The city's history is captured in its mosques and Orthodox cathedrals, in its ensembles of Soviet neoclassicism and monumental mosaic art, in its brutalist architecture and brand-new skyscrapers. This architectural heritage helps us understand how Almaty became the cultural, scientific, and economic center of Kazakhstan. The book features critical essays and interviews with local figures on topics such as the status of architects in modern Kazakhstan, the preservation of historical architecture, mass housing construction, and the role of tiny houses in Almaty. These diverse materials form a multifaceted panorama of one of the most interesting metropolises in Central Asia.

The book presentation program will be held in Russian and English and will include:

• an introductory speech by Jamila Nurkalieva, director of the Tselinny Center for Contemporary Culture;
• a presentation by Professor Dr. Philipp Meuser, architect and founder of DOM Publishing (Berlin), on “Publishing books on architecture and urban development in Almaty and Kazakhstan against the backdrop of contemporary trends in Central Asia and beyond” (in English);
• a presentation by Edda Schläger, journalist and author of the architectural guidebook Almaty: An Architectural Guide – “How I became an Almaty resident: on the process of creating an architectural guidebook to Almaty” (in English);
• Panel discussion “New Tselinny in the heart of Almaty: opportunities and challenges of contemporary architecture and urban development in Kazakhstan's largest metropolis” (in Russian).

Panel discussion speakers:

• Assel Eszhanova, architect and panel discussion moderator
• Jamilya Nurkalieva, director of Tselinny
• Philipp Meuser, architect, head of DOM Publishers
• Edda Schlager, journalist and author of the book
• Gulnara Abdrasilova, research professor, Doctor of Architecture, KazGASA

After the panel discussion, you will have the opportunity to ask questions to the participants.

The presentation will take place on October 12, 2025, at the Orta 1 space of the Tselinny Center for Contemporary Culture at 59 Masanchi Street, Almaty. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. and last for an hour and a half.