Editing Astana (section)

=== Soviet era (1918–1991) ===
During [[World War II]], Akmolinsk served as a route for the transport of engineering tools and equipment from evacuated [[Factory|plant]]s in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]], [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]], and [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]] located in the [[oblast]]s of the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]]. Local industries were appointed to respond to war needs, assisting the country to provide the battle and home fronts with all materials needed. In the post-war years, Akmolinsk became a beacon of economic revival in the west of the [[Soviet Union]] ruined by the war. Additionally, many [[History of Germans in Russia, Ukraine and the Soviet Union|Russian-Germans]] were resettled here after being [[Population transfer in the Soviet Union|deported]] under [[Joseph Stalin]]'s rule.<ref>{{cite web|author=S. Kurmanova|title=Deportation of Volga Germans to Kazakhstan: Causes and Consequences|url=http://e-history.kz/media/upload/1488/2014/06/26/18cc9c944aa4adcf1f67b8f1f45826ca.pdf|access-date=13 January 2015|publisher=e-history.kz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122234513/http://e-history.kz/media/upload/1488/2014/06/26/18cc9c944aa4adcf1f67b8f1f45826ca.pdf|archive-date=22 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1954, Northern Kazakh SSR oblasts became a territory of the [[Virgin Lands Campaign]], in order to turn the region into a second [[grain]] producer for the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Kazakhstan |date=7 September 2018 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides; Third edition |isbn=978-1784770921|page= 71|author1=Paul Brummell |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Ian MacWilliam|title=In Virgin Lands, a Dream Ends|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/sitemap/free/1994/4/article/in-virgin-lands-a-dream-ends/213516.html|date=20 April 1994|access-date=13 January 2015|newspaper=The Moscow Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114232557/http://www.themoscowtimes.com/sitemap/free/1994/4/article/in-virgin-lands-a-dream-ends/213516.html|archive-date=14 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 1960, [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] made a resolution to create the Tselinniy Krai, which comprised five regions of the Northern Kazakh SSR oblasts.{{sfn|Kozlov|Gilburd|2013|p=293}} [[Akmola Region|Akmolinsk Oblast]] was ceased to exist as a separate administrative entity.{{sfn|Kozlov|Gilburd|2013|p=293}} Its districts were directly subordinated to the new [[krai]] administration, and Akmolinsk became the krai capital, as well as the administrative seat of the new Virgin Lands economic region.{{sfn|Kozlov|Gilburd|2013|p=293}} On 14 March 1961, Khrushchev suggested the city should have a name corresponding to its role in the Virgin Lands Campaign.{{sfn|Khrushchev|2010|p=739}} On 20 March 1961, the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR renamed Akmolinsk to ''Tselinograd''.{{sfn|Khrushchev|2010|p=739}} On 24 April 1961, the region was reconstituted as ''Tselinograd Oblast''.{{sfn|Kozlov|Gilburd|2013|p=293}} In the 1960s, Tselinograd was completely transformed. In 1963, work on the first three new high-rise housing districts began.{{sfn|Kozlov|Gilburd|2013|p=295}} In addition, the city received a number of new monumental public buildings, including the Virgin Lands Palace, a Palace of Youth, a House of Soviets, a new airport, and several sports venues.{{sfn|Kozlov|Gilburd|2013|p=296}} In 1971, the Tselinniy Krai was abolished and Tselinograd became the oblast's new capital.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}