Kazakh Writers' Union renovation costs exceed 2 billion tenge over two decades

September 14, 2026 at 06:33 AM2 min

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The renovation of the Kazakh Writers' Union building in Almaty has cost more than 2 billion tenge over nearly two decades. The latest contract for completing the annex reconstruction is valued at 661.7 million tenge, with work scheduled to finish in about two months. The project has faced repeated delays, contractor changes, and cost increases since 2021.

Key Facts

The total spending on renovating the Kazakh Writers' Union building in Almaty has exceeded 2 billion tenge over nearly 20 years.
In August 2026, the Almaty construction department announced a tender for completing the annex reconstruction with an initial budget of 675 million tenge.
The winning contractor, TOO 'RFM Contracting', signed a contract for 661.7 million tenge with no advance payments and a completion deadline of about two months.
The previous contractor received more than 1 billion tenge but failed to complete the work on time.
The three-story annex has a total area of over 2,000 square meters and will undergo structural reinforcement, roof replacement, and interior finishing.

Renovation History

The Kazakh Writers' Union building in Almaty has been under prolonged reconstruction for several years. The main work is currently focused on the annex with the assembly hall, which began renovation in 2021. The project has been halted several times, with changing deadlines and contractors, and the total cost has grown to billions of tenge. The historical main building was previously repaired and restored at a significantly lower cost than the current annex reconstruction.

Current Contract

In August 2026, the Almaty construction department published a tender on the public procurement website for completing the reconstruction of the Writers' Union building. The initial planned budget was 675 million tenge, and six companies submitted bids. TOO 'RFM Contracting' won the tender, and after signing the contract, the final amount was reduced to 661.7 million tenge. The contract stipulates no advance payments; the contractor will be paid only for completed and accepted work, with a total duration of about two months. According to technical documentation developed by TOO 'Rosib', the general designer, the work involves completing the capital repair of the three-story annex with a total area of over 2,000 square meters.

Building Condition

The historical main building retains ceremonial interiors, stucco, columns, chandeliers, and a memorial panel with the names of repressed writers. Behind the beautiful interiors, there are problem areas, such as a damp and neglected basement. The previous contractor was paid more than 1 billion tenge but did not complete the work on time, according to the public procurement website.