FC Astana is a professional football club based in Astana, Kazakhstan. The club’s visual identity has undergone several documented changes since its founding in 2009, including a 2023 decision to revive a previous crest design.
Design and History
The club was founded in 2009 as FC Lokomotiv Astana, and its original emblem used a blue and gold color scheme. In January 2013, the club announced a return to these “initial” blue and gold colors, noting they had appeared on the Lokomotiv emblem in 2009 and matched the colors of the club’s general sponsor, the national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. For the 2013 season, the club also added national elements: the circle surrounding the football was rendered in the form of a shanyrak (a traditional Kazakh yurt crown), and an ornament called “oiu-orniek” was added on both sides.[1]
In February 2020, FC Astana presented a new emblem to mark its tenth anniversary. The club had launched a design competition and received more than 1,000 entries from fans. The winning concepts came from two designers, Aigerim Ibraeva of Nur-Sultan and Alim Rakhimbekov of Zhezkazgan, who split the prize fund. A creative team then finalized the design.[2][3]
The 2020 redesign kept the existing color scheme and core elements, including the “Astana Football Club” lettering and a football, but placed them inside a shield. The club added the founding year (2009), the city name “Nur-Sultan,” a wreath of wheat ears, and two stars representing six national championships (one star per three titles under league regulations).[2][3]
On 1 November 2023, the club announced another change: a return to the logo used during the 2014-2019 seasons. The club stated that its main victories domestically and internationally were associated with that logo, and that reviving the “Astana” brand style implied a revival of the club’s successes. Official use of the restored logo began on 1 November 2023, though the previous version continued to be used partially during the club’s UEFA Conference League group stage participation.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented symbolism for the 2020 shield-based emblem includes several elements. The blue color was described as traditional for Turkic peoples and symbolizing the sky over Kazakhstan, while gold represented well-being. The shield was described as a symbol of protection, victory, glory and honor. The wreath of wheat ears referenced the city’s history as a grain-growing region and also served as a champions’ wreath symbolizing victories in the Kazakhstan championship. The two stars represented six club championships.[2][3]
For the 2013 emblem, the shanyrak-shaped circle and the “oiu-orniek” ornament were added as elements of national color as the club prepared to represent Kazakhstan in European competition that season.[1]
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