23.10.2023

Baikonur, Surrounded by the vast sand dunes of the Kazakh steppe, on satellite images the city of Baikonur looks like an oasis of glimmering lights in an otherwise dry desert.

Leased by Russia from Kazakhstan since the collapse of the USSR, the legendary launch sitewas for years the heart of the Soviet space programme, sending both the first artificial satellite and human into space.

Russia, whose lease on the site will expire in 2050, continues to regularly use the cosmodrome to send Russian and foreign crews to the International Space Station (ISS).

But faced with aging infrastructure and limited economic prospects, Baikonur's Russian inhabitants are slowly moving away from the once-bustling city.

"More and more Kazakhs are settling here and the Russians are leaving," said 22-year-old Artur Faleyev, born in Baikonur.

Artur trained as a computer scientist, but in a city focused solely on the space industry, he has struggled to find a job using his skills.

"There are no prospects here," he said.

Quelle: APP