Kostanay or Qostanai (Kazakh: Қостанай, pronounced [qostɑˈnɑj] (listen), Russian: Костанай, IPA: [kəstɐˈnaj]) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubayev.[2]

Kostanay
Qostanai (Kazakh)
City
Flag of Kostanay
Official seal of Kostanay
Kostanay is located in Kazakhstan
Kostanay
Kostanay
Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 53°12′N 63°37′E / 53.20°N 63.62°E / 53.20; 63.62
CountryKazakhstan
RegionKostanay Region
Founded1879
Incorporated (city)1893
Government
 • Akim (mayor)Marat Zhundubaev
Area
 • Total
240 km2 (90 sq mi)
Highest elevation
185 m (607 ft)
Lowest elevation
125 m (410 ft)
Population
 (2009)
 • Total
214,916
 • Density900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+6 (Asia/Qostanay)
Postal code
110000
Area code+7 7142[1]
Vehicle registrationP
Websitegov.kz/memleket/entities/kostanai-kalasy-akimat

History

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Kostanay was founded by Russian settlers in 1879 and named Nikolaevsk, in honor of Tsar Nicholas II.[3] In 1888, the town had more than 3,000 inhabitants involved in the building of a mill and a brewery, which are still operational. In 1893, Kustanay was granted city status. The Red Army took control in 1918 and changed the city's name to Kustanay. The Kustanay Region was established in 1936 with its administrative center in Kustanay. Six years after fall of Soviet Union, Kazakhstan renamed it to Kostanay. In 2009, the city population was 214,916 (2009 Census results).[4]

Geographic location

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The city is located in the steppe zone in the north of the Turgay plateau, in the south-eastern part of the West Siberian Plain, on the Tobol River, 571 km north-west of Astana city (704 km along the highway). The nearest city with at least a million inhabitants is Chelyabinsk in Russia, located 260 km north-west of Kostanay.

Public institutions

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In Kostanay, there are five institutions of higher education. There are also 22 high schools, which educate over 12,200 students. The state network of culture lists 381 libraries, 201 club establishments, 8 museums, and 2 theatres. Athletic facilities include 2 sports arenas, 26 stadiums, 10 sports complexes and 567 sports halls.

Climate

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Kostanay has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb), with very warm, dry summers and frigid, snowy winters. The average July temperature is 20.9 °C or 69.6 °F and that in January −14.5 °C or 5.9 °F, although sharp changes in temperature during the day are characteristic. Average wind speed is 3.2 metres per second (12 km/h; 7.2 mph; 6.2 kn), mainly from the south in winter and from the north in summer. Precipitation averages around 335 millimetres or 13.2 inches with a summer maximum. The average annual humidity is 71 percent and the growing season averages about 170 days.

Climate data for Kostanay (1991–2020, extremes 1902–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 3.2
(37.8)
3.8
(38.8)
16.6
(61.9)
30.6
(87.1)
38.6
(101.5)
41.0
(105.8)
42.5
(108.5)
39.9
(103.8)
37.4
(99.3)
28.6
(83.5)
15.0
(59.0)
6.8
(44.2)
42.5
(108.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −10.6
(12.9)
−9.0
(15.8)
−1.4
(29.5)
11.7
(53.1)
21.1
(70.0)
26.0
(78.8)
26.8
(80.2)
25.5
(77.9)
19.0
(66.2)
10.4
(50.7)
−1.0
(30.2)
−8.4
(16.9)
9.2
(48.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −14.9
(5.2)
−14.0
(6.8)
−6.3
(20.7)
5.9
(42.6)
14.5
(58.1)
19.7
(67.5)
20.8
(69.4)
19.0
(66.2)
12.6
(54.7)
5.1
(41.2)
−5.0
(23.0)
−12.5
(9.5)
3.7
(38.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −19.3
(−2.7)
−18.7
(−1.7)
−11.0
(12.2)
0.5
(32.9)
7.9
(46.2)
13.2
(55.8)
14.9
(58.8)
13.1
(55.6)
7.1
(44.8)
0.7
(33.3)
−8.5
(16.7)
−16.7
(1.9)
−1.4
(29.5)
Record low °C (°F) −45.8
(−50.4)
−47.8
(−54.0)
−37.3
(−35.1)
−24.0
(−11.2)
−9.5
(14.9)
−2.2
(28.0)
2.9
(37.2)
−0.7
(30.7)
−8.7
(16.3)
−23.0
(−9.4)
−37.6
(−35.7)
−44.5
(−48.1)
−47.8
(−54.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.7)
17
(0.7)
20
(0.8)
26
(1.0)
37
(1.5)
37
(1.5)
52
(2.0)
39
(1.5)
27
(1.1)
31
(1.2)
24
(0.9)
24
(0.9)
352
(13.8)
Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) 22
(8.7)
26
(10)
23
(9.1)
3
(1.2)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
4
(1.6)
13
(5.1)
26
(10)
Average rainy days 0 0 3 7 13 11 12 12 11 9 4 1 83
Average snowy days 19 16 12 4 1 0.1 0 0 0.3 5 13 18 88
Average relative humidity (%) 82 81 81 68 58 57 64 64 64 73 82 82 71
Mean monthly sunshine hours 96 141 201 251 296 322 321 283 210 139 90 78 2,428
Mean daily sunshine hours 3.1 5.0 6.5 8.4 9.6 10.7 10.4 9.1 7.0 4.5 3.0 2.5 6.7
Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net[5]
Source 2: NOAA (sun, 1961–1990),[6] Deutscher Wetterdienst (daily sun 1961-1990)[7]

Culture

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Coin with Kostanay

Kostanay has a rich historical-cultural heritage. The regional center includes a Sunni mosque, the Regional Administration Building, Kostanay State University, the Kostanay Regional Memorial Museum of Altynsarin, the Kazakh Drama Theatre, Central Square and a railway station. Historical monuments include the Ybyrai Altynsarin monument, the Akhmet Baitursynov monument, a memorial dedicated to victims of the Second World War, the "Execution wall" (where Alexander Kolchak's army officers were executed by Red Army soldiers), and the Alexander Pushkin monument.

The city has 173 monuments of historical and cultural significance. Of these, 3 are of republican significance, 48 local, 25 obelisks and busts and 97 memorial plaques.[3]

Transportation

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Soyuz TMA-06M crew members are greeted at the Kostanay Airport

Kostanay is connected by road with the following cities in Russia: Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk, Troitsk, Yekaterinburg, Kurgan and Tyumen. It is also connected to Kokshetau, Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan. Fifty-three railway stations carry passengers and cargo from the city. Oil is delivered by rail from Russia as well as oil refineries in Kazakhstan.

Kostanay International Airport handles common and charter flights to many cities in Kazakhstan, former Soviet republics, Germany (Frankfurt and Hanover), the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and other countries. The airport also functions as a local port of entry and customs checkpoint.

Sport

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Kostanay is home to the FC Tobol football club, based in the Kostanay Central Stadium, which participates in the Kazakhstan Super League. Kostanay also has a basketball team, BK Tobol Kostanay, which participates in the Kazakhstan Basketball Cup. The city has an ice rink for winter sports, and in 2016, a team participated in the national bandy championship in Khromtau for junior players born in 1999–2000.[8]

Notable people

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Twin towns – sister cities

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Kostanay is twinned with:[9]

References

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  1. ^ CODE OF ACCESS
  2. ^ "New Governor of Kostanay named". Kazakhstan Today. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Kostanay city". visitkazakhstan.kz. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Население Республики Казахстан" [Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan] (in Russian). Департамент социальной и демографической статистики. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Weather and Climate - The Climate of Kostanay" (in Russian). Weather and Climate (Погода и климат). Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Kustanai (Kostanay) Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Klimatafel von Kustanai / Kasachstan" (PDF). Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  8. ^ "С 21 по 24 января 2016г. на стадионе «Горняк» г. Хромтау стартовал Чемпионат Республики Казахстан по хоккею с мячом среди юниоров 1999-2000 г.р." Hromtau.aktobe.gov.kz. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Есть ли побратимы у Актау и других городов Казахстана". tumba.kz (in Russian). Tumba. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
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