Kokshetau, formerly known as Kokchetav, between 1868 and 1993, is a lakeside city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region. It stretches along the southern shore of Lake Kopa, lying in the north of Kokshetau Hills, a northern subsystem of the Kokshetau Uplands (Saryarka) and the southern edge of the Ishim Steppe. It is named after Mount Kokshe.
Kokshetau is the 17th-most populous city in Kazakhstan, the 4th-most populous city in northern part of the country, and the largest city in Akmola Region. It was the administrative center of Kokshetau Region (oblast) from 1944 to 1991 as part of the Soviet Union and from 1991 as part of Kazakhstan to 1997 when it was abolished. It is also situated at the junction of the Trans-Kazakhstan and South Siberian railways. Kokshetau lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. The climate of Kokshetau features hot summers and cold winters.
It has 183,170 inhabitants (2026 est.), up from 123,389 (1999 census), while Akmola Region had a total population of 738,587 (2019 est.), down from 1,061,820 (1989 census), making it the tenth most populous region in Kazakhstan. The city's history has been influenced by people of many nations and religions. Kokshetau retains multiethnic population, with 59% ethnic Kazakhs (up from 36%), the rest being mostly 28% ethnic Russians (down from 42%) and other ethnic groups such as Ukrainians, Tatars and Germans. Kokshetau City Administration (area of ), with a population of roughly 165,153 residents, includes one settlement administration (which consists of the work settlement of Stantsyonny) and the Krasnoyarsk rural district, which includes two rural settlements (the villages of Krasny Yar and Kyzyl-Zhuldyz).
The city is considered to have been founded in 1824 as a military fortress, while it was granted city status in 1895. It was the centre of Kokshetau Region, which was abolished in 1997. It is well known for its nature and tourist sites, such as Burabay and Zerendi, among others. The city's main football team is FC Okzhetpes. Kokshetau is about from Petropavl, northwest of the national capital Astana along the A1, from Omsk along the A13, and from Kostanay. The city is served by Kokshetau Airport (KOV). The akim (mayor) is Anuar Kumpekeev from the Amanat Party.
Kokshetau is an important economic, educational, and cultural centre of the Akmola Region. Attractions in and around Kokshetau include Akmola Regional Museum of History and Local Lore, Bukpa Hill, Kokshetau City Park, Kokshetau City History Museum, Museum of Literature and Art. The northwest entrance to Burabay National Park () and Burabay spa town is a little over 43 miles (70 km) from Kokshetau. Kokshetau was awarded the title Kazakhstan City of Culture for the year 2021.
Names and etymology
, a transliteration of the Russian form
The name Kokshetau (; ) is of Kazakh origin literally meaning a (), kokshe / "", meaning () and tau / "", meaning () — the name of always turning blue, as if in a deep haze of mountains, thus "Blueish Mountain/Smoky-Blue Mountain" in English. That is how from ancient times Kazakhs were calling the highest mountain in Akmola Region "Mount Kokshe" (947 m), located 60 miles away from the city.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared its independence on 16 December 1991 (Kazakhstan Independence Day), and on 7 October 1993, by the Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the city of Kokchetav () was renamed to the more Kazakh sounding Kokshetau as part of the government's campaign to apply Kazakh names to cities, but the city's airport still retains KOV as its IATA code. In Russian it became known as Kokshetau.
Chronology of name changes Historically, several names in various languages have identified Kokshetau.
Stanitsa Kokchetavskaya (1827–1868; which is a romanized back-transliteration from Russian name in Cyrillic: ; ) Kokchetav (1868–1993; in publications dating from the Soviet period, the city name was occasionally spelled in English as "Kokchetav", which is a back-transliteration from post-revolution Russian name in Cyrillic: , Russian name in Cyrillic script (1868-1918): ; Kazakh name in Yañalif script (1929-1940): , Kazakh name in Cyrillic script (after 1940): ) Kokshetau (since 1993; which is a romanized back-transliteration from Russian name in Cyrillic: ; Kazakh name in Cyrillic script: , Kazakh name in Latin script (new version before 2021): , Kazakh name in Latin script (latest version of the Kazakh Latin alphabet after 2021): )
Physical geography and geology
Location Kokshetau is located in the country of Kazakhstan and lies in the northern portion of Akmola Region. The city is located on the border of the West Siberian Plain, on the southeastern shore of Lake Kopa, at an altitude of 234 meters above sea level, in the Kokshetau Mountains, north part of the Kokshetau Hills, the foothills of which surround the city from the south and west. It covers an area of . It is located about north-west of the national capital of Astana.
The city lay along low hills and by a kidney-shaped lake. There are numerous hills in the vicinity of the city (Bukpa Hill). The city is located in the flat part of the interfluve of the Kylshakty river, flowing in the eastern part of the city, and the Shagalaly river, flowing from the western side of the city. The city has several parks and gardens. Also, within the city limits can be found small forests, mostly consisting of birches and pine plantations. The Kokshetau area is known for its two national parks, Burabay and Kokshetau.
Nearby places The village of Krasny Yar lies adjoined directly to the west of Kokshetau, on the bank of the River Shagalaly. Also contiguous with Kokshetau, directly to the east, with no natural border, is the smaller village of Stantsyonny.
Nearby cities
Petropavl Astana Ekibastuz Omsk (Russia) Kostanay Rudny Shchuchinsk Karaganda Kurgan (Russia) Tyumen (Russia)
Nearby towns
Atbasar Arkalyk Tara (Russia) Taiynsha Akkol Derzhavinsk Ereymentau Esil Ishim (Russia) Makinsk Stepnyak Stepnogorsk
Nearby villages
Krasny Yar Stantsyonny Kyzylzhulduz Kyzyltan Kaindy Akkol (Zerendi District) Kishkenekol Astrakhanka Balkashino Shortandy Zerendi Zhaksy
Time The time offset from the UTC used by Kokshetau is 5 hours after UTC, or UTC+5:00 (Kazakhstan Time). This is also used by all of Kazakhstan. This time apply throughout the year as Kazakhstan does not observe Daylight saving time (DST).
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Kokshetau lies in a cold semi-arid climate zone (Köppen climate classification: BSk) with extreme continental influences. The city has an extreme continental climate with long, very cold, frigid, snowy, dry winters and warm, dry, sunny summers (featuring occasional brief rain showers). Winter is frosty and long (more than 5 months). In spring, prevails clear and dry weather, with a large number of sunny days. Autumn begins in August or September, and the weather is observed from clear at the beginning of the season, to cloudy in October–November. The average annual temperature in Kokshetau is . Summer temperatures occasionally reach 35 °C (95 °F) while −30 to −35 °C (−22 to −31 °F) is not unusual between mid-December and early March.
The warmest month is July with daily mean temperature near , and the coldest month is January, with a daily mean of . Snow and ice are dominant during the winter season. July is the wettest month (averaging of precipitation) while March is the driest (averaging of precipitation). Yearly precipitation amounts to . Typically, the city's Lake Kopa and rivers of Kylshakty and Shagalaly are frozen over between the second week of November and the beginning of April.
Average January temperature: Average July temperature: Average annual precipitation: to
Legal status and administrative-territorial division Kokshetau is the capital (administrative centre) of the Akmola Region (oblys, county, area). Kokshetau city administration (, ) (area of ), with a population of roughly 193,492 residents, includes one settlement administration and the Krasnoyarsk rural district, which includes two rural settlements, served by the city public transport system.
Kokshetau was the centre of a region covering seventy-eight thousand square kilometres of the Virgin Lands; it administered 15 agricultural districts and connected 4 other towns, 116 state farms, and 25 collective farms, and that region encompassed a population of more than 600,000.
+Administrative divisions of the Kokshetau City Administration No. Populated place Population KATO ID1selo of Krasny Yar 98751110331002p.g.t of Stantsyonny 26231110371003 selo of Kyzylzhulduz 65111033300
Administrative districts and microdistricts
Kokshetau is divided into seven administrative districts ().
Aul Beybitshilik Bostandyk Bukpa Kokshe Sary-Arka Zhaylau
Districts Traditionally, Kokshetau was divided into seventeen administrative microdistricts () that today have no administrative function. These are administrative units that possess no independent governance structures. They are used for management of utilities and publicly owned housing.
Kokshetau includes the following microdistricts:
English name Kazakh name Russian name City Centre Қала орталығы Центр города Barmashino Бармашино Бармашино Abylai Khan Avenue Абылай хан даңғылы Проспект Абылай-хана Regional hospital Облыстық аурухана Областная больница Birlik Бірлік Бирлик Saryarka Сарыарқа Сарыарка Sunkar Сұнқар Сункар Koktem Көктем Коктем Vasilkov Васильков Васильковский Town of builders Құрылысшылар қаласы Городок строителей Railway Station Вокзал Вокзал Jubilee Юбилейный Юбилейный BorovskoyБоровскойБоровской Khassenov Market Хасен базары Хасеновский рынок Central Орталық Центральный Zhaylau Жайлау Жайлау Shanghai Шанхай Шанхай
Authorities, local government and politics
Kokshetau authorities The city administration and Kokshetau City Mäslihat is in the Kokshetau Akimat building on Mukhtar Auezov Street. Kokshetau City Mäslihat is a representative body of the city, elected every four years and holds its sessions in Kokshetau Akimat. The Mayor of Kokshetau is Amanat Party member Bauyrzhan Gaisa.
Local government The bodies of local self-government of Kokshetau are: Kokshetau City Mäslihat, a representative body. Consisting of 17 deputies for four years. Mayor of Kokshetau, head of the Kokshetau City Administration manages the administration on the principles of unity of command.
Regional authorities Most key buildings of the regional government are along Abai Street and Mukhtar Auezov Street. Abai Street is named after a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher Abai Qunanbaiuly. On the eastern side of Abai Street on Abylai Khan Square sits the Akmola Regional Akimat, in a modern cream and brown-toned building.
Local government The bodies of local self-government of Akmola region are: Akmola Regional Mäslihat (parliament of Akmola Region), a representative body. Consisting of 32 deputies for five years.
List of akims (mayors) of Kokshetau (1992–present)
The Akim (Kazakh: әкім, äkım) of Kokshetau is the chief authority in the city of Kokshetau. The position was established in 1992. The mayor is responsible for the administration of government services, the composition of councils and committees overseeing Kokshetau City Administration departments and serves as the chairperson for the meeting of the Kokshetau City Mäslihat. The mayor also functions to help devise long-term development plans in consultation with other stakeholders and bodies to improve the condition, livability, and sustainability of the city.