Opponents of the Almaty Superski mountain resort project in Almaty held a press conference dedicated to the development near Kok-Zhailau. The event, organized by the "Defend Kok-Zhailau" movement, took place at the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights, according to infohub.kz.
As journalist Marina Ruzmatova noted, the press conference, which was streamed live on social media, drew media attention not only for its stated agenda but also for a series of organizational glitches, contradictory statements, and the speakers' frankly weak preparation for public dialogue.
Also memorable was the answer to a question about an alternative to the large-scale resort: activists proposed, among other things, installing additional portable toilets in the mountains.
Initially, the participants were announced as eco-activists Emina Kazhumuratova and Saltanat Tashimova, ecologist Sergey Kuratov, and business analyst Vadim Gette.
However, the lineup of speakers changed. Sergey Kuratov did not show up, and Vadim Gette joined the meeting online late.
At the start of the meeting, Emina Kazhumuratova reported internet problems at the press center. According to her, this affected participants' ability to connect. At the same time, the live stream of the event on social media continued.
Vadim Gette, who joined later, said that the development of mountain tourism in Almaty is logical, and the current project looks better than previous ones. At the same time, the business analyst admitted that he had not seen the Almaty Superski reports, so he could not give a full assessment of the project.
During the presentation, it was also stated that no one has yet been able to prove harm from the project.
Saltanat Tashimova read the report of the absent Sergey Kuratov.
The most heated part was the block of questions from journalists. Emina Kazhumuratova was asked who gave the activists the authority to speak for the termination of the project on behalf of 2.5 million residents of Almaty.
The activist acknowledged that the initiative group does not have such authority.
Journalists also asked for a real alternative to the large mountain resort. In response, Saltanat Tashimova suggested paying attention to infrastructure in the mountains, in particular, installing additional portable toilets.
That answer became one of the most discussed moments of the meeting.
Journalists also noted the participants' behavior during the press conference. According to Marina Ruzmatova, the speakers repeatedly got distracted by smartphones, took photos, and looked for prompts while answering. Participants in the briefing also suspected that neural networks were used to write reports and answers.
The Almaty Superski project envisages the creation of a large mountain resort near Kok-Zhailau. The plans include about 60 km of ski slopes and 11 cable cars. The resort is scheduled to launch in December 2028.
Opponents of the project continue to oppose its implementation, citing environmental risks and the need to preserve the Kok-Zhailau area. At the same time, the project has passed the required environmental impact assessment procedures.