POST-SOVIET TRANSFORMATIONS OF URBAN SPACE IN KAZAKHSTAN AND KYRGYZSTAN (THE CASES OF ALMATY AND BISHKEK)

Abstract

During the post-Soviet period, the cities of the former USSR underwent significant extensive and intensive (internal) changes. The article analyzes the transformations that took place in the urban space of the cities of Almatyand Bishkek during the post-Soviet period, the scale and structure of the transformations are assessed. For this purpose,the Google Earth Pro application was used to compare aerial photographs of the cities taken in 1991, 2000, and 2023;based on these, the authors have identified the continuous built-up area as of 1991 and 2023 as well as changes thatoccurred in urban development during the post-Soviet period within the Soviet borders of the cities. Urban development was divided into 3 types: rural (individual housing), Soviet (regular multi-story buildings of the Soviet period), and postSoviet. The authors have revealed an almost twofold increase in the size of the continuous built-up area in Bishkek and athreefold increase in Almaty. For Bishkek, this growth was almost completely due to the rural type of development, whilefor Almaty, urban/suburban types (multi-story construction, elite cottage settlements) are also noted. Within the Sovietborders, Almaty was transformed to a much greater extent; the changes affected rural and Soviet areas of the city inapproximately equal proportions. Internal changes in Bishkek are 5 times smaller in area than in Almaty; they mostlyoccurred in Soviet districts. The authors have identified typical strategies for the transformation of the urban space: thesecharacteristic of both cities (densification – the development of vacant lots, individual housing blocks, industrial zoneswithin the territory of regular development, etc.) and unique strategies (for example, the construction of multi-story housing in green areas in Bishkek and of business centers on the site of individual housing blocks or Soviet regular development in Almaty).