Culture & practical tips

Kazakhstan will welcome you warmly — hospitality here is an old art, not a slogan. A few notes on customs and practicalities will make you a guest who gets invited back.

Language

• Kazakhstan is bilingual: Kazakh is the state language, Russian is everywhere, and both share the streets, menus, and signage.
• English is common among students and in central Astana, less so with taxi drivers and in markets — the phrases article plus a translation app covers the gap.
• Any attempt at Kazakh — even just rakhmet (thank you) — is rewarded with visible delight.

Customs & courtesy

• Greetings matter. A handshake (between men, often with both hands) and a genuine hello start everything. Respect for elders is deeply rooted — let age go first.
• Hospitality is sacred. If you are offered tea, take the tea. Refusing outright can land harder than you intend; a sip and a thank-you always works.
• Shoes off when entering a home — and some prayer and cultural spaces.
• Photography: ask before photographing people; skip government buildings and checkpoints. Mosques and churches usually allow photos outside prayer times — look for signs or ask.

Visiting mosques

Astana's great mosques — Khazret Sultan and the Grand Mosque — welcome respectful visitors outside prayer times. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered); women are asked to cover their hair inside (scarves are usually available at the entrance); everyone removes shoes. The same modesty logic, lighter, applies in Orthodox churches.

Prayer & quiet space at the GA

Astana serves both its Muslim majority and other communities easily — mosques across the city, churches of several confessions. On campus, the OC will confirm prayer-room locations in the welcome materials — ask at the registration desk on arrival.

Good to know

• Dress in Astana is modern and relaxed — jeans-and-sneakers city by day, sharper in the evening. Plenaries and ceremonies have their own dress code (see what to pack).
• Alcohol is legal and sold in supermarkets with evening cut-off hours; nightlife is concentrated around the center. Public drunkenness draws attention — keep the party to the venues.
• Society is generally conservative. Public displays of affection — for any couple — are uncommon beyond holding hands; LGBTQ+ delegates will find the GA itself a safe space, while discretion in public spaces in the city is the local norm.
• Smoking is banned indoors and in many public places — look for designated areas.
• Water: Astana tap water is treated, but most locals drink filtered or bottled — at 300 ₸ a bottle, follow the locals.
• Sunday rhythm: malls and restaurants run seven days a week; government offices and banks keep weekday hours.