Living and Working in Astana
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Astana is the spectacular new capital of Kazakhstan, a rapidly growing city of just over one million people. Located on the River Ishim which flows across the Sarayarka Steppe, Astana is a tribute to the rapid success and aspirations of modern Kazakhstan. Astana is split by the river into two distinct halves; the Right Bank is home to the old city with a variety of styles of building from the Tsarist, Soviet and Independent periods and has the edgy urban buzz of any densely packed city. |
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The Left Bank of the city is new world of futuristic skyscrapers and ambitious architecture, all of which is highly modern and quite spectacular. The variety is great, with inspirations for the buildings ranging from classical forms to cubism and the northern lights. Modern sporting stadia abound, lying close to the largest tent in the world containing a leisure complex including an internal monorail, log flume and even a beach with sand flown in directly from the Maldives. |
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Kazakhstan gained sovereign status in September 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed; the country recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of national independence. It is rich in oil, gas, minerals and metals and as such is well placed to prosper from the commodity hungry growth of three of the four BRICs economies in the shape of Russia, India and China, all of which share borders or lie close to Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has been led by First President Nursultan Nazarbayev since independence and a significant part of the successful growth of the country can be attributed to his policies of neutrality, ethnic tolerance and his ability to balance the relationships with its influential neighbours whilst also maintaining strong ties with the West. This has allowed for a healthy influx of foreign investment in many sectors of the economy with strong economic growth which has proved to be resilient to the economic shocks impacting many of the world's economies.
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Astana has been the capital of Kazakhstan from 1997, replacing Almaty in the south. An increasing number of international companies are choosing to locate their headquarters in the city due to the proximity of the diplomatic and political communities and the provision of modern, purpose built office space with city-wide state of the art technology and infrastructure. As this growth continues, the city has become a magnet to the young, well qualified and ambitious of Kazakhstan and other nations, giving Astana a genuinely cosmopolitan, transnational flavour. The city is considerably safer than many others in central Asia, with very little crime and good roads, and makes a good base from which to explore the central Asian region as a whole. |
The climate in Astana is one of extremes, but the low relative humidity makes both summer and winter far more bearable than the numbers would otherwise suggest! Frequent periods of high pressure give rise to clear, blue skies throughout the winter which allow you to enjoy the dramatic winter scenery. The surrounding countryside provides excellent opportunities for trekking, downhill and cross-country skiing and cycling, enabling the adventurous to explore the lakes, forests and the endless steppe.
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There is a wide selection of restaurants, clubs and bars across both banks of the city. The range of national cuisine on offer range from Swedish to Jamaican-fusion – there is no lack of choice. Astana is very much a garden city with an extensive provision of parks and outdoor spaces. The displays of flowers in the summer months have to be seen to be believed. The river provides a highly attractive focus for the city, with pleasant river bank walks to be enjoyed in summer and opportunities for ice-skating and during the winter months. Astana International Airport in is well served by a range of carriers with direct flights to many global hubs (Frankfurt, Kiev, Moscow, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, New Delhi, Beijing, etc.) with new destinations being added every month. |
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Haileybury Astana is located in a purpose built building on the banks of the River Ishim, just to the south of the Palace of Peace and Accord, known locally as the Pyramid, and a number of major educational and cultural centres. The school lies directly adjacent to an extensive Presidential park and close to a number of new high-class residential developments. Much of the future growth of Astana is planned to take place in this area, bringing the school close to the heart of the city as planned by the year 2030.
Haileybury Astana has rapidly established itself as a key element of the process of growth and outreach of this vibrant capital city.
