Museum of the First President

Museum of the First President ( ) - darkometer rating : 2 - [UPDATE 2022: the museum no longer seems to exist - when you look at its location on Google Maps it now saws "City Hall". So the chapter below is now OUTDATED and will probably have to be moved to the lost places section. For the time being I'll let it stand, though, but be aware that it is now history!] A cult-of-personality shrine to the first president of , Nursultan Nazarbayev, housed in his former presidential palace in the capital . > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations What there is to see: The building housing the museum used to be the presidential palace until this function was transferred to the new bigger and grander Ak Orda in the new government quarter to the south of the city (see under Astana ). President Nazarbayev's old palace was then turned into the present museum. The museum's name is a slight understatement, since Nazarbayev is not just the first but so far also the only president that the independent state of Kazakhstan has had and it looks like he's to remain in that position for the foreseeable future. The building used to be not so much a residence but rather the place where the president conducted his governmental business. Hence you'll see his study and various meeting rooms, but not, say, his bed or his bathroom – although a dining room does form part of the exhibition, featuring a meticulously laid large dining table complete with all manner of cutlery and crockery, but sans any food or drink. The spots where Nazarbayev would have sat or stood are carefully fenced off, so no posing for any disrespectful snaps! Well, that's ruled out anyway as you're not allowed to take any pictures of any sort.