Abay Square and the Palace of the Republic

Abay Square began to take shape in the 1970s, when Almaty (then Alma-Ata) was actively expanding southward, toward the mountains. The city was growing, and it needed a new square that could become an administrative and cultural center for the new districts. Architects envisioned it as a ceremonial space at the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau — a kind of calling card of the city from the mountain side.