Three Years Later: What’s Happening at the Former Presidential Residence Site in Almaty

In early March 2022, information surfaced that a park would be built on the site of the former presidential residence in Almaty.  More than three years have passed, and there is still no park.

Orda.kz has looked into the matter.

The Final Paragraph

On May 8, the Almaty Akimat press release on the topic of the reconstruction of city fountains included a paragraph at the end dedicated to creating a park on the site of the presidential residence:

As part of the development of public spaces in Almaty, a new park will appear at the intersection of Nazarbayev Avenue and Gandhi Street, where 50 large trees over six meters high have already been planted. Work is underway on this site to build a reservoir and lay utility lines.

We requested further information from the city administration at the end of March, and we had to wait for it for over a month despite deadlines set by law.

An answer followed nonetheless. Itt can be found after our detailing of the site itself.

From December to January

The future presidential residence in Almaty began to be built in the early 1980s as a branch of the Moscow Lenin Museum in Almaty. This building was one of the last grand projects of what is known in Kazakhstan as “Qonayev Architecture” and in the rest of the world as Soviet modernism.

The 1986 December events influenced the outcome, after which there was no time for grandiose construction in the center of Almaty. The final project of "Qonayev Architecture" was completed only in 1995 — when Qonayev and the Soviet Union were no more. 

Ultimately, the building was completed as a presidential residence.

But it remained Residence No. 1 for a couple of years — in 1997, the capital was moved to Astana, and it became Headquarters No. 2. The building was used in this capacity until January 2022.

During the January 2022 Events (Qantar - Ed.), the residence was one of the buildings that suffered the most from the January unrest. A vehicle was driven into the building, set on fire, and exploded, causing a fire to break out inside. 

Initially, it was assumed that the residence, like the neighboring Akimat, would be restored. But on March 2, 2022, a post appeared on Facebook of Berik Uali:

By decision of President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev, his official residence in the city of Almaty, which was destroyed and set on fire by bandits and terrorists during the January events, will be demolished. A park for city residents will be constructed in its place.

Two days later, the Presidential Executive Office explained its decision:

The fire and extremely high temperatures damaged the metal elements that form the basis of all load-bearing structures and the roof. It is impossible to completely remove the burning smell in the remaining fragments of the building. Moreover, to date, some of the structural elements of the building do not comply with current building codes and regulations.

As confirmation, they showed photographs.

A little over a month later, rough designs of the future park options created by the KAZGOR design academy were presented.

It is planned to build a museum or a memorial in the park, depending on which concept is approved, said KAZGOR chief engineer Vyacheslav Shepel.

At the same time, it was said that dismantling the residence alone would require six billion tenge.

It was done quickly. At least the part that was visible from behind the fence. By the fall of 2022, only the entrance from Nazarbayev Avenue resembled the once grandiose building. 

The fence was covered with banners. 

In December 2024, a photographer from Orda.kz took the following photos of the territory of the former residence:

The Akimat later clarified that construction work had not yet started:

“The start of construction and installation work is February 2025,” the official response says.

Notably, in December 2024, the entire territory of the demolished residence was also covered with snow, except for the helipad.

What Is To Come

In March 2025, we again photographed the territory of the future park. And there it was already clear that the work had begun. Workers were pouring concrete and dismantling tiles from what was supposedly an underground garage.

In May, concrete fences appeared near that very “something,” and it became clear that there would be a pond here.

The tiles have finally been removed from what looks like an underground garage.

Trees were planted on the territory of the former residence. However, it is difficult to tell from above how many are large. The remains of a concrete building are visible next to the pond.

It is also clear that the pit adjacent to Gandhi Street may have begun to be filled. 

The helipad has also maintained its well-kept appearance.

The response from the Akimat states the following about what kind of work is being carried out in the future park:

“Preparatory work has now been completed, well drilling and concreting of structures are underway.”

What exactly is being built on the territory of the former residence?

The park will be implemented with a full range of improvements, including a pond with a water treatment system, outdoor lighting, utility networks and large-scale landscaping. As part of the project, more than 1,500 trees will be planted, including 150 large-sized coniferous and deciduous trees. In winter, an ice rink will operate on the territory. Particular attention is paid to inclusion and accessibility issues - the park project is being implemented taking into account the needs of all age and low-mobility groups of the population,the Almaty Akimat answered. 

The city administration did not name a specific deadline for the completion of the work. In its response, the time frame was limited to the wording "the current year."

The Akimat didn't specify the total amount that would be spent on creating the park.

The construction and installation work is financed by attracted sponsorship funds, the response states, without specifying who exactly acted as the sponsor and how much money is being invested. 

According to the response, the local budget allocates money for utility lines —  940 million tenge.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin