Zhezkazgan town

Not more than a couple of hundred nomads lived here in the 1920s, in the auls of Kengir and Bekbolat, making it the most thinly populated area in all Kazakhstan . An aerial view reveals nothing but bare, red-brown soil.
Then, out of nowhere, two vast lakes appear, along with traces of a settlement. A large town can be discerned on the bank of the snaking northern lake - this is Zhezkazgan ("the place where copper is dug up"), situated in the middle of the steppe, but nevertheless provided with a plentiful supply of water from the huge Kengir and Zhezdi reservoirs, which stand in sharp contrast to the bare, dry steppe scenery. The reservoirs were built in the 1930s to supply the industry, population and embryonic agriculture of the region.
The most central and also the remotest town in Kazakhstan is hardly ever visited by tourists. It is as though every effort has been made to make the place as forbidding to visitors as possible. Only one flight and one train every couple of days links Zhezkazgan to other parts of the country, and the railroad ends here.

Bus trips from the "nearby" cities of Karaganda to the northeast and Kyzylorda to the southwest are a nightmare, if only because of the poor state of the roads. Also places of interest are scarce in Zhezkazgan. The surrounding land is far from idyllic, and the continental climate is at its most extreme.
Indeed, it is probable that no one would have settled this region if it weren't for its rich mineral resources. Not for nothing were convicts sent to work down the mines here - in fact Kazakhstan 's largest prison camp was located here. It was designed for 70 000 people, but due to the difficult supply lines it never functioned at full capacity.
Copper and coal reserves have, however, resulted in increased interest from mining conglomerates, and even foreign companies are being attracted to the promise of oil prospects. A railway linking Kyzylorda to Zhezkazgan has long been planned, and should this project materialize, hardy tourists will no doubt start to arrive in greater numbers.

Many of the 80 000 inhabitants of this astonishingly green town work in Kazakhstan largest non-ferrous metal factory, Kazahymys. In recent years, this business was able to make a large profit thanks to rising prices of raw materials, and consequently the inhabitants also benefited. Kazakhmys is the main sponsor of many sports clubs, and supports an annual competition of Kazakh folk singers, the national "aitys ", which has become so popular that entrance tickets get sold out weeks before the event.
A visit to the local history museum is worthwhile (22 Alasha Khan Ave) it plays an important role in tourism by preparing interesting excursions throughout the area, by scientific research of the region and by the popularization of historical traditions.

A church of Andrey Pervozvannogo


Monument to the first builders of city


Memorial to explorers of air space