Almaty's Murals: An Open-Air Gallery

A mural is a large-scale work of art created directly on the wall of a building, a façade or another architectural surface. Unlike ordinary graffiti, a mural is more often conceived as a standalone work of art tied to a specific place and the urban environment. It can tell the story of a neighbourhood, reflect cultural traditions, be dedicated to notable people, or simply change the mood of a familiar urban space. The murals of Almaty have become an important part of contemporary urban culture. They transform blank walls into distinctive open-air galleries and make art accessible to everyone — there is no need to seek it out in a museum or gallery, you simply have to step outside.

Murals as wall painting have existed since ancient times. Wall images are found in cave art and ancient civilisations, but the modern understanding of the mural as a large-scale work of public art on the walls of urban buildings took shape primarily in Mexico in the 1920s. After the Mexican Revolution, the government began supporting a large-scale public art programme. In 1921, the Minister of Education, José Vasconcelos, invited artists to paint the walls of state buildings in order to tell people about the country's history, its culture and social ideas through art.

It was then that the famous Mexican muralists emerged — Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Their works turned wall painting into a fully fledged instrument for expressing public opinion. The Mexican experience subsequently had an enormous influence on the development of contemporary street art throughout the world.

Let us look at the TOP 10 most famous murals on buildings in Almaty:

1. Berkutchi

The mural 'Berkutchi' appeared on the façade of house No. 111 on Rozybakiev Street as part of the international festival of monumental and decorative art MURAL FEST in 2017. The author of the work is the Ukrainian artist Andriy Palval, known above all for his portraits of people and depictions of birds. The choice of the berkutchi image for Almaty is due to the fact that the golden eagle and the art of hunting with a bird of prey are among the important symbols of nomadic culture and Kazakh tradition. The work became one of the notable examples of Almaty street art and was among the murals that formed the city's open-air gallery. Today 'Berkutchi' is also interesting as an example of how international artists see Kazakh culture.

2. Snow Leopard 2.0

The mural featuring a snow leopard appeared at 59 Abylai Khan Avenue in 2017 for Almaty City Day. It was created by the Kazakh art team Neon & Shaman, who worked predominantly in a realistic manner. The central image of the composition is a snow leopard against a backdrop of mountains, that is, two symbols at once, closely linked to the image of Almaty. The leopard in this case acts not only as a depiction of a rare animal, but also as a kind of city coat of arms — a symbol of strength, freedom and the region's natural population. Today this mural is known under the name 'Snow Leopard 2.0' and remains one of the most recognisable works of Almaty street art.

3. Father of Apples

'Father of Apples' is one of the oldest and most recognisable murals in Almaty. The work appeared at 160 Nazarbayev Avenue in 2013 as part of the Artbat Fest festival, whose theme that year was formulated as 'The City as a Canvas'. The mural is executed in a pop-art style and refers to one of Almaty's main natural symbols — the apple and the legend of the apple tree's origins in this very region. The very title 'Father of Apples' turns the depicted character into a kind of mythological forefather of the city's identity. The work is located at the intersection of Nazarbayev Avenue and Kurmangazy Street and, thanks to its position, has long been part of the familiar urban landscape. In a broader sense, this mural became an example of how contemporary art can turn a city's natural symbol into an element of its visual style.

4. Girl with Petroglyphs

'Girl with Petroglyphs' is located at 31 Kurmangazy Street, at the intersection with Tulebaev Street. The author of the work is the Belarusian artist Alexander Blagiy. At the centre of the composition is the image of a girl, while the images surrounding her recall the famous petroglyphs of the archaeological landscape of Tamgaly. In this way, the mural literally connects modern man with the ancient history of the steppe and creates an image of the continuity of generations. Art manager Dilda Ramazan showed in this work the continuity of traditions and their perception by young people.

5. Cosmos / Starry Night

On the same building at 31 Kurmangazy Street there is another notable work — the mural 'Cosmos', which is also called 'Starry Night'. It features in city guides to Almaty street art and is marked on maps as a separate object. The work is built on cosmic imagery and the contrast between the vast space of the Universe and dense urban development. For Almaty, a city with a strong Soviet space and scientific history, such a theme looks entirely organic. The result is a rather interesting juxtaposition: on one façade — the ancient history of the steppe in 'Girl with Petroglyphs', and beside it man's orientation towards the future and the cosmos. As a result, this section of Kurmangazy Street turns into a small open cluster of urban monumental painting.

6. Mukaghali Makatayev

The portrait of Mukaghali Makatayev appeared on the façade of a residential building at 186 Makatayev Street. The work was created during a period when the poet's legacy was widely celebrated in Kazakhstan and various cultural projects dedicated to his life and work were taking place. The choice of façade is especially symbolic: the work is dedicated to a man whose name the street itself now bears. The portrait turns urban architecture into a kind of memorial page and makes the figure of the poet part of the daily route of city residents. Makatayev thus ceases to be a distant literary classic and begins literally to 'be present' in the city. Portrait painting on large façades also creates a new type of urban monument — not bronze and not museum-bound, but alive and accessible to everyone.

7. Roza Baglanova

A mural featuring a portrait of Roza Baglanova appeared in Almaty in May 2026 on the façade of a building in the Samal-3 microdistrict, 21. This is the very building where the famous Kazakh singer once lived. The initiative to create the mural came from the residents of the building themselves, who had previously approached the city authorities with this request. Roza Baglanova's daughter-in-law, Maral Baglanova, took part in the realisation of the project. Thus, this is not merely a portrait of a well-known artist, but a kind of monument tied to a specific place in her life. The mural demonstrates how contemporary urban art can emerge on the initiative of residents who wish to preserve the memory of a person connected to their building and neighbourhood.

8. Gorillaz

This mural appeared very recently — in August 2026, ahead of the performance by the British virtual band Gorillaz in Almaty. The work is located on the façade of the Tau Samal residential complex at 72 Navoi Street. The creators were the illustrator artists @dammit.art, @gray_one1 and @uno.raf. The appearance of the work is connected to the band's concert at the Park Live 2026 festival, making it one of the most striking examples of how an international cultural event can leave a visual mark on the urban environment. Gorillaz itself was created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett and is known for its fictional universe and animated characters. Unlike many Almaty murals that address national history or local nature, this project connects Almaty with global pop culture.

9. Anticipation

"Anticipation" is a work by the Kazakh artists Saule Suleimenova and Kuanysh Bazargaliyev (KuBa). The mural appeared in 2019 at 565 Seifullin Avenue as part of the IV International Festival MURAL FEST. The composition is based on a real photograph from the late 1970s to early 1980s, meaning the work speaks of the everyday life of Soviet Almaty. Suleimenova is known for her interest in documentary imagery and human stories. The mural proved so significant for the city that after damage during façade repairs in 2022, it was decided to restore it under the authors' supervision. Today, "Anticipation" can be perceived as a kind of photograph of the past, enlarged to the size of a city wall.

10. Cyclists

The mural "Cyclists" is located at 127 Tole Bi Street and is dedicated to the theme of urban mobility and Almaty's cycling culture. The work appeared as part of the "Murals of Almaty" project and was timed to coincide with City Day. The subject itself reflects a new urban habit that has emerged in Almaty over recent decades — using the bicycle not only as sports equipment but also as a means of transport. This work is regarded as a reflection of Almaty's love of cycling and its numerous cycling events. The mural promotes the image of the modern city dweller who is active and open to alternative transport.

Tags:Almaty Kazakhstan Contemporary art Mural Street art