Almaty Bars
It’s not about where you’re from. It’s about how you treat the city.
The snow leopard has long been part of Almaty’s visual identity — from murals across the city to works by local artists.
We chose the snow leopard as a way to talk about caring for our city, taking responsibility, and making it better through our actions.
The idea
In 2017, a mural of a snow leopard standing on a car appeared in central Almaty. Years later, an advertisement covered it. Residents spoke up and called for the mural’s return — and it was restored.
At first glance, it was just a painting on a wall. Why did it matter so much?
Because it had become part of the city they knew and loved. Something they felt was worth protecting.
Snow leopard mural by Neon & Shaman, 2017.
This image already has a place in Almaty: in art, on the streets, and in people’s memories.
We saw in it the values behind the Almaty Bars movement: love for the city, respect for one another, and the determination to make everyday life better.
We talk about roads, safety, public spaces, and how people treat one another. We examine real situations, look for practical solutions, and show how much depends on what each of us does.
The Bars Sign is a visual expression of that idea. Not an award for being a “good citizen”, but a way to show what Almaty means to you.
It doesn’t matter where you were born. What matters is how you treat the city.
Interpretations
Everyone can create their own version of the snow leopard. For an artist, it may be a drawing. For a designer, a new form. For someone else, a piece of clothing, an accessory, or a favorite everyday item. What matters to us is seeing how people make this familiar city image their own.
Almaty is home to makers, designers, and workshops that can turn ideas into real products. We want to help them connect with customers — and help residents find the right people to bring their ideas to life.
Let caring about Almaty also support the people who work here.
Creativity
Have an idea of your own? You don’t have to be an artist, a designer, or a manufacturer — just someone who connects with this image.
Share your interpretation. It might become the next example of how one city image can take on so many different forms.
