After completing the space series I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it would be making a return (after ending in 2015). The info came out in November 2020 and since that day I was checking eBay and other sources constantly to make sure I didn't miss it. Finally, on March 1st, 2021 these coins were released for sale by the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the next day I picked mine up from a seller on eBay. Even with the recent snafus with the postal service, the package arrived relatively quickly (only took about two weeks). This time the coin came in three versions and I decided to opt in for all. The main attraction is the 500 Tenge Bimetallic Silver & Tantalum coin (mintage of 2,500). Then there is the 200 Tenge cupronickel alloy proof-like (that is what they call it but it looks proof). This is the first time that I recall seeing this finish and size used for a space coin (mintage of 10,000). Finally, there is the regular circulation quality 100 Tenge (mintage of 100,000). For those that want to see the rest of the space series, check out this thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/kazakhstan-silver-tantalum-space-series.366359/
Yes they announced it was to change to Latin letters in 2017, began dropping it from coins in 2019, and planned to make the complete transition by 2025. https://www.dw.com/en/kazakhstan-rewrites-its-alphabet-to-shed-its-soviet-past/a-49434285 There have been several changes since and the new plan is to transition by 2031. https://astanatimes.com/2021/02/kaz...phabet-plans-gradual-transition-through-2031/
If they make a movie about Space Dogs from Kazakhstan, hopefully they will use local dogs or Borat. Belka and Strelka were actually Russian dogs from the streets of Moscow. I wonder what you know who in the Kremlin thinks of their Latinizing their alphabet?
Most of the dogs were strays from Moscow but they were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (although the area is still leased to Russia). And I'm sure plenty of people in Kazakhstan wouldn't mind a one-way ticket to space for Borat.
Back when the original movie came out, they didn't see the humour in it. That said, I can think of quite a few people I'd like to send into that volcano in Iceland:
It still seems like many don't find it too funny. That movie has ingrained a certain picture of Kazakhstan in the minds of many people and it's not a positive one.
Yeah, but it was filmed in Romania and there were no Kazakhs involved. I got a certain picture of people in the USA from the movie.
Unfortunately the details of the movie don't matter much to most who draw their own (often false) pictures.
A number of the central Asian “stans” have switched or are in the process of switching alphabets from Cyrillic to Latin. The countries include Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan; perhaps others. For some, Latin was their original alphabet, and the Soviets forced a switch to Cyrillic. Another motive is to distance themselves culturally from Russia and promote more interaction, especially trade and tourism, with the West. Factoids about Kazakhstan: It’s the 9th largest country in the world and the largest landlocked country. Cal
That is interesting because they didn't push Cyrillic off on the Baltic countries. Belarus uses the same alphabet Russia does, but Ukraine has a different character for the lettre "i". But they didn't also change the alphabet in Georgia or Azerbaijan, if anything I would have thought the Georgian alphabet would have been nuked by the Soviets since it was so different than any other. Tannu Tuva - near Mongolia also used the Latin alphabet until they were incorporated into the USSR in 1944(allegedly at their request). During their "independence" they printed up a lot of stamps in odd shapes etc. I have some somewhere. I don't believe they were actually used for postage.
