Kazakhstan’s President Kassam-Jomart Tokayev has approved the initiative of a group of deputies to return the country’s capital’s former name – just three years after it was renamed in honor of his predecessor, Tokayev spokesman Ruslan Zheliban announced today. , quoted by the Associated Press, BTA reported.
One of Tokayev’s first steps after taking office in 2019 following the resignation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev was to change the name of the capital of Kazakhstan from Astana to Nur Sultan.
Nazarbayev, who led the country for three decades during the Soviet era and after declaring independence in 1991, moved the capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997. The move generated considerable controversy due to the relative isolation of the city in the northern steppes and the proverbial cold winters. where temperatures drop to 51 degrees below zero.
He transformed the city into a model of pompous architecture, including a skyscraper where visitors could get their hands on a footprint of Nazarbayev himself.
Tokaev’s spokesman said the president accepted a proposal from a group of deputies to return the old name of the city.
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