Ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions of 7 countries took part in the first historical and information tour "Sikyrly Saryarka"

On the eve of the international exhibition Expo-2017 Karaganda region expects a huge flow of tourists from abroad due to its close location to the main place of the event - Astana. For the guests to be aware of what awaits them in the country's largest industrial region, entrepreneurs in the tourism, hotel and restaurant business decided to invite representatives of diplomatic missions of different countries to the historical and information tour of the region.

The high-ranking guests began their acquaintance with Temirtau, the city where the labor biography of the country's leader Nursultan Nazarbayev began. The huge capacities of the metallurgical plant, the blast furnaces in which steel melts, the excursion through the hidden corners of the plant have put indelible impressions on the diplomats. The guests listened with great interest to the guide, who talked about the history, the establishment of the plant and its most famous worker.

The high-ranking guests began their acquaintance with Temirtau, the city where the labor biography of the country's leader Nursultan Nazarbayev began. The huge capacities of the metallurgical plant, the blast furnaces in which steel melts, the excursion through the hidden corners of the plant have made indelible impressions on the diplomats. The guests listened with great interest to the guide, who talked about the history, the establishment of the plant and its most famous worker.

Participants also watched the process of work. Diplomats, despite their high ranks, felt very free and gladly made selfies against the background of historical photographs and furnaces breathing fire.

After visiting Kazakhstan's Magnitka, the guests went to the village Dolinka, where the museum of victims of political repression – Karlag is located. A place that preserved the history of the tragic fate of 60 thousand people.

"This is a story, a sad story of people whose generations should not allow its recurrence. I am shocked by what I saw and heard", - Mr. Rahmat Pramonto, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Indonesia in Kazakhstan, shared his impressions.

After the museum, the diplomats paid a visit to the Chamber of Entrepreneurs, where they were presented with the best places in the region, which are ready to surprise foreign tourists. Despite the pronounced industrial orientation, the Karaganda region has a very great potential for the development of tourism, said in her speech at the round table the head of the business department Tatyana Ablayeva. Interest in the mining region, its natural, historical and cultural values ​​is growing: only in the last 3 years the number of tourists has grown 2.5 times. Many places are still waiting for their researchers. Even such popular nature reserves as Karkaralinsk, the coast of Lake Balkhash, the epicenter of the nomadic culture of Ulytau, contain a lot of unknown.

Karaganda tour operators have developed 6 interesting and diverse routes for visitors of EXPO. By the way, many foreign delegations would like to visit a coal mine. All of them are operating, therefore excursions will be unsafe.

"We found a way out: for the visits will open a training mine, where future miners are trained, it is not different from the present. It is undergoing modernization now, from 1st of June people will be able to descend underground", - said Tatyana Ablayeva.

"For 4 years of my work in Kazakhstan, I came to Karaganda for the first time, despite the fact that the city is located near the capital. I confess, I did not expect the city to be so big. The Karaganda region has good tourist potential. I will be the propagandist of this campaign as the Ambassador of Cuba, because our Latin American countries are installing their pavilion at the EXPO", - said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Kazakhstan Carlos Enrique Valdes de La Concepcion, adding that if this was possible, then it would have been necessary to hold "EXPO-2017" in Astana and in Karaganda.

In his turn, the adviser of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Alexander Musienko, inspired by the excursion, read an improvised poem of his own dedicated to the city of Karaganda:

"The city of Karaganda is beautiful,

Its nature, its people,

As the brightest star

in our gray routine life.

Bloom, the city of miners,

And make rejoice the roaming pilgrims,

and also ambassadors from Astana,

We admired your fields! "

After the official presentation, the guests went to the Sheber art center, where the diplomats met with local craftsmen and inspected the exhibition of felt, leather and ceramics products.

Karaganda region is the first region that organizes the familiarization route on the eve of the international exhibition EXPO-2017.

The Central Kazakhstan Association for Tourism, Restaurant and Hotel Business was created in the region, which unites almost 20 Karaganda restaurateurs and hoteliers. This year they expect a high season and are preparing to meet in at least 1000 tourists from Europe and China. Mostly foreign visitors show interest in the Karlag museum in the village of Dolinka. As the president of the Association Maya Agadilova reported, 300 people from Poland applied for a visit to Karlag.