Visiting Taraz, Kazakhstan

I had a trip to Kazakhstan cancelled in February, but over the weekend I finally made it to the big country north of Kyrgyzstan.  I went to the mid-sized city of Taraz, about a five-hour drive from Bishkek.  We were there to proctor the UCA admissions exam we were giving to applicants.

The trip was so brief, and we had so little free time that I was not able to form many impressions of Taraz or Kazakhstan.  The geography is a bit different as, while there are pockets of mountainous areas, the country is generally flat and reminiscent of Oklahoma (at least the part I drove through).  One can also sense that Kazakhstan has greater wealth (due to Petrodollars and other natural resources at its disposal) than Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.  The city of Taraz looks more like a North American community with its wider roads and evidence of urban planning that isn't apparent in places like Bishkek.  Hope to have the chance to explore Kazakhstan in greater detail at some point in the future.

The view from my motel room

The eye-catching carpet in my motel room

The Russian Theater in the center of Taraz

Entrance to the main city park:  I've noticed that Central Asia has far more public statuary and monuments than the United States.  When was the last time your community built a public monument or unveiled a major public statue?  The U.S. has all but abandoned the construction of monuments dedicated to the civic good or to those who have contributed mightily to the community.  What does that say about the level of value our nation currently places on community life and the civic good or on our nation's ability to reach a common definition of what constitutes the civic good?

The public sculpture garden in Taraz

A floral sculpture at the sculpture garden:  pitchers of water transforming into greenery

A mosque adjacent to the city park