Almaty
Street Art Tour

Zig-zag the streets of Almaty’s Golden Quarter, learning the stories behind monumental murals from both local and international artists while using art as a lens to discover Kazakhstan’s fascinating history and culture.

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Almaty Street Art

Just a decade and a half ago, “street art” in Almaty evoked Soviet-era mosaics and bas-reliefs, and graffiti was an underground subculture kept mostly underground. Murals were omnipresent during the 1960-1985 heyday of Soviet “monumental art” (see our Soviet Art tour), but public art went into deep hibernation during the economic struggles of perestroika and the early years of Kazakhstan’s independence. Now, rising in step with the emergence of street art as a global phenomenon, Almaty’s murals have once again entered a golden age.

Ever since the first contemporary mural was installed in 2008 as part of the public art festival ArtBat Fest, murals have been increasingly embraced by the municipal government. An annual Mural Fest helped bring a number of renowned street artists from abroad to decorate the city’s facades, and the city has now embraced large murals as a medium for public service announcements (or propaganda, depending on your point of view).

On a Street Art Tour with Walking Almaty, you’ll traverse the central Golden Quarter neighborhood to find Almaty’s modern murals, with their fascinating mix of playful pop art and traditional Kazakh culture. Homages to Van Gogh and Vermeer decorate large brandmauer facades, while experimental works incorporate ancient petroglyphs and Turkic mythology.

Almaty’s murals have become so ubiquitous that they’re bound to be encountered by the independent traveler, but on our Street Art Tour you’ll get the background scoop: we’ve interviewed the artists and curators behind the murals, so we can point out the backstories and hidden details you won’t learn about anywhere else. There’s no better way to see the city, appreciate stunning art, and learn about the rich culture of Kazakhstan.

What You'll See

The Golden Quarter
The Arbat neighborhood
Two dozen amazing murals!

What You'll Learn

How did the British artist Fanakapan hide his self-portrait on a mural of mylar balloons?
What hidden message from the Kazakh artist Mukhit Dulu is spelled out in ancient Turkic runes?
Why have Almaty’s most prolific graffiti artists covered the town with colorful ears and flying rhinoceroses?