Kazakhstan's first crematorium has performed seven cremations since its opening.

Since its opening in Almaty, Kazakhstan's first crematorium has performed seven cremations. During this period, the Almaty City Pathology Bureau has received over 40 inquiries from relatives regarding this procedure.

The inquiries included both Kazakh and foreign citizens. Specifically, requests were submitted by relatives of three Chinese citizens, two Russian citizens, as well as citizens of the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

Cremation is possible only with the documented will of the deceased. Without such a document, relatives are denied the procedure.

After cremation, the ashes are handed over to the relatives. If necessary, the urn can be temporarily stored at the crematorium for up to one year.

The crematorium operates within the Almaty City Pathology Bureau. The facility is equipped with two double-chamber furnaces and can perform 16 to 24 cremations per day.

Interest in this service is gradually increasing in Almaty. The city's health department attributes this change, among other things, to urbanization, a shortage of available space in cemeteries in large cities, and increased environmental awareness among the population.

Kyrgyzstan previously banned the cremation of the dead by law: crematoriums can now only be used for the thermal destruction of biological materials generated during medical activities. Unclaimed and unidentified bodies are permitted to be buried exclusively in cemeteries.