Kostanay ( kz, Қостанай, Qostanai ) is a city located on the
Tobol River in northern
Kazakhstan. It was known as Nikolayevsk (russian: Николаевск) until 1895 and then as Kustanay (russian: Кустанай) until 1997. Kostanay is the administrative center of the
Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubayev.
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, Kustanay was granted city status. The Red Army took control in 1918 and changed the city's name to Kustanay. The
Kustanay Region was established in 1936 with its administrative center in Kustanay. Six years after fall of Soviet Union, Kazakhstan renamed it to 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 Astana city (704 km along the highway). The nearest city with at least a million inhabitants is
Chelyabinsk in Russia, located 260 km 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 (
Köppen climate classification: ''Dfb''), with very warm, dry summers and frigid, snowy winters. The average July temperature is and that in January , although sharp changes in temperature during the day are characteristic. Average wind speed is , mainly from the south in winter and from the north in summer. Precipitation averages around with a summer maximum. The average annual humidity is 71 percent and the growing season averages about 170 days.
Culture

Kostanay has a rich historical-cultural heritage. The regional center includes a
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
mosque, 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
Ahmet Baitursynuly ( kk, Ахмет Байтұрсынұлы, , romanized: ''Ahmed Baitūrsynūly''; Russified: Ахмет Байтурсынов) ( 5 September 1872 — 8 December 1937) was a Kazakh intellectual who worked in the fields of poli ...
monument, a memorial dedicated to victims of the Second World War, the "Execution wall" (where
Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fought ...
's army officers were executed by
Red Army soldiers), 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 plaque
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Transportation
Kostanay is connected by road with the following cities in Russia: Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk, Troitsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Troitsk, Yekaterinburg, Kurgan and Tyumen. It is also connected to Kokshetau, Nur-Sultan and Almaty in Kazakhstan. Fifty-three railway stations carry passengers and cargo from the city. Oil is delivered by rail from Russia as well as oil refineries in Kazakhstan.
Kostanay International Airport handles common and charter flights to many cities in Kazakhstan, former Soviet republics, Germany ( Frankfurt and Hanover), the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and other countries. The airport also functions as a local port of entry and customs checkpoint.
Sport
Kostanay is home to the FC Tobol football club, based in the Kostanay Central Stadium, which participates in the Kazakhstan Super League
The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қазақстан Премьер Лигасы, ''Qazaqstan Premer Ligasy''), commonly referred to as Kazakh Premier League or simply Premier League, is the top division of football in Kazakhstan ...
. Kostanay also has a basketball team, BK Tobol Kostanay, which participates in the Kazakhstan Basketball Cup. The city has an ice rink for winter sports, and in 2016, a team participated in the national bandy
Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...
championship in Khromtau for junior players born in 1999–2000.
Twin towns – sister cities
Kostanay is twinned with:
* Kirklees, England, United Kingdom
References
External links
Photos of Kostanay
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Kazakhstan
Populated places established in 1879
Populated places in Kostanay Region
Kustanaysky Uyezd