The Zhaiyl district of the Chui region of Kyrgyzstan occupies 3028 km². 92,645 people live in twelve settlements of the Zhaiyl district. The city of Kara-Balta is its administrative center. The name of the city is translated from Kyrgyz as “black axe”. Directories of Kara-Balta specify that throughout its history it was a trading settlement: in the 6th-8th centuries, called Nuzket, it was a trading center on the Great Silk Road; at the beginning of the 20th century, numerous artels were located here; since 1975 it has become a large industrial center of the Chui region. Previously it was called Mikoyan and Kalininskoye. Formed in 1825, it received city status in 1975. The map of Kara-Balta shows that it is located at the foot of the Ala-Too slope at an altitude of 700-750 meters. It is bordered by the Kara-Balta River, which originates at the confluence of the mountain rivers Tuyu, Abla, and Kol. 37.8 thousand people live on the territory of Kara-Balta.
Industrial enterprises and organizations of Kara-Balta are represented by the Kara-Balta Mining Combine - the largest processing of uranium-containing ore in Central Asia. This complex also produces molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, tin, silver, and barite. The city is the largest transport hub in the region. The Tashkent-Taraz-Bishkek-Balykchy railway line and the Tashkent-Bishkek-Almaty highway run through here. Highways running along the right bank of the Kara-Balta River are of great importance for the economic and social development of the city. Many firms and companies of Kara-Balta are engaged in logistics and transportation. Small and medium-sized businesses are represented by Kara-Balta institutions that process agricultural products. Educational institutions in Kara-Balta are represented by secondary schools and kindergartens. At the moment there is a problem related to the shortage of teachers and educators.
All Kara-Balta telephones require dialing the code “+996 331-33” to the local subscriber number. The Yellow Pages of Kara-Balta are the most informatively complete publication, providing all the information about organizations, firms and companies operating in the city. Kara-Balta telephone directories are republished annually and include all the necessary contacts for residents and guests of the city. Telephone directories of Kara-Balta can be found in all bookstores.
website - Kara-Balta is one of the youngest cities in Kyrgyzstan. The city is comfortably located at the foot of the northern slope of Ala-Too.
During the Soviet era, the upper part of the city was a closed “post city” with secret industries, including the Kara-Balta Mining Plant, which is the largest enterprise in Central Asia for processing uranium ore. Despite the fact that many of these enterprises are currently closed, reduced production volumes or were repurposed to produce other products to continue operating, to this day Kara-Balta continues to provide 70% of the industrial output of the Chui region.
Nuzket is a chain connecting the Chui region with the outside world
Various surviving Arab and Chinese sources indicate that along the Great Silk Road in the 6th-7th centuries AD, trade and craft settlements arose in the Chui Valley. Arabic sources mention their names: Taraz (Dzhambul), Kulan (Merke), Nuzket (Karabalta), Kharon (Belovodskoye), Jul (Sokuluk), Saryg, Suyab, Navkat.
Nuzket (Kara-Balta) was one of the largest medieval settlements in the Chui Valley. In order to protect themselves from robbers, merchant caravans found overnight accommodation in this city. There was vigorous trade and exchange of goods in the city's bazaars. And the works of Nuzket artisans went to distant countries along the Silk Road. We can say that Nuzket was a strong link in the chain connecting the Chui region with the wider outside world.
First fortress
Archaeological excavations show that the city was not small, it consisted of a citadel and a shakhristan with a total area of about 1 km2 and was located on the site of the current lower markets. Nuzket was the center of culture. In the city, ceramic products were made both by hand and on a potter's wheel. The master artists of Nuzket were distinguished by their virtuosity. During archaeological excavations, objects with lid handles in the shape of birds, animals, and people were found. For more than six centuries, nomads bypassed Nuzket, since no settlements arose on the site of the city, and only after the formation of the Kokand Khanate under Madali Khan, the Shish-Debe (Shish-Tepe) fortress was built.
Uchitelskaya street
The famous traveler V.V. Bartold visited Kyrgyzstan and in his report the traveler wrote the following: “Near the next two stations of Chaldybar and Karabalta there are remains of large Kokand fortifications. Both fortresses have a completely similar structure: the fortress is surrounded by a rampart in the form of an irregular quadrangle: inside it, precisely in the northwestern corner, there is another elevation, surrounded by a wall of mud bricks; among the mud, there are also whole burnt bricks and their fragments. There is only one entrance to the fortress - in the eastern side; in addition to this space, the fortress was surrounded on all sides by impassable swamps; The swamp near Karabalta has now partly dried up. The Karabalta fortress is called Shish-Tepe by local residents; its foundation is attributed to Solomon. There is no doubt that in both fortresses the citadels with mud walls were erected by the Sarts in very recent times; but the fortresses themselves may be of much more ancient origin... in addition to the fortifications, we also examined stone women... mounds are almost always located south of the road, towards the gorges; at the very entrance to the gorge there are almost always mounds - a phenomenon that we later had to meet and in Semirechye. Stone women of the usual type are located near the road, about 5 versts from Chaldovar and near peasant houses in Nikolaevka and Karabalty.”
Industrial production of the city
The population of the village of Kara-Balta by 1912 was about two thousand people. In the village there were adobe houses, covered with reeds and surrounded by adobe duvals. Small handicraft enterprises with two or three workers gradually developed: mills, shoemakers, tailoring workshops. And the formation of the village as a future city began in 1924 with the completion of the construction of the Pishpek-Lugovaya railway line passing through the city. By the way, many Karabalta residents took part in the construction of the railway. With the completion of this railway, industrial production began to develop. People began to make horse-drawn carriages, wheels, nails, carpentry, barrels, or rather everything related to agriculture. On March 8, 1933, a large sugar factory began operating with all auxiliary services, a thermal power plant, and a residential village. The plant gave a powerful impetus to the development of beet growing, livestock farming and other branches of agriculture. During the harsh years of the Great Patriotic War, the plant provided sugar to the army of workers. During the war, a glycerin plant was built at the sugar factory. The front needed glycerin as a basis for rubber production. At the same time, construction of a distillery was underway. The first alcohol was produced in the city in 1943. In 1972, a powerful bakery plant with a storage capacity of 56 thousand tons of grain was built, now the Buudai-Karabalta State Enterprise.
Monument to V. Lenin in the Central Park of Culture and Culture
Education of the city of Kara-Balta
The presence of huge industrial potential required the status of a city for the village of Kara-Balta. In 1974, the chairman of the executive committee of the district council, Mukhamed Turgunovich Ibragimov, and the first secretary of the district party committee, Asan Kamalovich Kamalov, sent a reasoned letter to the republican authorities. Turdakun Usubaliev supported the initiative, and on September 9, 1975, the Supreme Council of the Republic issued a decree on the formation of the city of Kara-Balta.
The city was supposed to become a satellite of the capital
At the very beginning, Kara-Balta was supposed to become a satellite of the capital. Under the leadership of the chief architect of the Kirgizpromstroy Institute, N.V. Karpenko. its master plan until the year 2000 was developed based on 100,000 population. But, unfortunately, during the years of perestroika, another city plan began to be developed at the Kyrgyz NIIP Urban Planning Institute under the leadership of architect T.A. Tugova. per 56,000 population.
The population of the city in 2013 is 46,596 people. Kara-Balta is a multinational city inhabited by Kyrgyz, Russians, Uighurs, Uzbeks, Koreans, Kazakhs, Germans and Tatars. In 1991-1993 the population was 54,200 people. The rapid outflow outside the republic led to this figure. Today, the migration process has been significantly reduced.
Monument to Zhaiyl Baatir
Sports complex "Manas". Football, basketball, volleyball and other competitions at the district and republican level are held here.
Brief information about the city of Kara-Balta
The city of Kara-Balta, bordered by the Kara-Balta River (translated from Kyrgyz as Chernaya Rechka), is located in the Chui Valley, 62 km from the city of Bishkek. Built in 1825, it received city status in 1975. Population - 44 thousand people. The city-forming enterprise is the Karabalta Mining Combine (KGRK) - the largest enterprise in Central Asia for processing uranium-containing ore.
Karabaltinsky Park. A variety of trees and plants, and cute squirrels running around them.
Monument to the older generation in the park.
In general, the Kyrgyz are very respectful of the older generation. The concept of clan is the main thing for them, and any Kyrgyz, if you wake him up in the middle of the night, will name his relatives up to the 7th generation. Every event (40 days from the birth of a child, buying a house, etc.) is accompanied by wild celebrations. The Kyrgyz are marked with toy (toy is a kind of ransom from relatives). On the holiday, one must not lose face, and at least slaughter a horse and several sheep in order to feed all the numerous relatives. Maybe that’s why the Kyrgyz live poorly, since 1 holiday costs at least 60 thousand rubles, and with their average salaries (about 2-4 thousand rubles for our money), you only work for “that one”.
The Karabalta House of Culture is a recognizable building, isn’t it, especially for residents of closed cities.)) The Kyrgyz people greatly value the heritage of the USSR - the country in which they lived well.
Look at the next photo - see the generator?
Such devices, noisy, but small in size, are located in almost every store, because Kyrgyzstan has a huge problem with electricity. In winter, electricity is turned off from 14:00 to 18:00, and from 23:00 to 6:00. In summer, it is turned off periodically. All outages occur due to the fact that electricity is produced mainly only at the Toktogul hydroelectric station, which at the same time also supplies Uzbekistan with electricity. Newspapers constantly publish reports on the water level at the Toktogul hydroelectric station; if the water level rises, people are happy that there will be more light in their houses.)
Due to power outages, the competitive advantages of organizations are posted in the form of signs on the door).
And here is the beauty itself - Toktogul hydroelectric power station.
The Naryn River, on which the Taktagul hydroelectric power station stands
Just beautiful views on the way to the hydroelectric station. Susamyr Valley
Snowmen
Road. In yurts they sell kumis, kurdak (cheese) and other locally produced products.
National Kyrgyz costume. It comes with a white felt hat, which the older generation wears everywhere. And in general, in terms of preserving traditions, the Kyrgyz are simply great! National holidays are held, for example, chasing the bride on horseback, cutting the bonds (a knife is passed between the legs of children on the ground), and many others.
Simple Kyrgyz families eat mainly delicious tandoor flatbreads. More than once I have seen the mother of a family buying 20 or more flatbreads per day. The flatbreads are inexpensive (8 rubles for our money), tasty and, most importantly, filling.
And this is how they prepare
And what do we see in the end? Beauty!
Just a character
And here is the Kyrgyz hat. You see fortune telling on stones, they told me for happiness to obey my husband, to start all my work on Tuesday and a quick journey.) (Fortune telling 50 soms - about 40 rubles with our money).
For those curious, I post the exchange rate
Pay attention to how the Kyrgyz are fighting smoking. 50% of the pack is a warning, and even in 2 languages. We can learn.)
This is such a funny picture))
Automatic gas water supply.) Original design.
People walk through the market. By the way, I really liked the Kyrgyz nation - there are practically no fat people, mostly everyone is slim. There are a lot of beautiful girls, unfortunately it was not possible to photograph them. And what beautiful names the Kyrgyz people have - Talent, Almaz...
In Kyrgyzstan, all water is used to water fields and vegetable gardens. This is a river with almost no water left.
And this is a canal from this river for irrigation and other needs
Original and inexpensive car wash).
This is a majestic gumbez for Batyr, one of the national heroes. By the way, it was built by a local thief in law to atone for his sins.)
And we met this statue on the way to Issyk-Kul
I fell in love with Kyrgyzstan with all my heart for the beauty of nature, smiling people, warm climate and abundance of fruits. I hope you also enjoyed my little excursion.
Kara-Balta (Kyrgyzstan: Kara-Balta - “black ax”) is a city in Kyrgyzstan, the administrative center of the Zhaiyl district of the Chui region. Until 1992 it was a city of regional subordination of the Kalininsky district. The population of the city in 2009 was 37.8 thousand people (2009). According to 2015 data, 47,000 people are registered in the city, but more than 70,000 people actually live
Geography
Located on the northern slope of the Kyrgyz ridge in the western part of the Chui region, 62 km from the city of Bishkek in the temperate latitude zone. The terrain is calm, with a slight decrease in elevation in the direction from south to north. The city is bordered by the Kara-Balta river.
Already in the 5th-8th centuries, agricultural settlements arose in the Chui Valley. After the invasion of Genghis Khan, tribes of nomads and cattle breeders lived here from the 14th to the 19th centuries. After the region was subjugated to the Kokand Khanate at the beginning of the 19th century, a fortification was erected in the Chui Valley. In 1974, the Russian resettlement village of Kara-Balta was founded.
Economy
Kara-Balta is a city of district subordination, which has its own public institutions and associations, business entities, administrative structures of ministries and departments, and is one of the most important transport hubs in the Chui region. During the existence of the USSR, the upper southern part of the city was a closed “mailbox” with several secret industries, including the main enterprise of the city - the Kara-Balta Mining Combine (KGRK) - the largest enterprise in Central Asia for processing uranium-containing ore. These production facilities are located in a special zone with high-quality industrial infrastructure, housing and social facilities in the southern part of the city. Despite the fact that many of these enterprises are currently closed, have reduced production volumes or have been repurposed to produce other products to continue their work, to this day the city of Kara-Balta provides 70% of the industrial output of the Chui region. On the territory of the city there are 32 joint-stock companies, 93 LLCs, 12 enterprises providing services to the population, 22 small and medium-sized enterprises processing agricultural products, 39 cafes and canteens. The largest enterprise of the post-Soviet period is the oil refinery.
Education
The city has a Food College, a branch of the Kyrgyz Technical University, as well as a medical school and 13 secondary schools with instruction in Kyrgyz and Russian, and there is also a network of preschool institutions.
Transport
Station of the Kyrgyz Railway The main highways Bishkek - Tashkent and Bishkek - Osh pass through the city. There are several city bus routes operating within the city, represented by low-capacity buses. Also very popular are numerous private minibuses in the form of passenger cars.
Notes
Information about the city of Kara-Balta on the website of the Association of Cities of the Kyrgyz Republic Blog about the city of Kara-Balta. Photos…
This wonderful city is located in Kyrgyzstan. Until 1992 it was a city of regional subordination of the Kalininsky district. Located on the northern slope of the Kyrgyz ridge in the western part of the Chui region and just an hour’s drive from Bishkek. The terrain is quite calm with some depression. A river called Kara-Balta flows along the perimeter of the city. The first mention of settlement in these territories dates back to the 5th century AD. The city has modern buildings where public institutions are located, including those related to infrastructure, and their architecture is also worth looking at.
Attractions
There is a Russian military base here, but it is unlikely that you will be allowed to admire its interiors and exteriors.
Don't forget about natural attractions either. One of these is the city’s hydrographic network, represented by the Kara-Balta River, which borders the city from the east for about 7 kilometers and originates in the mountain glaciers at the confluence of the mountain rivers Abla, Kol, and Tuyuk. The length of the river as a whole is 133 km, the river is fed by snow and ice. In the city area, the bed of the Kara-Balta River is dry, because in the upper zone at the river’s exit from the mountain gorge there is a watershed with irrigation diversion canals, one of which runs through the city. The river bed and floodplain are used for quarrying. On the way here you can stop by.
The city has a surprising amount of greenery: majestic pine trees on the main street of the city - Turar Kozhomberdiev Street, two perennial parks, forest plantations along all highways. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of their city, Karabalta residents planted over 30 thousand fruit and ornamental trees. Now they have beauty and no excess carbon dioxide. There would be so many green spaces everywhere and many would give up traveling a couple of stops and would happily walk!
How to get there?
There are airports in Kyrgyzstan, and then you can get there by rail or highway by bus or taxi. Kara-Balta is one of the largest transport hubs in the Chui region: from west to east it is crossed by the Tashkent-Taraz-Bishkek-Balykchy railway line and the Tashkent-Bishkek-Almaty highway, which are of interstate importance. You will not be left indifferent