In the square next to the Museum of the First President in Astana, trees and shrubs have started to disappear. Local residents have noticed that only filled-in holes remain where greenery once stood, and the authorities are talking about landscaping work.
According to the Telegram channel «Halyqstan», officially this square is dedicated to the khans Zhanibek and Kerey, but locally it is still called the Presidential Square – after the capital was moved, the building next door housed the residence of the head of state.
It has become known that two weeks ago, stands with photographs of Nursultan Nazarbayev, showing him at different periods of his leadership of the country, were removed from the square. The akimat of the Saryarka district explained the dismantling as “planned repair and restoration work for landscaping”.
According to local authorities, the stands are to be replaced by flowerbeds and elements of updated street design within the square.
However, it has emerged that the landscaping has not only affected the stands – trees have also started disappearing from the square. According to Astana resident Vasily Tokarev, 20 years ago he planted an oak tree there with his sons – the tree grew from an acorn, took root, and gained strength. Now the oak tree is gone.
“There is only a faint hope that all of this has been transplanted somewhere, rather than being turned into firewood,” said Vasily Tokarev.
He also claims that in recent days, several large lilac and rowan bushes have disappeared from the square. Only holes filled with earth remain where the trees once stood.
“If this is a struggle against the Old Kazakhstan, then what has an oak tree planted by ordinary people as a good memory got to do with it?” Tokarev asks.
It will be recalled that the editorial team of FBRK previously actively covered the issue of development of a square in the ‘Red Village’ in Astana. Residents had created a green zone over several years, but one day the developer Fiesta Hall LLP cut down all the trees, ignoring protests and even representatives of the akimat.
After months of legal proceedings, the court ruled the tree felling illegal, the akimat revoked the permit for the construction of a residential building, and now plans are being made to create a city square on the site of the conflict.