The next step in our tour is the top of the Pyramid - Cradle conference hall. Dear guests! Now we are going up to the top of the pyramid by the stairs. There are two long stairs by which we can go up to the top. At the same way these stairs are a little bit unusual, because they were made like a spiral, thats why they dont make a junction in one point or place. There is beautiful winter garden around us, where you can find out some natural and artificial plants.
Now we are at the top of the Pyramid. According to the concept of the Pyramid, the columns that support the round hall Cradle symbolize the human hands, united by the desire for peace, harmony, light and well-being all over the world. This is the main idea of the Pyramid - to preserve peace and harmony in every heart, in relationships between people, nations and states.
There is empty part in center of the round table due to this open part sunlight to come through the glass dome light the hall Atrium. Above the table, there is the Nimbus shining over peoples heads as a guardian and showing the importance and sanctity of everyone sitting at the table, at the same time, it provides additional illumination of the room.
The glass dome of the Cradle hall designed by British artist Brian Clarke. The amazing picture of doves hovering in the clear sky under the rays of the bright sun is a real masterpiece made of stained glass. A large glass dome, which is the top of the pyramid, takes us closer towards the sky where more than 130 doves symbolize nationalities living in Kazakhstan. They look as if they are alive and encourage us to preserve the peace and harmony in our common home. They call us to look around, look at our capital, our land, our wonderful world.
Free as a wind and vast as a steppe... This is the way Astana appears to us from the windows of Cradle hall. The panorama of the city, which shows flowering, power and strength of the people and is a symbol and pride of Kazakhstan, impresses with its original architecture, scope of new construction, daring solutions, beauty and majesty.
From the first days of becoming the capital city, a lot of attention is paid to greening of the city and to its "lungs". As of today, there are 8 parks, 66 mini-parks and the "Green Belt" around the city all of these creates a special microclimate with clean and moist air. Our Palace of Peace and Reconciliation is surrounded by the Presidential Park, the largest and most original in landscape gardening.
Behind the park you can see "AkOrda"- Residence of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. AkOrda connects Kazakh history with the present day due to its impressionable name. It was raised by the best masters of Kazakhstan, CIS and foreign countries.
The official presentation took place on December 24, 2004. The height of the building with a spire is 84 meters. The residence stands on an artificial hill of 6 meters high. Tall and volumetric dome of the Residence seems to melt into the blue sky over the Saryarka steppe. On the spire of the dome we can see the globe, and above the globe there is a wings-spread eagle as a symbol of independence of our country. The President of Kazakhstan receives foreign guests, ambassadors, media representatives; presents state awards, hosts meetings and various festive ceremonies, works on developing a strategy and tactics of internal and external policies of the country.
|
|
|
On the left side of AkOrda, there is a central concert hall Kazakhstan, the project brought to life by the Italian architect Manfredi Nicoletti. It is a "flower in the desert"; this name was given to the building by the architect. The universal concert hall is designed for 3,500 seats, it can be easily transformed, and among the unique features of the hall are its acoustic possibilities. Across the river Ishim, to the left, there is a building of Nazarbayev Center in the form of a giant eye, fastened on the sky, symbolizing vitality of modern Kazakhstan. The author is the king of hi-tech design, a British architect Norman Robert Foster. The technical feature of this facility is the special design of the roof with the diameter of 81 meters. Nazarbayev Center has become the new home of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - the Leader of the Nation. This building accommodates personal library, personal archive of the Head of State, and exhibits from the private collection of Nursultan Nazarbayev: gifts from heads of state and their officials, documents and materials, art, rare objects of history. There is also Institute of World Economics and Politics functioning in the Center.
From Arys Bridge, you see the main waterway of the capital - the River Yesil. River that starts from Niyaz highland in Karaganda region. It is the largest river in the region and together with its tributaries it comes to the Arctic Ocean.
On the right side, you can see a residential district called "Highvill" - smart house. The apartments are thought out till the last detail, everything is computerized. This became the first format of up-market residential apartments in Astana with elegant finishing, built-in furniture, household appliances, and special water treatment. The main architect of the project is Bolat Kuspangaliyev, the construction is implemented by Korean and Kazakhstan construction workers, under the leadership of the Korean company "Dongil Highvill" that appeared on the international market in 2004.
On the opposite side, we can see " Kazak Eli", the biggest square of the country where all the festivals and celebrations of the country and capital take place - Nauryz, Victory Day, Military Parade, Capital City Day, Day of Unity of Peoples of Kazakhstan and others.
On the square, you can see the pearl of the country and the capital - the Cathedral Mosque of Hazret Sultan. On July 6, 2012 it was an opening ceremony of this mosque. Its author an architect Sagyndyk Zhanbolatov. The capacity of this mosque is more than 12 000 people. It is designed according to traditional Islamic rules and reflects the Kazakh steppe motifs, rich national ornamentation. The name "Hazret Sultan" means "Holy Sultan"; this is the title of Sufi Sheikh Khoja Ahmed Yassavi (12th century). He was a poet and a philosopher. The mosque is fully featured and meets all modern requirements.
|
|
|
Next to the mosque there is a building of the Kazakh National University of Art "Shabyt" that attracts the eyes of the tourists not only for its original form as a Kazakh musical percussion instrument "Tai tuyak", but also impresses with its inner content. At University, students study different disciplines for the future development of artwork in the country.
The other majestic monument is situated on the Millennium Line - "Kazak Eli" - Kazakh people. The height of the monument is 91 meters, symbolizing the year of 1991 when Kazakhstan became independent. At the top of the stele there is a sacred bird Samruk a bird of peace, kindness and happiness. Architectural and sculptural complex reflects the chapters of history of Kazakh people and country from the Scythian-Saka period to the present time. The complex with its great compositional content, that absorbed the past and present of the Kazakh people, is made of white marble. This Monument is not just a symbol of Independence; it is a sign of unity, solidarity and eternity of the national spirit. The four sides of the pedestal of the monument are decorated with bas-reliefs that tell the history of the people. The themes are "President and people", "Courage", "Creation", "Future."
The residential complex Millennium Park is situated behind the monument Kazak Eli, is a unique, ecologically friendly district. Two 19-storeyed buildings and three 24-storeyed buildings are named in honor of great people of last millennium. There is Omar Khayyam House, Da Vinci House, Shakespeare House, Mozart House, and Abay House. This residential complex is influenced by the canons of Eastern architecture.
On December 15, 2008 the Palace of Independence was opened at the Square. Starting from 2009, the high-level international events - media forums, OSCE Summit, economic forums, competitions, conferences, and congresses take place here. All tourists and guests can visit the model of the future capital on the third floor of the palace and look at day and night image of the city, its scale, perspective, unique objects of architecture. Children will be offered to visit the 4D cinema where they will have an opportunity to travel over the mountains, steppes, and the countrys capital.
On July 3, 2014 the President of our country opened the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It was designed by Vladimir Laptev one of the famous architects of the capital and the country.
The museum was established in the framework of State program "Cultural heritage". The nine floors house 11 exhibition halls, which show chronologically the development of the history, culture, archeology, ethnography, art of the country. The most popular places with visitors of the museum are Ethnography Hall with a Kazakh yurt, Hall of Gold that presents unique findings of archeologists from all regions of the country, and a model of the city in Astana Hall. Just across the road, parallel to the National Museum, there is "Grand Astana" residential district where the residents of the city - civil servants, railroad workers, teachers, doctors, and people of creative work - received their apartments with the help of the public housing program. The residents of this district are witnessing the progress of construction of the other unique complex "Urban Romance" by "Basis A" Construction Company.
That residential complex will give everyone an opportunity to travel without a visa or a passport from Asia to Europe in the near future. The complex will consist of seven quarters - Japanese, Chinese, English, French, European, Arabic, and Italian. Each quarter will show architecture, style, design of a specific region, within the districts there will be national cuisine restaurants, souvenir shops, and different attractions.
Now we are leaving the Cradle hall and going down by elevator on the 1 floor. Our tour around the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation is coming to the end. Thank you for your attention. Hope to see you again.
