Kazakhstan to change capital’s name back to Astana from Nur-sultan

The announcement comes three years after it was renamed in honour of Nursultan Nazarbayev

The city of Astana gained official status as the Kazakh capital in 1997 (Reuters)

Kazakhstan’s president is to restore the former name of the country’s capital, Astana, just three years after he renamed it in honour of his predecessor.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev changed the city’s name to Nur-Sultan in 2019 in a nod to his predecessor and the first post-Soviet president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

It became the capital of the central Asian nation in 1997 after taking over the role from Almaty.

The president’s spokesperson Mr Zheliban said that Mr Tokayev agreed to change the name of the capital after an initiative by a group of parliament members.

“The president is informed about this initiative by deputies, who in turn relied on suggestions repeatedly expressed during meetings with the population, as well as in numerous addresses from citizens during the referendum.

“At the same time, the president sees Nursultan Nazarbayev’s decisive role in strengthening the modern statehood of Kazakhstan and the establishment of the capital as a historical fact,” the spokesperson said.

“Therefore, other landmarks named after the first president will keep their names.”

The name of Kazakhstan itself was nearly changed in 2014 when Nazarbayev suggested it become Kazak Yeli in order to distinguish the country from its “poorer” neighbours in other “stans”.

Nazarbayev turned Astana into a showplace of gaudy architecture, including an observation tower where visitors can place their hands in a print of Nazarbayev’s, the Associated Press reported.