KZBlog

An American expat living in Astana, Kazakhstan

Tag archive for ‘Алматы’

  • RVS is Boring

    RVS is Boring

    According to Adil Nurmankov, the retro style restaurant that featured nostalgic Soviet chic, RVS, is now just a restaurant [RUS]. Once a magnet for tourists featuring Lenin’s portrait on the walls and quotes from Soviet documents, apparently now: in the halls, they have the same tables, but without the revolutionary menu. However, they do have […]

  • Male Escort Service?

    Men for Cheap [RUS], an article in Vremya, claims that a male escort service will soon open in Almaty, providing women with a date for hire to go to the movies, or restaurant. The reporter claims to have tried out the service and had a pleasant time, if a stressful one due to the newness […]

  • Update on the Dams

    Just an update on the tragedy in Almaty oblast where independent of each other, two dams burst at the end of last week. Global Voices Online cites some good Russian language blogs with details of the evacuation, including a post from Lord Fame on LJ [RUS] who knows the area and posts pictures from the […]

  • Two Dams Burst

    An exciting week for breaking news. Apparently on Thursday and Friday two dams in Almaty province burst and thousands of people have been dislocated. Thursday, a dam was washed away in the Karatalsky region of Almaty province after heavy snowfall melted. 820 people are currently being sheltered in a nearby school. Friday another dam burst […]

  • We Are Amused

    By Lucky21842, via Chris. As the comments on his YouTube video page say, this is done tongue-in-cheek!

  • Proof that Apples Do Come from Kazakhstan

    Proof that Apples Do Come from Kazakhstan

    Oxford University has just published research demonstrating that apples really did originate in Kazakhstan, by tracing genes in apples. The Story of the Apple, by Dr Barrie Juniper describes his research. He also notes that sadly due to Soviet policies and a focus on the oil economy, the apple forests of Kazakhstan are all but […]

  • Kazakh Video Blog

    Just catching up now with some emails people have sent me. Jason in KZ, an American living in Almaty, contacted me months ago to tell me that he has moved to video blogging. Check out his YouTube channel, Luck21842 for hot Asians and the Victory Day celebrations among other things! Here’s the latest video, taken […]

  • Apple Town Proves Financial Crisis Not Severe

    Apple Town Proves Financial Crisis Not Severe

    While we tend to think that large-scale, uber-modern building projects are the purview of Astana only, Almaty also has its fair share of construction plans. The financial crisis has halted construction all over the country because banks have stopped giving credit. But one project, Apple Town is apparently still on track. And it’s being praises […]

  • Tourism in Kazakhstan: Almatau

    Tourism in Kazakhstan: Almatau

    Merry Christmas today to any Orthodox readers. We had a lovely Christmas/New Years holiday, spent mostly with family. However we did get away to Almatau, a ski base near Almaty for a few days. It was lovely to be up in the mountains and we had a lot of fun skiing and walking around. I […]

  • Police Crackdown on Protests; Court Shows Restraint

    Housing problems in Almaty are nothing new. Real estate prices are incredibly high and cheaper housing is destroyed to make room for new and inevitably high-priced development complexes. A number of regions on the outskirts are home to squatters who are forcibly ejected and denied compensation, or given inadequate compensation, when the land is marked […]