Annals of the Capital: 1997

In three months from now Astana will celebrate its Capital Day for the 10th time. This anniversary is a good occasion to recollect the evolution of this provincial city, and how along with it changed the whole country. 

Annals of the Capital: 1998

In the history of Kazakhstan’s young capital year 1998 was marked at once by three sign events: an international presentation, name change, and also celebrations of the first anniversary of the new status. The life here boiled and raged. The newly transferred authorities adjusted their work, offices and residential buildings were being erected at high speed... Certainly, they managed not without problems.

Annals of the Capital: 1999

That became a major event in year 1999 was, for the country’s new administrative center, the recognition of it merits on the international arena: on July16 Director General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, declared that Astana was awarded the medal of winner of international competition "Cities for Peace", specifically emphasizing during the ceremony, that the award was the recognition of unique development experience both of the young and the entire of Kazakhstan. That year was memorable, too, for wide-scale festivities in honour of the first Capital’s Day, the establishment of the new coat-of-arms of the country’s main city, population census, in compliance with the results of which the number of inhabitants in Astana made 319.3 thousand people, well, and, certainly, grand construction activities.

Annals of the Capital: 2000

Year 2000 was memorable due to extensive development of left the bank, where rapid construction of a new administrative centre was started. Also, in the same year the republic’s young capital declared itself as a major part of integration in post-Soviet  space.
On October 10 in Astana the meeting of Mezhgossvet was held, with the involvement of the heads of states - participants of Customs Union, in which, after the initiative by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, a new international organization was founded, Eurasian Economic Community.

Annals of the Capital: 2001

What became a large mark in the history of the young capital was the implementation of the State Program approved by President Nursultan Nazarbaev in the spring of 2001 "Blossom of Astana - blossom of Kazakhstan", calculated for the period up to year 2005. Its major component touched not only the country’s main city, but also the increase of manufacturing volumes in industrial and construction sectors of the whole republic due to multiplicative effect, expansion of inter-regional integration communications.

Annals of the Capital:  2002

As of January 1, 2002 the population of Astana made 493.6 thousand people. And in four months - at the end of April - the young capital had half a million of inhabitants. The round figure was recorded by the employees of a local registry office when the daughter of spouses Erzhan Abzhanov and Lyazat Akimova was born. By the way, for almost two days when they consulted their relatives, the baby girl was "anonymous". But finally the parents decided to call her Aknur, that is, translated from the Kazakh, means "white light" or "white inspiration".

Annals of the Capital: 2003

Year 2003. Having been installed on the rails of steady development, Kazakhstan confidently takes the leading positions in the post-Soviet space. And it concerns not only the economics. Our multinational and multiconfessional country became a large peacemaker, initiating the First Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Gathered in the middle of September in Astana, the heads of confessions discussed opportunities of construction of the fair world and accepted a declaration in which they pointed out their adherence to such eternal values as tolerance, truth, justice and love.

Annals of the Capital: 2004

In the message by the head of the state Nursultan Nazarbayev, "Basic Directions of Home and Foreign Policy in Year 2004" special issues were pointed out: those related to further development of Astana. "Now”, it was emphasized in the text of the document, “nobody doubts the strategic necessity and expediency of the capital’s transfer into the country’s center and its modern-style development. Having started to implement great plans on the improvement of the capital’s architectural appearance, we must not and we cannot afford to drop that affair".

Annals of the Capital: 2005

What was one of the most significant events in the history of Astana became, no doubt, the presentation of the book by Nursultan Nazarbayev on June 9, 2005: "In the Heart of Eurasia". It tells about the hard process of the capital’s transfer and the formation of the main city of the country.