Almaty - the City of Apples, Sports and Multicolored Nations

• 07.28.2015, 21:19
•  EEU,  World,  No-politics

Almaty - a city of apples. Apple gardens previously stretched across the city. According to a legend, the Garden of Eden was located somewhere in the city, and that is where Adam picked the forbidden fruit.

The modern history of Almaty starts from February 4, 1854, when the Russian government decided to build on the left bank of the river Small Almaty military fortification, which was first called Zailiyskoye, then Vernoe, Almaty, Vernij. In 1921 the town was renamed Alma-Ata - translated as "Father of Apples" or "Apple-grandfather." From 1927 to 1936 Alma-Ata was the second capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Since 1936 (since the establishment of the Kazakh SSR) to 1991 Alma-Ata has been the capital of the Kazakh SSR, from 1991 to 1997 - the first capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan (in 1997, the country's capital was moved to Astana, which was then called Akmola). After the collapse of the Soviet Union the city started to be called with its original name - Almaty. On July 1, 1998 the Law on the special status of the city was adopted. Almaty is informally called the "southern capital" of Kazakhstan.

Currently Almaty is the scientific, cultural, historical, industrial and financial center of the country. In June 2007, the town was added in the list of most expensive cities for foreigners. Almaty - the largest city in Kazakhstan, with 1.5 million people, is home to over 100 ethnic groups. Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan of Almaty Kazbek Mansurov in an interview with "Armedia" IAA said that "in 1927 40 ethnic groups lived in Verny. Then, already closer to our times, they became about 70, and in 1991 - 120 ethnic groups. In his recent speech the President of Kazakhstan said that the country is home to about 140 ethnic groups ... This is a significant city in the history of Kazakhstan, because it is an industrial city, and scientific, and cultural and a sports one."

Yes, it is a city of sports. In 2011, Almaty hosted the Asian Games, and in 2017 in the southern capital of Kazakhstan International Student Games - "Universiade-2017" will be held. Executive Director of "Universiade 2017" Ilya Urazakov said that Almaty is "a city with the most developed infrastructure, large population, is the financial center of the country, which brings about 32% of the national budget. In Almaty there are a lot of young people, one of four students of the country are studying in Almaty. In the Soviet times there was a wonderful complex here - historical Medeo, which was said to be a forge for champions.

This is where a huge number of world records were obtained. Or our wonderful mountains and complex Shimbulak, where championships on both Soviet and international levels were held…"

Today Almaty is developing its sports management and literally lives with the preparations for Universiade. Ilya Urazakov in an interview said: "According to our plans and calculations, the participants of the Universiade will be about 50-55 countries. Today we have 23 distinct applications, among them, no doubt, from Armenia. Of course, there will be the whole of Europe, North America, the Nordic region, and naturally Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan"