Algiers Gulag, Nazarbayev University, Touring Astana

 

Alan wanted to show this painted curb.  Now that the snow is gone, there is a lot of repairs going on.  You can see that the paint ends towards the end.  There apparently was a car parked in the way when they painted, so they had to go around it.

 

 

There are plenty of bricks that they are getting ready to put out.  We didn't know what they were doing, but apparently they are moving the bus stop down the street and making a new stop.

 

This is the street in front of the church building.  They have totally ripped it up.

 

 

 

This sidewalk leads up to the church.

 

You can see that our English group is big.  We're going to need more chairs!

 

The Astana Internation Club planned a tour out to the former Gulag named Algiers.  It was a Soviet prison for the wives, mothers, sisters and other female relatives of the men that were sent to the gulags in Russia.  It was a very sobering place.

 

 

This is a model of the train cars that brought the women here.  They called it a Stalin Wagon.

 

 

This is the monument to those imprisoned here.

 

They had prison guards, but there was no place to run to anyway.  This location was about 30 miles outside of Astana.



 

 

 

The women were told they were being taken to a "special" place.  So they came dressed in their best clothing.

 





This represents an interrogation of a prisoner.  They had to sit on the stool with their feet hanging for many hours until finally the capillaries in their feet burst and they fainted.

 

Many of the women had children that also suffered.  They were given hot soup that was too hot to eat, but only had one minute or less to eat it, so they starved.  If they took bread with them, they were accused and punished for stealing.

 

 

The black rose rising out of the granite represents that life goes on in spite of troubles.

 

 

"Gulag"

 

The memorial wall has names of those that died here.

 

Our friends, Peggy, and Elder and Sister Colton, the Area Humanitarian Missionaries from Moscow.

 







Afterwards, we took the Coltons to visit the Nazarbayev University in Astana.  All classes are taught in English here.  We have several members who work here.

 

This is inside the main corridor.  The different colleges branch out from this area.

 

They were dedicating the new sports facility on the day we came.  It is very nice and has all sorts of sports equipment.

 

The next day we went to visit some of our organizations.  This is Balamai, the children's kindergarten.

 

Here are the older children at the school.

 

Can you read his shirt?  North Arizona!

 

Some of the teachers at the school.

 

Our friend Kamka wanted to treat our guests to a special lunch.  This room at the restaurant looks like the inside of a yurt. 

 

It looks like we're sitting on the floor, but there is a hole under the table for our feet.

 

Bishparmak, salads, balsak and kumis! (And Coke a Cola)

 

We noticed there was a dombra in the room, so we had Nurgissa play a tune for us.

 

The next day we had a tour of the city.  We visited the new mosque, the pyramid, Biterek, etc.  Too bad the weather was not so friendly.  We had more wind the past few days than we can ever remember before.

 





 

It was actually a beautiful day!

 

 

A photo especially for my Brazillian daughter in law.  Dauren's shirt is for a capiora team from Rio de Janiero!