About life
I live in Astana for more than two years. Before moving, I knew Kazakhstan well, because my very first service as a diplomat was held in 1987 in Moscow. At that time Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union. In 2009, I was in Japan, and when my sons and I were returning to Moscow, we decided to go by train through Almaty.
I came to Kazakhstan because of work. In diplomatic work, we are sent to various countries. Before coming here, I oversaw relations between the EU and the former republics of the Soviet Union. Another reason why my candidacy was chosen for the post of Ambassador to Kazakhstan is I speak Russian.
About Astana
When you fly over Astana, you can not observe anything, only the steppe. And when you land, you see a fabulous place.
Astana is a new city, so there are many modern and attractive houses, unusual architectural structures. Although there are not so many people, the social life of Astana is intense. I like the market «Artem», because there is a real local's life, and I visit it on weekends.
I live near the Radisson hotel, on the waterfront. And it's also one of my favourite neighbourhoods. In the summer there are many people walking, and it's excellent. And on the Republic Avenue, there are also many people who are shopping.
About food
I was offered to try mutton brain, mare's milk and camel milk. These products have a peculiar taste, and it takes time to taste and like them.
People here like to ask: "Have you eaten horse meat?". But in my country, we also eat horsemeat, so it not surprising for me. Although not as often as in Kazakhstan, but still you can buy horse meat in Dutch stores. We mainly eat beef, pork and chicken.
About Kazakhstan
In our country, the population is the same as in Kazakhstan. But the territory of Kazakhstan is 65 times more. Thus, in our country, there are more than 400 people per square meter, and in Kazakhstan, there are 8. I like the vastness of the country, the wildlife here. I like that in Almaty you can climb the mountains, visit the Charyn canyon, Shymbulak. And of course, the weather here is different, especially in Astana. Winter is harsh and windy. I lived in Russia for almost six years and thought that winter was cold there, but here it even harsher. Tolerable, if you dress warmly. And it is important that if in winter you decide to leave the city on your own, you should carefully prepare for the trip. In Europe, when you're going on a long journey, you never think about the variability of the weather.
About infrastructure
I rarely use public transport. In summer I ride a bicycle. We have developed it, in the Netherlands, there are even more bicycles than people. The cyclists there have their own road, traffic lights. And it is more difficult in Astana.
One of the problems of the post-Soviet countries is the level of corruption. I'm surprised that people don't notice. In buses, it is considered normal to return the ticket to the driver. But this is also corruption. The driver sells you the ticket, you give it to him, and he sells it back. For many it is commonplace. People need understanding this is wrong.
About people
In Kazakhstan, people from big cities, like Astana and Almaty, are different from those who are from small cities. For example, in Astana, you can see young girls with tattoos or piercings, but not in Atyrau or Shymkent. There are also differences between the adult and younger generations. The first is more close to the Soviet time, the second more and more go abroad, travel.
Independent Kazakhstan does not exist for so long, and the psychology of people is still changing. It takes time. Being free means taking responsibility for your life. Don't wait for someone to do it for you. I think the new generation of Kazakhstan realizes this better.
About World Press Photo 2018 exhibition
The exhibition World Press Photo 2018, which was founded in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam will open in Astana on October 24 to present people with socially significant issues existing in the society with the help of photography. The photo contest WorldPressPhoto also shows in what difficult circumstances journalists have to work, for example, when there are natural disasters and revolutions.
Every year the jury selects the winners in different categories: political news, disasters, wildlife. This year, more than 4,000 photographers from 120 countries participated. Photography does not have to be beautiful, and it must first of all be truthful, evoke emotions to what is happening in the world. This is the main theme of the exhibition. The exhibition was held in Amsterdam for two months, now it has started its tour. It will be held in Kazakhstan: Astana, Karaganda, Almaty, Shymkent. The exhibition will last two weeks in each city. The exhibition can be visited in KAZGUU from October 24 to November 6. Admission is free.
Also, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kazakhstan organizes an online photo contest «Real life stories» and we invite all Kazakhstanis to participate. Details of the contest on the Embassy's Facebook page. As a prize, photographers will receive photographic equipment and cash prizes. We invite everyone to participate in the competition, to find something in society that we should all pay attention to.
