How SOVIET is Almaty, Kazakhstan? (Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR)

Returning to Almaty, Kazakhstan for the second time in seven months, this time I decided to bring a camera along with me. I didn’t feel I was able to accurately capture the city’s Soviet heritage and architecture properly the first time around, and I figured a journey through the metropolis formerly known as Alma-Ata would be as interesting for many of you as it was for me. Join me as we visit Panfilov Park and pay tribute to the Kazakhstani heroes of the Second World War. We then look at two iconic Soviet-era hotels and learn how one of them used to be the place of work for the Soviet Kazakh Red Army soldier who hoisted the flag over the Reichstag in Berlin in 1945. Continuing our journey, we realise that the true father of the Kazakhstani nation is the beloved Dimash Kunaev, who was leader of the Kazakh SSR for decades before he was removed from office by Mikhail Gorbachev in a move that triggered significant demonstrations and bloodshed in 1986. We also check out the post-Soviet metro system and notice there isn’t a single piece of trash anywhere in sight. We finish off with a visit up to the Medeu Sports Complex by bus, and then to the Kok Tobe by cable car - deeply beautiful but terrifying since I’m hardly a fan of heights.