Astana in the Eyes of Western Experts

Jandarbek SULEIMENOV

«In the capital a dog barks more central».
Stanislav Eji Lets

"The view opened from Baiterek has reminded Genghis Khan Great Headquarters, but only stationary, — Katrin Pouzchol, French expert in Central Asia in general and a Great conqueror in particular has noted. — It is a question to a chief architect: had he a such idea? "
«I walked much along Astana streets, but I did not see Kazakhstan there», — Leon Yacher, professor of geography of University of Southern Connecticut has noticed.

Architectural perusal of authority

The Institute of East Languages and Civilizations (INALCO) exists in Paris already more than two centuries. During the last twenty five years Professor Katrin Pouzchol has been teaching there history, civilization and religion of Central Asia region. 29 years ago being a post-graduate student, she came here for the first time. Now she comes to Central Asia regularly. «It's a real pleasure for the scientist to study region. The local states are transformed before our very eyes, becoming a phenomena never met in the world history before», — Mrs. Pouzchol confesses.

There are a lot of architects among the students of Professor from Paris. That is why one of aspects of her professional activity lies in study of relationship between the authority and architecture. "The Authority in architecture could be easily read in places «of break», Mrs. Pouzchol says. — "In this respect Kazakhstan is very indicative due to breaks between colonial style (czarism), Soviet period and post-Soviet time ".

Generally it is more easy to all the experts read architecture of authority in Ashkhabad (Ashgabat), so far as everything there appears exaggerated. During Turkmenbashi period there «the Authority lived in itself as well as the People lived in itself». As the result, governmental quarter of capital of Turkmenistan represents the visual aid on architecture in eastern despotism. Astana is much more complex and more interesting.

« What the authority can prove by architecture? — Professor Katrin Pouzchol cites the capital of Kazakhstan as an example. — Astana itself symbolizes power, opportunities, durability, richness, which come in glass, steel, shine». Thus, the view opened from Baiterek (high-rise construction-symbol) has appeared to the historian as a modern perusal of Genghis Khan Great Headquarters. She imagines the houses of ministries and departments as straight raws-tumens («tumen» is the Mongolian army case), the organizations aimed to punish (court), bring up new generations (university), conduct the annals (archive) and so on. However, Mrs. Pouzchol has not decided yet, — «Is sublimated signature of authority deliberate or subconscious».

«It is useful to understand the essence of local authority both for the region and for the West. The Western people don't realize this. Sometimes they write rubbish, that is simply ridiculous», — Katrin Pouzchol paid attention. «In Uzbekistan the building of Parliament has a light-blue dome as in the times of Timur. This is the deliberate act. We are the descendants of the Empire», — this is the architectural message of official Tashkent under the version of the expert.

To understand the features of authority it is important to realize the location of the centre (left coast of River Ishim in Astana «is read» as cut off from the past, start from the very beginning), architectural style (or absence of uniform style), sizes as well. That fact that inside of «Ak Orda» («White Horde») building (presidential palace in Astana) it's possible to place the guard of honour together with a military orchestra is not of accidental nature, as well as the sky-scrapers had built at one million hectares of free space of capital of Kazakhstan. «The more higher the building the more stronger the power», — INALCO Professor emphasizes.

«Kazakhstan is doomed to go forward, the back road is impossible for the country», — Mrs. Pouzchol has declared, because of «The XX century has changed a history and culture of Kazakhstan more, than at other countries of Central Asia. There is no road back to nomadic way of life».

The researcher has noted that in Uzbekistan «there is only vertical line of authority», but in the Republic of Kazakhstan the picture is much richer. «Sublimation of spirit of nomadic civilization» proceeds in the main under the other laws, due to «steppe will itself gives freedom». She has emphasized that in the Soviet period "it was completely not casually presented as «Kazakhstan and Central Asia», because of the regions are not identical.

The Professor was asked which experience is more familiar to Kazakhstan, the Latin American or African. She has informed: «This experience is the unique. There is no an example». There are some elements of Latin American and African experience after the countries liberated from colonialism, but in whole republic is a completely independent and original phenomenon.

«USSR has taken much from the Russian empire, but it is a completely another country. On the one hand it was a crisis, and on the other hand it was the continuity, because of the people have remained the same, but had been send to the other format. Thus, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union the people had borne in the USSR began to live in the new conditions of Kazakhstan. Again, crisis and the continuity», — Mrs. Pouzchol has explained metamorphosis of the last century. — «The XX century has left an extremely powerful trace, and it cannot be deleted».

In expert's opinion, «Kazakhstan is a prototype of an import state-nation via the Russian revolution of 1917». «Uzbekistan tries to restore before-colonial formation», — Mrs. Pouzchol considers.
«If the people can direct resources to the part they should move (human potential for this purpose exists), everything will be good», — INALCO Professor gives her prognosis. — «If the high-rise towers build instead of habitation for youth, the country will plunge into disturbances».

«The Headquarters is constructed, and it is rather smart. It is time to pass to other business. It is time to build hospitals, libraries, schools», — Katrin Pouzchol has offered her own vision of the further actions in Kazakhstan.

Forward-City

«The City is constructed to impress. It makes an impression on people, but should live (stay) there», — geographer Leon Yacher has noted. The central theme of his researches/studies are the new cities, all of them basically concern to the capitals. The scientist studies them from the point of view of their location, symbolism and emotional value for their citizens. He shares a geographical postulate that the land doesn't belong to people, but people belong to land.

Each state has its heart. More often it differs in high density of the population and good transport infrastructure. Almaty city was such a place in Kazakhstan till 1997. Historically such territories are located near the water (sea coast, river, lake), have good conditions for transportation and agriculture. «When starts something to build it's necessary to have the base for agriculture nearby», — Leon Yacher has noted. In this connection the island Manhattan is indicative, from where the construction of New York city began of New York. There are two rivers near to coast and good opportunities for an agriculture.

The development of new technologies opens additional opportunities for cities. 50-60 years ago, the American cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver and Salt Lake City could be impossible in their modern dimensions.

Creation of new capitals can be as successful (Abuja in Nigeria) or unsuccessful (Canberra in Australia). The inhabitants of Abuja city, new capital after Lagos, are pleased with the living conditions there. The inhabitants of Canberra which is located between Melbourne and Sydney, are not satisfied with the new capital. Thus, one half of its citizens would like to live in Melbourne, and the other half of the citizens would like to move to Sydney. Often people refuse to move in capital of Australia, even for the new job there.

«Astana is the newest city among the forward-cities in the world», — Mr. Leon Yacher has emphasized. — «The magnificent airport, Astana symbol, new residential districts. I walked much along Astana streets, but I did not see Kazakhstan there». In contrast to the new capital, the cities like Shymkent, Taraz, Almaty have their own features.

The geographer considers that Astana is not so functional city. He was surprised, when he didn't see a system of drainage in the capital. «There is the system of drainage in Shymkent, also in Almaty». The point is especially surprising due to the new capital has a lot of open space for architectural planning. «Kazakhstan has magnificent privilege, this is money. One can build anything for the money», — Mr. Yacher has commented the state possibilities.

«Being a geographer I'm always very pragmatic, and have a real look on the things. I have nothing against the fact that Kazakhstan spent a lot of money. But why does the infrastructure of Almaty and other Kazakhstan become worse? I do not see the investments into the human capital», — he shared his estimation.

r. Leon Yacher has reminded, when the US capital was moved to Washington nobody asked the simple people's opinion, it was the politicians' decision. As to Astana, «it seems that it was the decision of the one person only». At present the main aim is to make the capital «the city comfortable to live». «In three-four years the number of inhabitants will increase up to one million people. How do live without the system of drainage? This is the recipe for catastrophe (accident)».

«I visited a lot of cities in the world, but never saw so many building constrictions at the same time. Any architect will say you, one cannot hurry up with the construction of buildings, there will be mistakes», — he has noted. Also, Mr. Yacher has touched a problem of corruption, which worsens town-planning problems.

«If all the governmental agencies remove from Astana, the capital will disappear», — Mr. Leon Yacher considers.

«There is no president, who would not be egocentric. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev is not an exception», — the expert has noticed. — «Astana is the result of his egoism, but I do not think, that all was wrong». He paid attention to preserved feature of the Soviet mentality, as «to forget the past». «As soon as the leader is replaced, there is a tendency to erase everything, that was before him» is one of the forms of manifestation of this phenomenon.

«I would prefer never to return to Kazakhstan, than to say you a lie», — Mr. Leon Yacher has emphasized. — "Any country or any nation, being in the blinders of their prejudice or acclaim can expect only trouble ".