most of its brief summer, when young men gather at the Esil River to flex their muscles before appreciative members of the opposite sex. The cobblestone embankment on the far side is popular with fishermen.
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Like thousands of educated young professionals in Astana, these cardplayers at a riverside park grew up in other parts of Kazakhstan and moved to the new capital for the opportunities it promised. A baby boom has accompanied the influx.
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The sloping marble base of the Khan Shatyr shopping mall proves irresistible to barefoot youngsters on Astana Day, a public holiday that celebrates the founding of the new capital. Security guards shooed them down.
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Nomads no more, Kazakhs celebrate their footloose heritage at events like this cultural festival in Astana, where young women soar on a swing while others wander amid yurts, music performances, and vendors of fermented mare's milk.
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A crumbling single-family home harks back to an earlier era, when the town once known as Aqmola was a remote outpost of the Russian and then Soviet empires. Many of these wood-and-plaster dwellings have been torn down to make way for modern high-rises like the one in the background.
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The alabaster white pillar known as the Kazakh peoples' monument is topped by the mythological golden Samruk. The monolith is a beacon for visitors, like these ethnic Kazakhs from the southern city of Taraz.
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