Unnamed Monitoring Group spots breaches in Auezovsky district's amusement venues
Weekend Clampdown on Almaty Entertainment Venues:
Welcome to Almaty, where the party never seems to stop, even during raids. Over the past weekend, a monitoring group was busy busting open the doors of entertainment spots that dared to flaunt the rules. Auezov district was the hotspot, with ten bars and cafes operating despite the ban, according to Almaty.tv's reporting.
As the clock struck ten, police, akimat representatives, and public figures stormed local cafes, bars, and karaoke establishments. At one place, staff played coy, claiming they were closed and frantically clearing tables to hide any evidence of recent customers. Elsewhere, administrators insisted that service had ended on time, leaving only close friends behind. The inspectors handed out warnings and took statements from the owners.
However, some venues chose to ignore the restrictions completely. A disco-bar on Tole bi - Momyshuly was still rocking past midnight, with the crowd grooving for several minutes after the surprise inspection. Finding the administrators took some doing, but when they did, three police units were waiting. Around 50 partygoers were whisked off to the Auezov District Police Department for a stern talking-to. A few quick thinkers managed to escape through the disco-bar's windows. The establishment's owner now faces a hefty fine of 600,000 tenge.
"Businesses are starting to take our actions seriously. No one wants to foot a huge fine. But people need to work, and the show must go on, in a manner of speaking," said Auezov District Entrepreneurship Department's chief specialist, Aibek Alisharipov. "It's crucial for the city's residents to observe the quarantine regime. If demand dies, supply follows."
Over the course of two days, 12 monitoring groups embarked on nightly raids, hitting 80 SME objects. Ten were found violating the rules, while the rest, 70, were safely closed for the night. The raids are set to continue.
While future concerts and events like Limp Bizkit's performance at Spartak Stadium in 2025 grab headlines, the specifics of Almaty's entertainment venue crackdowns during the pandemic remain somewhat elusive. Despite efforts to position Kazakhstan as a tech and innovation hub, there's little coverage of significant regulatory actions targeting local bars, clubs, or similar businesses within the city during this time.
From packed venues to empty wallets, it seems the party in Almaty always comes with a price.
Ramina Mirzaliyeva, Yalkunzhan Ashimzhanov, Almaty channel
Top entertainment venues in Almaty were not immune to the weekend clampdown, as ten establishments were found operating against the ban. The local Entrepreneurship Department's chief specialist, Aibek Alisharipov, emphasized the importance of abiding by the quarantine regime, highlighting that if demand diminishes, supply will follow.
Regardless of the fame brought by upcoming concerts and events, the details of the entertainment venue crackdowns during the pandemic have garnered less attention, shedding light on a less-discussed aspect of Almaty's nightlife.
