Kazakhstan to build schools in three Russian regions

Kazakhstan has announced plans to construct schools in three regions of Russia as part of a reciprocal education cooperation initiative between the two countries.

The schools will be built in the Orenburg, Omsk and Astrakhan regions, according to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, speaking on the sidelines of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Astana, according to Kazinform.

Zhumangarin said the project follows a Russian proposal to construct schools in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan, Kyzylorda and Zhambyl regions, with Astana responding with its own initiative.

“Accordingly, we proposed building them in Orenburg, Omsk, and Astrakhan,” he said, adding that preparations were already underway, with at least one land plot reportedly agreed in Orenburg.

He said the remaining administrative coordination in the other regions was ongoing, with agreements expected to be signed once preparations are complete.

The planned schools are expected to operate in a bilingual format, offering education in both Kazakh and Russian languages, reflecting the close cultural and linguistic ties between the two countries.

“This will be implemented in the near future… It will take a year to a year and a half at most,” Zhumangarin said.

The initiative forms part of broader educational cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, which also includes joint infrastructure projects and curriculum development, according to Russian Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov.