Shelek ( kk, Шелек, ''Şelek''), formerly Chilik, is a town in
Almaty Region
Almaty Region ( kk, Алматы облысы, Almaty oblysy; russian: Алматинская область, Almatinskaya oblast) is a region in Kazakhstan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Its capital, from 1997 to 2022 was the ...
of south-eastern
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. Administrative center of Shelek rural district. It is located about 69 km north-east of the center of
Esik
Esik ( kz, Есік (''Esık''), also spelled ''Issyk'', ''Yesik'' and ''Yesyk'') is a town in Almaty Region of Kazakhstan, the administrative center of Enbekshikazakh District. It is located on the Issyk River, at the foot of the Tian Shan, 53&nb ...
. The KATO code is 194083100.
History
The settlement was founded in 1871 as the village of Chilik.
In 1889, the
1889 Chilik earthquake
The 1889 Chilik earthquake occurred on July 11 on the Gregorian calendar, or June 30 on the Julian calendar at 15:14 local time in the Tien Shan mountains. The earthquake measured an estimated 7.9–8.0 on the moment magnitude scale and was assi ...
caused severe damage.
It was Zaitsevsky, from 1932 to May 1997 and was the administrative center of the Chilik region. On May 23, 1997, the Chilik district was abolished and incorporated into the Enbekshikazakh district. Prior to 1997, Shelek was the regional center of the Chilik district of the Almaty region, which became part of the Enbekshikazakh district with the center in the city of Esik.
Etymology
The Kazakh word "shelek" translated into Russian means "bucket", but scientists believe it to be a coincidence. The name of the village comes from the name of the river Chilik(Shelek in Kazakh). In
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
(according to local residents) the name of the river comes from the Kazakh word "shilik", which means willow or willow growth. However, some scientists believe that the name may come from the word "people", an ancient Kazakh word for "wind". Doctor of Philology Telkoz Zhanuzakov believes that the name consists of the
ancient Türkic word "walked" (source, spring, water) and the end of "-ek", which could mean "a river that originates from springs".
Population
Shelek is notable for the fact that currently, with the population according to the 2009 census, 26,688 people (according to the 1999 census there were 22,703 people), it is one of the largest villages not only in the Almaty region, but throughout the country. Large populous villages are typical in the foothill regions of southern Kazakhstan. By the population of Shelek, some parts of Almaty and other regions are inferior.
In Soviet times, Shelek became one of the most multinational villages of the region.
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...
,
Uyghurs
The Uyghurs; ; ; ; zh, s=, t=, p=Wéiwú'ěr, IPA: ( ), alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghur ...
and
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
- the main nationalities of the village live here in considerable numbers. Here, deported under the rule of Stalin were the
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
,
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
,
Chechens
The Chechens (; ce, Нохчий, , Old Chechen: Нахчой, ''Naxçoy''), historically also known as ''Kisti'' and ''Durdzuks'', are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe. "Europ ...
,
Meskhetian Turks
Meskhetian Turks, also referred to as Turkish Meskhetians, Ahiska Turks, and Turkish Ahiskans, ( ka, მესხეთის თურქები ''Meskhetis turk'ebi'') are an ethnic subgroup of Turks formerly inhabiting the Meskheti regio ...
and
Koreans
Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula.
Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply refe ...
. In addition, several families were also represented by
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
,
Tatars
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different ,
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
,
Georgians
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
,
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
,
Ossetians
The Ossetians or Ossetes (, ; os, ир, ирæттæ / дигорӕ, дигорӕнттӕ, translit= ir, irættæ / digoræ, digorænttæ, label=Ossetic) are an Iranian ethnic group who are indigenous to Ossetia, a region situated across the no ...
,
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
,
Assyrians,
Dungans
Dungan, Xiao'erjing: ; zh, s=东干族, t=東干族, p=Dōnggān zú, w=Tung1kan1-tsu2, , Xiao'erjing: ; russian: Дунгане, ''Dungane''; ky, Дуңгандар, ''Duñgandar'', دۇنغاندار; kk, Дүңгендер, ''Düñgende ...
and others.
In the early 1960s, during the open borders between the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
and the
PRC
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, three new waves of Uyghur settlers from troubled
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
settled in Chilik. By the early 1970s, Uyghurs accounted for nearly one third of the total population of Chilik, outnumbering Kazakhs and Russians. The bulk of Uyghur immigrants settled compactly in houses on Oktyabrskaya Street, then on the outskirts of the village. By the mid-1970s, Uighurs began to play a significant role in the economy of the village, as they were engaged in the cultivation of high-yielding
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
. In 2006, an interethnic conflict erupted between Uighurs and Kazakhs.Fortunately there were no casualties.
Since the mid-2000s, in Shelek, as well as throughout southern and eastern Kazakhstan, there has been a large flow of migrants from China on the program of returning ethnic Kazakhs to their historical homeland. This served as a sharp change in the image of the village: the national composition was reduced due to the relocation of the majority of ethnic Europeans, the Kazakh language acquired more frequent use in everyday life, the infrastructure of the village itself began to develop at a rapid pace.
Economics and Tourism
In Soviet times, Chilik was known for the functioning of the
cane processing plant(called the "reed" by the local population), whose director was Yakov Ozherelyev. As the population grew, other industries were added, particularly in the agricultural sector. Chilik has long been known for its tomatoes and tobacco, whose sales revenues have made local farmers one of the most prosperous in Kazakhstan. As a hired labor on tobacco plantations in recent years increasingly attracted
Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan
*Kyrgyz people
*Kyrgyz national games
*Kyrgyz language
*Kyrgyz culture
*Kyrgyz cuisine
*Yenisei Kirghiz
*The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China
...
. In modern Chile there are more than 800 peasant farms, 40 private limited companies, 150 shops, 80 consumer services enterprises, 50 canteens, a large number of
cafes
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...
,
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
s,
billiards
Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as .
There are three major subdivisions of ...
,
casinos Casinos may refer to:
* Casinos, Valencia, municipality in Spain
* David Casinos (born 1972), Spanish Paralympian athlete
* The Casinos, an American popular music group
See also
*Casino (disambiguation)
A casino is a facility that houses and accom ...
and
restaurants
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearanc ...
. There are two hospitals in the village, there is an
orphanage
An orphanage is a Residential education, residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the Childcare, care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parent ...
, the House of Culture, in which discos are held regularly, recently a roller club was opened. In 2005, a plant for processing vegetables and fruits, as well as a dairy plant, was established in the village. In Shelek there are branches of
Kazkommertsbank, KMF, Halyk Bank.
Shelek, as an intermediate point between Almaty and China, is an attractive destination for tourists from Europe and Asia. In particular, the surroundings of Shelek cause the greatest interest, since there is no infrastructure. From the village you can go to the mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau, visit the Charyn canyon, go to the coast of the Kapchagai reservoir, visit the Altyn Emel national park, take part in rafting on the Ili River, and lovers of relaxation and water procedures can go to the thermal and radon springs that are also in half an hour's drive from Shelek. From the nearest mountains, an indescribable view of the entire valley is visible. In the near future it is planned to open the largest fruit garden, six kilometers from the village, behind the village of Kyzylsharyk.
Only 70 kilometers from Shelek are the famous Kolsai lakes. The highest point of Kazakhstan, the Khan-Tengri peak, is located 200 kilometers from the village(at the peak of Khan-Tengri, the border of three states passes: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China). While traveling around you can meet traders selling national handmade souvenirs, national drinks and snacks(leather, koumiss, shubat, kazy, kurt). Most cafes mainly provide Chinese, Uzbek, Uighur, Russian, Kazakh and Caucasian cuisines.
Religion
In Shelek, there are 5 mosques and 1 church (Temple in the name of St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica).
The Church of Jehovah's Witnesses unofficially operates.
Education
In the sphere of education in the village there are 2 colleges: technical and medical. In Shelek, eight schools with Kazakh, Russian, Uyghur and mixed languages of instruction are also being built, another school is being built. There are music and automobile schools and 3 kindergartens: "Gulder", "Baiterek" and "Bolashak". The secondary school named after Bijanov was recognized as the best in the region, and four more entered the top thirty in the region. Kindergarten "Gulder" is one of the largest in the region, and has several groups with three languages of instruction and education of children.
Famous Natives
*Ivan Stepanovich Butymov - Hero of Socialist Labor.
*Pyotr Borisovich Vikhrev - Hero of the Soviet Union.
*Junusbai Kaipov - Hero of the Soviet Union.
*Ibrahim Kaldybaev is a full knight of the Order of Glory.
*Kenzhebaev Tule Tascentbayly - Hero of the Soviet Union.
*
Yuri Loza is a singer.
*Mariyam Tokhtakhanovna Semyatova - People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR.
Monuments and Museums
The Museum of local history opened in 1981. The total area of the Museum is 279.6 square meters. There are 2,222 items of Museum significance in the Museum's collection. The Museum consists of 4 halls, which are divided into thematic sections: "Independent Kazakhstan", History of the past (the archaeological heritage of the region, the region in the Middle Ages, the nature of the region, Ethnography), “Feat in the memory of the people"," Labor is red man".
References
External links
Tageo.com
{{Almaty Region
Populated places in Almaty Region