...is not gold - it may be the gold-tinted windows of the ministry block, and the two cones beside it in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan for the last 10 years. (Though I am horrified to notice that the little statue I received for my services may actually be gold).
What a capital! Astana was only created as a city in 1950, and for the last 10 years or so, since the capital moved there, it has been hugely developed, on a grand scale, with massive new public buildings (some memories there of the stalinist style of huge archways etc), huge blocks of flats, wide boulevards, snazzy bridges, immaculately clean - but a people city in the style of Vilnius it is not. In fact we never saw many people either during the day time or in the evening.
Anyone who comes there will think that there is no poverty in Kazakhstan - but is that right? What about the Aral Sea area and other remote places?
Can't really talk much more about this what with being paid to advise the government (on social matters)....but it was most interesting!
What a capital! Astana was only created as a city in 1950, and for the last 10 years or so, since the capital moved there, it has been hugely developed, on a grand scale, with massive new public buildings (some memories there of the stalinist style of huge archways etc), huge blocks of flats, wide boulevards, snazzy bridges, immaculately clean - but a people city in the style of Vilnius it is not. In fact we never saw many people either during the day time or in the evening.
Anyone who comes there will think that there is no poverty in Kazakhstan - but is that right? What about the Aral Sea area and other remote places?
Can't really talk much more about this what with being paid to advise the government (on social matters)....but it was most interesting!
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