New fountain opened in Almaty on Lovers Day

A fountain called Su Peri (in English, Mermaid) has been opened in Almaty on the Lovers Day or Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu Day, a Kazakh version of the Valentine's Day, that Kazakhstan celebrates on April 15, Tengrinews reports. 

The new fountain created by Baurzhan Zhuasbayev is located at the crossing of Gogol and Buzurbayev Streets, in front of Almaty's Central Park (Gorkiy Park on Gogol Street).

The opening ceremony was attended by the representatives of the city administration and the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, famous producers Bayan Yessentayeva and Erik Tastembekov as well as Almaty’s businessmen. 

According to an ancient Turkic legend, Su Peri was the patroness of all lovers, who lived in the lake located in Karkaralinsk mountains at the height of 1,200 meters. 

The legend tells a story of a forbidden love of two young people - beautiful Altynshash, the daughter of a wealthy man and Altai, the son of an ordinary herdsman. Altynshash's father was going to marry his daughter to a man from a noble family, against her will and love of Altai.

When the lovers indulged in grief, mourning their fate, lake water separated and a beautiful mermaid appeared on the shore of the lake. Witnessing the despair of the lovers, the mermaid imbued with their grief and offered them to settle permanently in her underwater kingdom. Since then, there is a tradition - young couples throw coin into the lake wishing for strong relationships and single people come asking for love.

Besides, one of Almaty's couples Nurlan Ospan and Nargiz Narmambetova choose to get married on that beautiful day.

The two young people met each other five years ago at work, where Nurlan was Nargiz’s chief. However, later Nargiz decided to take a different job. They began dating much later and then decided to get married on April 15.

Nurlan and Nargiz came to the ceremony in Kazakh national costumes. They danced their first waltz right after they received their marriage certificate.  

“I learned about the Lovers Day two months ago and I believe it is a wonderful spring holiday. The Lovers Day on April 15 is a new thing for our country, but I think it will eventually become as popular as the Valentine's Day,” Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan Alexander Smirnov said. 

According to Kazakhstani producer Bayan Yessentayeva, it will not take much time for this holiday to settle in. She promised to do her best to promote it. “I have a very positive attitude to this holiday and I think it will soon become a brand. We should have our own Lovers Day. There are a lot of technologies now like Instagram, Facebook. If we unite, this holiday will be celebrated next year at full swing. I believe we should leave the Valentine's Day behind and celebrate our own holiday,” she said. 

Su Peri is not the first monument in Almaty dedicated to love. Among other monuments that celebrate love are a heart-shaped stone at the crossing of Tole Bi and Tchaikovsky Streets, the bench of lovers’ reconciliation at the crossing of Gogol and Abylai Khan Streets, the Lovers’ Arch at the Astana Square, and a traffic light with heart-shaped green light at the intersection of Gogol and Furmanov Streets. 

The Lovers Day has been celebrated in Kazakhstan since 2011. Kazakhstan's officials used to treat Valentine's Day sceptically. Therefore, it was decided to create Kazakhstan's own version of Valentine's Day. The Kazakh lowers day commemorates the tragic love of two heroes of an epic Kazakh lyrical poem Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu.

However, despite the fact that four years have already passed since the introduction of this holiday, Valentine's Day is still widely celebrated in Kazakhstan.

Reporting by Roza Yessenkulova, writing by Assel Satubaldina