Medeu, Almaty’s concrete rink in the mountains

Medeu is an outdoor speed-skating and bandy rink in a mountain valley on the south-eastern edge of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Its broad ice field sits at 1,691 m (5,548 ft) above sea level, with concrete stands and steep wooded slopes forming a single sporting landscape.

Medeu’s ice field above Almaty

The rink occupies Medeu Valley on the northern side of the Trans-Ili Alatau. The Malaya Almatinka River runs through the gorge, while the surrounding mountains rise into the alpine terrain south of the city. The complex contains an ice surface measuring 10,500 square metres, an unusually large open-air field set within a narrow mountain setting. Medeu’s elevation and ice area are central to its identity.

The venue is used for speed skating, bandy and other winter sports. Its outdoor oval is bordered by spectator stands, service buildings and access routes leading towards the higher mountain facilities around Shymbulak. The result is a place where a large engineered sports surface sits directly beside forested slopes and a fast-flowing mountain valley.

From a 1951 rink to a Soviet sports complex

Construction began in 1949, and the first official competitions took place in February 1951. The early rink used natural ice. Its name refers to Medeu Pusurmanov, a nineteenth-century local entrepreneur associated with the valley and the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau.

The complex took its present architectural form in 1972, when an artificial-ice system replaced the original natural surface. Vladimir Katsev, Arystan Kaynarbayev and Marat Zhaksylykov are associated with the project. Concrete dominates the stadium, from the stepped stands to the structural elements around the rink. the complex’s architects shaped a late Soviet mountain venue rather than a detached urban arena.

Records, events and the valley dam

Medeu became associated with speed-skating records during the Soviet period. The venue hosted European speed-skating championships, bandy competitions and events connected with the 2011 Asian Winter Games and the 2017 Winter Universiade. Its sporting history therefore extends beyond recreational skating, linking the rink with major competitions in Kazakhstan and the wider Soviet sporting world.

A dam occupies the valley south of the rink. It has three successive levels and a reservoir connected with protection against mudflows. A staircase of 842 steps climbs across the dam, creating a separate landmark within the Medeu complex. The rink, dam, river and mountain slopes form a sequence of concrete and natural elements visible from the same valley floor.

Visiting Medeu: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Medeu lies in Medeu Valley on Almaty’s south-eastern outskirts. The city’s public transport reaches the Medeu area, and a cable car connects the rink with Shymbulak.
• The dam south of the rink has a staircase of 842 steps. Trails from the Medeu area continue towards mountain viewpoints and higher terrain.
• The official language is Kazakh and the currency is the Kazakhstani tenge.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
• Conditions on the mountain change with the seasons; the local cable-car operators and alpine clubs provide information.

Searching for Medeu on social platforms

These links open searches for Medeu on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Medeu

Where is Medeu?

Medeu is in Medeu Valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan, within the Trans-Ili Alatau mountain region.

What can visitors expect at Medeu?

The complex combines an outdoor skating rink, concrete stands, a mountain river, the Medeu dam and routes leading towards higher terrain.

What makes Medeu distinctive?

Its 1,691 m (5,548 ft) elevation places a large artificial-ice rink within a mountain valley, combining Soviet concrete architecture with the landscape of the Trans-Ili Alatau.