Ivan Tretyakov is an owner of an international digital production company, @just.justcrew, who hails from Saint-Petersburg. In March 2022, he moved to Nur-Sultan where he registered his business in two weeks and started posting his initial impressions of Kazakhstan on his TikTok page.

His content consists of topics about culture, daily life, and a series of short clips of him learning Kazakh, published under the hashtag "things Kazakhstan can be proud of" [Казахстану есть чем гордиться] which gained thousands of views. In an interview with Tengrinews, Tretyakov compared Nur-Sultan and Almaty and shared his thoughts on Kazakh hospitality and local food. Qazmonitor has curated some extracts from the interview.

Background

I studied international relations at university. Since childhood, I have a love for learning languages, foreign cultures and history. I used to work as a sommelier and food blogger in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow. Our company works on a complex marketing production for large IT companies.

Why Nur-Sultan and not Almaty

In my opinion, it is more reasonable to launch a business in the capital. My acquaintance from Kazakhstan had told me that most companies are based here. Almaty is one hour away by plane, so it will not be difficult to go there for business trips. If we are talking about life, movement, and business energy, then we are talking about Nur-Sultan. I like the air, the fast-changing weather, the steppe and the winds.

Almaty reminds me of Saint-Petersburg, which is more developed in terms of infrastructure for events, recreation, and parties. Nur-Sultan reminds me of Moscow according to its rhythm. I was in Almaty. It is a unique city from the standpoint of nature and history, but the capital is all about business.

On personal boundaries

There is a notable difference between the people of Almaty and Nur-Sultan, especially in the way they communicate in taxis, restaurants and shops. In Almaty, people switch to a first-name basis very quickly and start calling you "bro".  In Nur-Sultan, everyone keeps their personal boundaries. Both cities are cool, but Nur-Sultan is close to my heart since I like to respect the personal boundaries of others.

Rahmet and saubol

I try to say "thank you" and "bye" in Kazakh to make people happy. But I do not struggle with any language barriers. Admittedly, there are not enough everyday situations for me to speak and improve my Kazakh.

Water or wine

I like to eat and cook here a lot. The water tastes good. In the supermarket where I go shopping, the products are delicious, inexpensive and of good quality. Almost everything is organic. Meat, dairy and eggs are 10 out of 10. I even tried Kazakhstani ice cream - I had never tasted such creaminess.

I also tried Kazakhstani wine. I had not known anything about wineries in Kazakhstan. As a former sommelier, its taste, aroma, and body remind me of those from Austria and Germany. Kazakhs - you have something to be proud of.

A new home?

I have been to many places so I have a base to make comparisons. The symbiosis of infrastructure, products, people, and inner energy is highly important for me - and I have found it all here.

Kazakhstan has an insane potential in terms of gastro- and eco-tourism development. Our team wants to work on projects which would increase the country’s attractiveness by taking into account cultural values and the soul of the Kazakh people. If you come to a country, embrace its culture.