Burabay (Borovoe)

Protection began with a state forest in 1898. In 1920 Burabay was nationalised and declared a spa town of national importance, and in 1935 a nature reserve was set up; it was dissolved in 1951 and replaced by the Burabay Forest. On 12 August 2000 the area became a national park of 83,511 hectares, enlarged in 2010 to 129,935 hectares, and it is administered under the authority of the President of Kazakhstan.

The area is also linked with Kazakh history: a cave in the park is named after Kenesary Khan, grandson of Ablai Khan, who according to legend hid here with his companions, and the national tourism portal describes him as the last Kazakh khan. The nearby Botai Burabay museum presents the ancient Botai culture of the Eneolithic period.

Burabay has been a holiday and health resort since the early Soviet period and remains one of Kazakhstan's best-known destinations. The park's lakes and forests also figure strongly in Kazakh legend and history, and many of its rocks carry stories that guides tell on excursions. The forests yield many kinds of edible mushroom, and migrating ducks gather on the lakes in autumn.