Capital of Kazakhstan renamed back to Astana

[President Johnson]

After just three years, it's renamed again back to Astana.

https://twitter.com/TheAstanaTimes/status/1571196262640193537

[Lechasseur]

Is there any particular reason for going back to the old name so quickly ?

[President Johnson]

Is there any particular reason for going back to the old name so quickly ?

German newspapers say it's a further "departure" from former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who stepped down in 2019 after nearly 30 years in power. The 2019 renaming was initially done in his honor. The renaming backwards occurred as part of a constitutional change that also limits the presidency to a single seven year term (extended from five years, but no reelection permitted anymore). Under that new rule, incumbent president Tokayev can still run for another term, which would be his last though.

[If my soul was made of stone]

Is there any particular reason for going back to the old name so quickly ?

Ever since the protests and resulting unrest earlier this year all the higher-ups in The Artist Formerly Known As Nur Otan have been on a "oopsie woopsie we did a f-cky wucky uwu" kick with at least hopes and dreams of cultivating an image of democratization, including stripping away some of the more egregious aspects of Nazarbayev's cult of personality.

[SnowLabrador]

Looks like a beautiful city. I agree that this is mostly performative, though.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Cultural Forum Learnings of Americans for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

[LAKISYLVANIA]

There are a lot of changes going on to Kazakhstan, and it is likely going to become more Democratic or if not, at the very least more western-aligned.

It has had the protests earlier this year and the Kazakh government is learning from those, but it is also seeing the Russian losses in Ukraine as an opportunity to increasingly fare a more independent course, strengthening ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey trying to be less reliant on Russia.

More on this: https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/kazakhstan-war-ukraine/

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Is there any particular reason for going back to the old name so quickly ?

AFAIK the protests were (in part) the public manifestation of a power struggle between the current president (Tokayev) and the former president (Nazerbayev). So many of the reforms that have come about since Tokayev prevailed have been with the idea of appearing to turn a page from the Nazarbayev years, reinforce the regime with greater public support, and/or consciously de-immortalize the Father of the Nation.

[CumbrianLefty]

This sort of thing has happened quite often before.

Not usually after just three years, though.

The place has had no fewer than five names in the last 200 years btw.

(Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, Astana and Nur-Sultan)

[Yeahsayyeah]

I feel a bit embarassed, I missed the last name change. ;-)

[Beet]

They need to just stick with Astana.

[TDAS04]

Good.