Kazakhstan’s biggest city, Almaty, just opened its subway system for service December 1st, after 23 years of construction. Although work began in 1998 under Soviet rule, after the fall of the USSR, all construction came to a halt and was only resumed in 2005. The system itself runs 8.5 kilometers long, and is used by 30, 000 people daily, but so far most most visit the stations and ride the subway for fun (you use a casino chip-like token to enter), rather than just for transport. What’s striking is that not only do some stations resemble grandiose halls more than they do subways, but that everything is immaculate and pristine. Not one speck of dirt anywhere.

Check out more images of the Almaty subway system after the jump.

pic and info: English Russia via Flavorwire