Most of the facilities of the Qiyal Alemi amusement park in Shymkent have been demolished after a court ruled against a decades-old license to operate in the area. The decision surprised the operators of the rides and attractions as well as local residents and families.
Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan is the country’s third-largest city. Its population reached one million residents in 2018 and continues to grow at the third-fastest rate in the country. Children can often be seen playing around pedestrian streets and parks.
Thousands have visited Qiyal Alemi (from Kazakh, ‘Fantasy World’) every week since its opening in 2009. At the time, the city administration (akimat) signed a 49-year lease with private company Aigerim to establish a recreation center for children.
Last year, the akimat sued Aigerim citing violations of the lease agreement. After a long legal battle a court of appeal finally ruled in favor of the city administration in February this year, declaring the contract invalid and ordering the site to be restored to its original state.
Then the bulldozers arrived.
On June 1, with a court order in hand, workers of the local administration started demolishing the rides, the attraction, and the facilities of Qiyal Alemi. According to one account, the demolition team tore down a cafe within the territory of the park as demonstrators held a sit-in inside the building protesting the akimat’s plans.
The company was furious.
“We consider the court’s decision unlawful. The land was leased to us for the construction of a children’s cultural and entertainment center. The park had been operating for 15 years for this exact purpose,” Askar Zhanbayev, director of Aigerim, told Vlast after a press conference in Astana on July 18.
Aiman Ashirbayeva, who owned several attractions, thought they would work at least until the 49-year license expired, she told Vlast.
“Our work was seasonal. I employed about 5–6 people. My former employees have now found other jobs, but I still have no work. This would have been the peak season for us. We asked the akimat to let us operate at least during the summer season, but they came and demolished everything,” Ashirbayeva said.
The June 1 demolition was halted following a confrontation with entrepreneurs. The following day, however, the demolition crew returned accompanied by police officers.
“Who authorized police involvement?,” said local activist Bibigul Sabikenova.
Sabikenova also raised concerns about safety, noting that only specialized companies are qualified to dismantle amusement rides. Instead, the akimat sent their own workers.
“This order lacked any legal foundation. So where are our children’s rights in all of this?,” Sabikenova lamented.
Nursulu Jantayeva, a mother of seven, said this was a favorite destination for her children and their friends.
“This was a place for children to play. There are trees, shade, and the kids enjoy it. The location is convenient too: it’s right in the city center,” Jantayeva said. “I definitely want it to stay.”
According to Jantayeva, the decision was made suddenly and without transparency.
“I guess the akimat made the decision on its own without a public discussion. They already demolished Ken Baba Park [another amusement park demolished in June last year] and there are almost no amusement parks left. The akimat wants to turn this place into a square, but we already have enough squares. They should have consulted the people before demolishing anything,” Jantayeva told Vlast.
The city administration held a press conference on June 11, dismissing rumors that they planned to turn the amusement park into a square.
“None of their attractions will remain there. The park will stay as a park. It will not be transferred to private ownership. Residential buildings will not be built there. The park will remain in its intended form,” deputy mayor Sarsen Kurambek said at the press conference.
Although Vlast inquired, the akimat did not clarify its exact renovation plans.
The 49-year lease became the center of the dispute between Aigerim and the akimat last year. Local officials argued that the company had violated the lease agreement, which originally slated the lot for the construction of a park. Aigerim was not supposed to build rides and attractions, officials argued in their lawsuit.
Arguing for demolition, the akimat highlighted several accidents in recent years, including multiple fires and deaths. These repeated events underscored the urgent need for stricter oversight and compliance with safety regulations, officials said.
According to the original agreement, a public park was supposed to be built on the site. In 2009, Aigerim leased the land from the state for the purpose of landscaping.
In early 2024, an investigation by the department for land resource management revealed that the initial lease was issued with legal violations. In a May 2024 decision, a local court invalidated the lease agreement. Aigerim appealed the case, but Shymkent city court upheld the decision in July 2024.
“The court ignored Article 109 of the Land Code, which allows the lease of public-use lands for the installation of light structures such as trade pavilions, kiosks, visual advertisements, and other service-related facilities,” Zhanbayev, director of Aigerim, told Vlast.
In December 2024 a local court ruled to restore the park in its original state, which entailed the demolition of Qiyal Alemi. Aigerim appealed this decision but lost the case after a final court decision in February 2025.
“The court also ignored the statute of limitations. According to the law, the general limitation period is three years. However, the claim was filed 15 years after the land was leased,” Zhanbayev continued.
The demolition was also surprising because in 2023 a local court had rejected claims of violations in Qiyal Alemi that the urban and environmental control department had claimed against Aigerim after an inspection.
Also in 2023, the akimat issued Aigerim an architectural plan and approved a draft design that included all the structures that were later demolished.
“We believe [the court decision to invalidate the lease] was made under pressure from the akimat and its new leadership,” Zhanbayev said.
Gabit Syzdykbekov was named mayor of Shymkent in September 2023. In an interview last year he said that “the most important thing for me is to see how our city is changing.”
Regarding Qiyal Alemi, Syzdykbekov said that his government plans to restore the space, which spans 4 hectares (around 10 football fields), as a public garden.
“This used to be a public garden that locals loved. I hope that after the reconstruction, this territory will be no less attractive to lovers of clean air and shady trees,” Syzdykbekov said. Environmental pollution remains a problem in the city.
When asked about the fate of the land plot after the demolition of Qiyal Alemi, the Shymkent city administration told Vlast that it would comply with the court decision, which returned the territory to state ownership.
“The land will be restored to its original condition,” the akimat said.
Over the years, Aigerim had subleased the land to various entrepreneurs who operated individual rides and attractions.
Aiman Ashirbayeva’s stalls were popular with children.
“We entrepreneurs received no help from the government in maintaining and developing this area,” she said. “One day, they just came and destroyed it all. Currently, we have no plans for the future. They didn’t offer us an alternative location either. We had to store our equipment at home.”
Vladimir Knitel, director of Temirtau Amusement Rides Plant and long-time partner of Aigerim, expressed deep concern over the demolition of this key amusement park in Shymkent.
After the July 18 press conference in Astana, Knitel told Vlast that his company helped build several large-scale attractions in Qiyal Alemi and was working on a new project when news of the demolition arrived.
“It hit me hard,” Knitel said.
Besides the lost business, Knitel emphasized that children would be the victims of this decision.
“Their joyful childhood is being taken away. Authorities make decisions without considering the consequences,” Knitel said.
Tamara Vaal and Almas Kaisar contributed to the reporting.
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