Apollo Butterflies - Kazakstan

The world’s first and largest space launch facility is located in Kazakstan. Control is maintained by Russia through a lease agreement extending to 2050. The Baikonur Cosmodrome was the launch site for the first manned space flight featuring Yuri Gagarin and for placing Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, into earth’s orbit.

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Parnassius delphius - The butterfly genus Parnassius is general referred to as the “Apollo” group and consists of 54 species. The Apollo butterflies are high altitude insects and are usually found in the 2,000 to 3,000 meter range. Most Apollo species are rare, but the delphis, also known as the banded Apollo, is a common sight, and distributed throughout Central Asia. The Apollo butterflies are easily recognized; they have a whitish grey color, rounded wings, and most species feature a prominent red “eye” pattern on the upper side of the wings.

Wild Apple - Kazakstan

Malus sieversii - Apple trees originated in Central Asia and its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, continues to thrive in Kazakstan. The apple tree is deciduous and grows from 1.8 to 4.6 meters in cultivated settings and up to 12 meters when found in the wild. The skin of an apple is naturally covered with a layer of epicuticular wax. It is often assumed this protective cover helps ward off insects,

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The Botai culture was an ancient archaeological culture situated in Kazakhstan’s present day province of Aqmola. It has been traced back to approximately 7,000 years ago. Research has provided strong evidence of the Botai people being the first to domesticate the horse. Shards of pottery with depictions of horses show the close ties between the Botai and the horse. The Botai people made clothing from the skin, drank mare’s milk, fashioned bones into tools, and used the horse as a form of transportation.