Half-Day Private Tour to Alzhir Camp from Nur-Sultan
Description
Alzhir - Akmola camp for the wives of traitors of Motherland - one of the largest camps of the Soviet Union and one of the three "islands" of the "Gulag Archipelago". The camp was opened at the beginning of 1938, when it received the first stages of the prisoners - mostly members of the families of traitors. According to incomplete data, the number of repressed exceeded 18,000 convicts. It is located 40km west of Nur-Sultan, so you will have an opportunity to drive through the endless Kazakh steppe. Today, the museum-memorial complex includes the following objects: A train carriage from Stalin’s time for transportation of prisoners. The museum building The Wall of memory with names of more than 7,000 women spends their term in Alzhir camp. The barrack – the building, where women prisoners lived. and other courtyard exhibits Drive through the village Malinovka - stops can be arranged by request. Transfer to the hotel.
Tour Options
Itinerary
ALZHIR is a colloquial name that comes from the abbreviation АЛЖИР, which stands for “Akmola camp for the wives of traitors to the Motherland” (in Russian). The camp, which was the largest women’s camp in the Soviet Union, operated between 1938 and 1953 and was a place of human tragedy during the period of Stalinist repression. It is estimated that more than 18,000 prisoners passed through the camp, some of whom died there. Today, the site of the camp hosts a museum and memorial to these victims of political repression and totalitarianism. It is located 40km west of Nur-Sultan. Travel time will be approximately 1 hour each way.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(6)
Interesting visit. My friendly guide Kamilla made it even better, she was very knowledgeable about the history of the camp and Kazakhstan in general.
It was a very good trip out of Astana, about 40mins drive to Alzhir. The camp museum was very interesting and we had an English speaking guide going through a lot of history. We spent about 2 hours there, walked around the neighbouring village and then returned to the hotel. Our guide Kamille was a pleasure to have. During the drive she talked about the history and answered any questions we had about Kazakhstan. It is a good trip for a half day so kids were not too tired.
Sobering and fascinating facility, of course, and the guide (Timon) explained it very well. The film that was shown at Alzhir was very helpful too. Seeing the countryside between Astana and Alzhir was also interesting. The whole experience was well worth the time and money!
We were very lucky to have Didara as our guide! As a historian, she knows almost everything about the city, the culture and the country. We also had the opportunity to talk about political and social issues. As Didara also showed interest in our lives, it was possible to discuss similarities and differences. Finally, Didara unscheduledly showed us the bazaar and helped us with our onward journey.
Thank you very much! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Didara as your guide. Indeed, she holds a Master's degree in History. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back for more adventures in the future! Best Regards, To Go In Astana Team
Our guide was very knowledgeable and her English skills were excellent. She also took us to the synagogue in Astana something that we wanted to see.
We're delighted to hear that you had a great experience with our guide! Thank you for sharing your feedback! Best Regards, To Go In Astana Team
Private tour with Didaraas guide. She knows a lot and is very helpful to fulfill all your requests or change of tour. A bit overpriced. Private comfy and clean car.
Dear Mr Kenneth, Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind words about our knowledgeable and helpful guide. We apologize that you found our tour to be a bit overpriced. We strive to provide high-quality tours and services at fair prices, but we understand that everyone has different expectations. We will take your feedback into consideration as we continue to expand our offering for different prices. Thank you for choosing our services and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future. Best regards, To Go In Astana team
