Kostanay is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk until 1895 and then as Kustanay until 1997. Kostanay is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region.
History
Kostanay was founded by Russian settlers in 1879 and named Nikolaevsk, in honor of Tsar Nicholas II. 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, Kostanay was granted city status. The Red Army took control in 1918 and changed the city's name to Kostanay. The Kostanay Region was established in 1936 with its administrative center in Kostanay. In 2009, the city population was
Geographic location
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 Nur-Sultan city. The nearest million-plus city is Russian Chelyabinsk, located 260 km to the north-west of Kostanay.
Public institutions
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
Kostanay has a warm-summer humid continental climate, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters. Average July temperature: +20.9 ° C; January: −14.5 ° C; sharp changes in temperature during the day are characteristic; the average wind speed is 3.2 m / s, mainly in the south in winter and in the north in summer. Precipitation on average per year: 300-350 mm, maximum precipitation occurs in the summer. The average annual humidity is 71%. The growing season is about 170 days.
Culture
Kostanay has a rich historical-cultural heritage. The regional center includes a Sunnimosque, 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", 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.]
