Similar to other post-Soviet countries, Kazakhstan can be compared to a white rabbit in snow; hidden in plain sight. Tucked between Russia, China, and a few smaller -stans, it’s the ninth largest country in the world.

Left dreaming of stark empty marble plazas, we could think of nothing else to do but bring you this video. And after you watch, check out the short Q&A with shop owner and filmmaker Alexey Yefimchenko.

What was the biggest challenge in getting your shop up and running in Kazakhstan?
The biggest challenge is that we’re the only shop in the whole country. But we love what we do, so we just went for it! We deal with hardships every day, like people asking if we rent out ice skates, but we love organizing skate video premieres, fun skate contests, and more—things no one else here does. Our shop was even robbed once: they took all our stuff, ate our bananas, and drank our apple juice!

How much does a skateboard cost there?
The boards in our store cost anywhere from $60 to $90. Our brand cost $60 because we produce them in Spain. A complete costs about $200/$250. Since we are very far away, we have to pay very expensive shipping.

photo by: Victor Magdeyev

Why is the video named “Dirty People”?
We flew out to Istanbul for a tour, and as we were skating in a high-end neighborhood, two old aggressive dudes came at us and called us “Dirty People!” We thanked them for the name and left.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but why do so many of your last names end in “ov”?
Kazakhstan is a truly multinational country, and our team is incredibly diverse—we have Kazakhs, Russians, Ukrainians, Tajiks, Uighurs, and Germans. Since we are all from the former USSR, our last names were changed to a Slavic style.

photo by: Arnay Ormash

I’m amazed at how empty a lot of the plazas look when you’re skating them. Where are all the people?
A lot of the empty plazas you saw are in our capital, Astana, where we toured last year. Astana is a relatively new city that was built very quickly, so it has many plazas, squares, and spots, but people don’t usually hang out there. Most people go to Astana for government work. When you’re skating there on weekdays, it feels like you’re the only one around—like everyone else is working except you.

How do people react to skateboarding in Kazakhstan?
It depends. Sometimes people are really nice and welcoming, and sometimes they’re super aggressive because they feel we’re interfering with their lives—but I think they just can’t do a kickflip. For the most part, the cops are really supportive. Even if someone calls them, they’ll scold the caller, saying, “Dude, why did you call us? They’re just skating and having a good time.”

photo by: Victor Magdeyev

Are there a lot of stray cats in Kazakhstan?
Hahaha, that’s a funny question! There are plenty of cats in Kazakhstan, and people generally love them. We definitely don’t eat them.

How would you explain Kazakhstan’s nightlife?
Nightlife in Kazakhstan isn’t all that different from Europe or the U.S. There are plenty of partygoers and easygoing people out enjoying themselves. It’s nothing like what you see in the Borat movie.

I was going to ask. How has the Borat movie affected Kazakhstan?
It’s just a silly movie that has nothing to do with Kazakhstan. Our people are really angry about it, because it doesn’t represent who we are or our reality. But it did make a lot of people around the world aware that our country exists.

photo by: Arnay Ormash

Who originally popped off skateboarding there?
Skateboarding really took off in Kazakhstan in the early 2000s. At that time, a few families from the U.S. came here for work and brought their kids, who, in turn, brought along skateboarding stuff you couldn’t find in Kazakhstan—brands like Globe, Circa, Zero, and Toy Machine. Everyone looked at them like they were video game characters.

Now, Almaty has around 1,000 skaters, a skate shop, concrete plazas, and plenty of cool spots, but it was a whole different story back then.

Who is the Tony Hawk of Kazakhstan?
There isn’t anyone like that. But people know the game very well, and they often ask, “Can you do a trick like Tony Hawk?”

photo by: Arnay Ormash

Are there any local skate brands?
Sadly, we’re the only skateboard brand in Kazakhstan—there’s no one else. We run a skate shop, produce decks, and also make clothing.

Do you have any advice for someone trying to start a scene/shop in a new place?
Money is not the main thing in this business, it’s all about passion and true love for skateboarding. You will meet a lot of difficulties along the way, but if you are passionate about it, you will definitely succeed.

Interview and Intro by: Ben Komins
Photos by: Victor Magdeyev and Arnay Ormash
Find a travel agent on Facebook
Brag about being multicultural on Instagram and Twitter