Two men walk by the entrance of the Abai Theater of Semey. The theater, built in a typical Soviet modernist style, is named after Abai Qunanbaiuly, or simply Abai, widely considered the founder of written Kazakh literature. Semey has been an important cultural center in the XIX and XX centuries. At that time Russian authorities forced many intellectuals to relocate there to keep their liberal ideas away from Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The cultural environment of Semey played a crucial role in the education and growth of bright young locals, like Abai.

Credits: Simone Bergonzi (Italie, @simobergz)

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