Oskemen ( kk, Өскемен, translit=Öskemen ), or Ust-Kamenogorsk (russian: Усть-Каменого́рск), is the administrative center of
East Kazakhstan Region
East Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Шығыс Қазақстан облысы, translit=Şyğys Qazaqstan oblysy; russian: Восточно-Казахстанская область, Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakhstan. It occupi ...
of
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 ...
. Population:
Name
The city has two official names. In the Kazakh language, its name is Өскемен/''Öskemen'' and in the Russian language it is known as Усть-Каменогорск. Both names appear on the seal of the city.
History
The city was founded in 1720 at the confluence of the
Irtysh
The Irtysh ( otk, 𐰼𐱅𐰾:𐰇𐰏𐰕𐰏, Ertis ügüzüg, mn, Эрчис мөрөн, ''Erchis mörön'', "erchleh", "twirl"; russian: Иртыш; kk, Ертіс, Ertis, ; Chinese: 额尔齐斯河, pinyin: ''É'ěrqísī hé'', Xiao'erj ...
and
Ulba
The Ulba ( kk, ءۇلبى, Үлбі, ''Ülbı''; russian: Ульба) is a river of Kazakhstan. It joins the Irtysh at Oskemen
Oskemen ( kk, Өскемен, translit=Öskemen ), or Ust-Kamenogorsk (russian: Усть-Каменого́рск), is ...
rivers as a
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
and
trading post
A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.
Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...
named ''Ust-Kamennaya''. It was established according to the order of the Russian Emperor
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, who sent a military expedition headed by major Ivan Vasilievich Likharev in the search of Yarkenda gold. Likharev’s expedition directed up the Irtysh River to
Zaysan Lake
Lake Zaysan (, ''Zaısan kóli'', زايسان كؤلئ, ; , ''Zaisan nuur'', en: ''Noble lake''; , ''Ozero Zajsan''; , Xiao'erjing: جَىْصْا پْ; dng, Җэсонпә) is a freshwater lake, ca. 1,810 km² (700 mi²), in eastern Ka ...
. There, at the confluence of the Ulba and the Irtysh rivers the new fortress was laid – the Ust-Kamennaya Fortress. The Ust-Kamennaya Fortress appeared on the map of the Russian Empire, the very southern end of the Irtysh line. In 1868 the city became the capital of the
Semipalatinsk Oblast Semipalatinsk Oblast may refer to:
*Semipalatinsk Oblast, Russia
The Semipalatinsk Oblast (russian: Семипалатинская область) was an oblast (province) of the Russian Empire and the early Russian SFSR. From 1882 to 1917 it w ...
. It was the site of
Georgy Malenkov
Georgy Maximilianovich Malenkov ( – 14 January 1988) was a Soviet politician who briefly succeeded Joseph Stalin as the leader of the Soviet Union. However, at the insistence of the rest of the Presidium, he relinquished control over the par ...
's 30-year internal
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
, during which he managed a local hydroelectric plant.
One of the main industrial enterprises, the
Ulba Metal Works
Ulba Metallurgical Plant, shortly ''UMP'', also widely known as ''Ulba'' ( kk, "Үлбі металлургиялық зауыты" Акционерлік Қоғамы, "ҮМЗ" АҚ, ''"Úlbi metallýrgııalyq zaýyty" Aktsıonerlik Qoǵamy'', ' ...
(UMW) which produced and still produces uranium products, was kept entirely secret despite it employing thousands of workers. An explosion at the UMW's
beryllium
Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to form mi ...
production line in 1990 led to the diffusion of a highly toxic beryllium-containing "cloud" over the city. The health effects of this incident are not entirely known, partly because the incident was kept secret by the Soviet authorities.
Economy
The city developed into a major
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
and
metallurgical
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys.
Metallurgy encompasses both the sc ...
center during the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
period. Processing of
non-ferrous metals
In metallurgy, non-ferrous metals are metals or alloys that do not contain iron (allotropes of iron, ferrite, and so on) in appreciable amounts.
Generally more costly than ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals are used because of desirable proper ...
, especially
uranium
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...
,
beryllium
Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to form mi ...
,
tantalum
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as ''tantalium'', it is named after Tantalus, a villain in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is ...
,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
,
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
,
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
and
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
remain important. It is a center for the construction industry producing manufactured housing and
ferroconcrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
articles. The post-war industrial history of the city is very closely intertwined with the
Soviet nuclear bomb project
The Soviet atomic bomb project was the Classified information in Russia, classified research and development program that was authorized by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union to develop nuclear weapons during and after World War II.
Although th ...
, and the city was therefore kept closed to outsiders.
The number of enterprises in Oskemen is very high relative to the number of people living there. There are about 169 firms according to the data from 2002.
Most of them are industrial firms, working in
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
and processing of raw materials, mostly
heavy metals
upright=1.2, Crystals of osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead
Heavy metals are generally defined as ...
.
*
Kazzinc
Kazzinc ( kk, Қазмырыш, translit=Qazmyrysh, قازمىرىش, ) with its headquarters in Oskemen is Kazakhstan's largest producer of zinc, lead and precious metals. The general investor is Glencore International AG. Kazzinc’s core oper ...
is a major fully integrated zinc producer with considerable copper, precious metals and lead credits. The company was established in 1997 through the merger of Eastern Kazakhstan's three main non-ferrous metal companies - Ust-Kamenogorsk Lead and Zinc Combinate, Leninogorsk Polymetallic Combinate and Zyryanovsk Lead Combinate. The company continues to develop seeking to have its stable position among the world's five lowest cost
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
producers. Apart from zinc it produces on a large-scale
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
,
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
, and many more.
* Titanium-Magnesium plant specializes in production and selling nonferrous metals.
*
Ulba metallurgical plant
Ulba Metallurgical Plant, shortly ''UMP'', also widely known as ''Ulba'' ( kk, "Үлбі металлургиялық зауыты" Акционерлік Қоғамы, "ҮМЗ" АҚ, ''"Úlbi metallýrgııalyq zaýyty" Aktsıonerlik Qoǵamy'', ' ...
produces hi-tech
uranium
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...
,
beryllium
Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to form mi ...
and
tantalum
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as ''tantalium'', it is named after Tantalus, a villain in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is ...
products for the needs of atomic engineering, electronics, metallurgical and other spheres of operation. The company is among the leaders in production of their specific goods.
* Apart from the mining and processing companies, there are numerous
thermoelectric power stations and about five
hydropower plant
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
s concentrated around the Ust-Kamenogorsk region of Eastern Kazakhstan.
The highest
lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
in the world is the Oskemen Lock
and lies at Ablaketka where it allows river traffic to pass around a
hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
on the Irtysh river. It has a drop of more than 40m.
A new car plant owned jointly by
AvtoVAZ
AvtoVAZ ( rus, АвтоВАЗ, p=ɐftoˈvas) is a Russian automobile manufacturing company owned by the state. It was formerly named as VAZ ( rus, ВАЗ), an acronym for Volga Automotive Plant in Russian (russian: Во́лжский автомо ...
and
Azia Avto, which will produce 120,000 cars a year, will be opened in 2016.
Higher education
Culture
The city has three cinemas (although during the Soviet era, there were a lot more), three museums, and a drama theater with Russian and Kazakh (since 2000) troupes.
Sport
Boris Alexandrov Sports Palace
Boris Alexandrov Sports Palace ( kk, Борис Александров атындағы спорт сарайы, ''Borıs Aleksandrov atyndaǵy sport saraıy''; russian: Дворец спорта имени Бориса Александрова) ...
serves as home arena to the
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
club
HC Torpedo (officially Kazzinc-Torpedo, commonly referred to as Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk). Torpedo’s men’s representative team plays in the
Supreme Hockey League
The Supreme Hockey League (SHL) (russian: Высшая хоккейная лига (ВХЛ), links=no, ''Vysshaya hokkeinaya liga (VHL)''), also known as the Major Hockey League or Higher Hockey League (HHL), is a professional ice hockey league i ...
(VHL), of which it was a founding member, and the women’s representative team plays in the Kazakh Women's Ice Hockey League. The men’s
farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
,
Altay-Torpedo, competes in the
Kazakhstan Hockey Championship
The Pro Hokei Ligasy formerly known as ''Republic of Kazakhstan Open Ice Hockey Championship'' ''( kk, Шайбалық хоккей бойынша Қазақстан Республикасының ашық чемпионаты, russian: Откры ...
and the men’s under-20 team,
Altay, plays in the Eastern Conference of the
Junior Hockey League
Junior Hockey League is a term used to refer to an ice hockey league in which junior hockey teams compete.
List of junior hockey leagues
{{Expand list, date=October 2013
* Alberta Junior Hockey League
* British Columbia Hockey League
* Canadian Ju ...
(MHL). Torpedo is the alma mater of
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
players
Nik Antropov
Nikolai Alexandrovich Antropov (russian: Николай Александрович Антропов; born February 18, 1980) is a Kazakhstani-Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the ...
,
Vitali Kolesnik,
Evgeni Nabokov
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (russian: Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков; born July 25, 1975) is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ta ...
,
Alexander Perezhogin
Alexander Valerievich Perezhogin (russian: Александр Валерьевич Пережо́гин; born August 10, 1983) is a Kazakhstani-Russian professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently pl ...
, and
Konstantin Pushkaryov
Konstantin Vladimirovich Pushkaryov (russian: Константин Владимирович Пушкарёв; born February 12, 1985) is a Kazakh professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing with HK Kurbads of the Latvian Hockey Lea ...
.
The
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club
FC Vostok Oskemen was a founding member of the
Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қазақстан Премьер Лигасы, ''Qazaqstan Premer Ligasy''), commonly referred to as Kazakh Premier League or simply Premier League, is the top division of football in Kazakhstan ...
and currently plays in the
Kazakhstan First Division
The Kazakhstan First Division is the second division of football in Kazakhstan. The League is controlled by the Football Union of Kazakhstan and feeds into the Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қа ...
. The team’s home ground is
Vostok Stadium
Vostok Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Oskemen, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of FC Vostok.
History
Stadium "Vostok" is the largest sports facility in Oskemen, Ust-Kame ...
.
Oskemen hosted the national
rink bandy
Rink bandy is a variant of the larger sport of bandy. Unlike bandy which is played on a large bandy field, rink bandy is played on significantly smaller ice hockey sized ice rinks.
While a bandy field is about the same size as a football pitch, ...
championship in 2014 and the national amateur
bandy
Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...
championship in 2018.
Religion
![Mosque oskemen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Mosque_oskemen.jpg)
With ethnic
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
comprising the demographic majority of the population,
Orthodox Christianity
Orthodoxy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Late antiquity, A ...
is the dominant religion of Oskemen. There are 32 religious unions, presenting 15 religious confessions, including
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
,
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, and non-traditional religions. There are 21 cultural buildings in the city: among them
Orthodox Christian
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...
churches and
mosques
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...
. However, in 2017 a court fined and banned Oskemen's New Life Protestant Church for singing religious songs at a summer camp.
Transport
The city has an international airport,
Oskemen Airport
Oskemen Airport or Ust-Kamenogorsk Airport is an airport in Kazakhstan. It is located north-west of Oskemen, the capital of the East Kazakhstan Region. The airport services regional jets.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevation of abo ...
.
Oskemen's tram system has 4 lines.
Intercity bus service is available at two bus stations. The most extensive network, with more than 35 lines, is at the railway station, which is located by the Sports Palace on Novoshkolnaya Street. From this station, buses not only serve cities within Kazakhstan, but also Russian cities such as Krasnoyarsk. The route network at the second station covers a smaller area with 17 lines.
Climate
Oskemen has a continental climate with (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Dfb'') intermittent precipitation. The coldest months are November through March. Record low temperatures range from −49 °C in January to 4 °C in July, and record highs range from 8 °C in January to 43 °C in July.
Ecology
As expected in a city with a lot of heavy industry, the atmosphere of the city holds the by-products of the heavy metals production:
nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year for use primarily in the producti ...
,
sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activ ...
, Zn, Cd, Cl, As, C, Be,
phenol
Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it req ...
,
benzol
Benzol may refer to:
* Benzole, a coal-tar product consisting mainly of benzene and toluene
* Benzene, a chemical compound with the formula C6H6
* Benzol peroxide, benzoyl peroxide
* Benzoyl group, a functional group with the formula C6H5CO
* Benz ...
, NaOH, NH3,
radioactivity etc. in general there are about 170 polluting components found in the city.
There are 3 impact points that are influenced in Oskemen. The atmosphere is hit most. With a poor urban ventilation (the average percentage of calm 48%),
with a large number of vehicles and stationary sources relevance of
air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
in Oskemen is not in doubt. The concentration of harmful substances in the air is increasing each year because of the nature of the companies which are looking for increases in the production and profits. As usual, the pollution is enhanced by the low quality of car fuels and an increase in the number of cars. As a result of all this, Oskemen is often recognized as one of the most
polluted
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
regional centers of Kazakhstan.
The most polluted rivers of the Republic are those flowing through the territory of the East Kazakhstan region, where the highest index of surface water pollution is observed in the mining areas and enrichment of
polymetal
In chemistry or mining, polymetal or polymetallic is a substance composed of a combination of different metals. When the substance contains only two metals the term ''bimetal'' (''bimetallic'') is sometimes preferred. A (or ') is an ore that is ...
lic ores.
Mostly the water is affected through the
industrial waste
Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial activity which includes any material that is rendered useless during a manufacturing process such as that of factories, mills, and mining operations. Types of industrial waste include dirt and ...
s and the storages of waste.
Contamination of the water with lead,
selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, ...
, cadmium,
nitrates
Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula . Salts containing this ion are called nitrates. Nitrates are common components of fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are soluble in water. An example of an insoluble ...
spreads on many kilometers as a consequence of which a few
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
intakes in the Western part of the city are closed or to be closed.
The
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...
close to the industry territories holds the
solid waste
Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, ...
s of the firms and becomes less suitable for planting. An increasing number of industrial waste requires a large area for the storage of waste.
As a result of large production of uranium and presence of other radioactive elements such thorium, radon or radioactive dust the radioactive background of the city is remarkable with the zones of radioactive anomaly which are spread around the city.
Oskemen is known to be the leader in Kazakhstan by the number of people having respiratory problems and the diseases of immune system. The statistics show that the most frequent diseases are respiratory diseases and urogenital system diseases. In the last years, the number of people having cancer has been also increasing.
Economy
In the 1950s, the heavy industrial economy began to develop in the city. In 1959 a mechanical workshop for boilers and tools was built in the city. Today, the city has a large machine-building plant, automobile plant and metallurgical plant.
Twin towns – sister cities
Oskemen is
twinned with:
*
Babruysk
Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
, Belarus
*
Barnaul
Barnaul ( rus, Барнау́л, p=bərnɐˈul) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob Rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As ...
, Russia
*
Tacheng
TachengThe official spelling according to (), as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Mongolian as Qoqak, is a county-level city (1994 est. pop. 56,400) and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in northern Ili Kazakh A ...
, China
People
*
Max Birbraer
Maxim Birbraer ( he, מקס בירבראייר; born December 15, 1980) is a Kazakhstan-born Israeli former professional ice hockey forward. Birbraer is Jewish and has played for the Israel national ice hockey team.
Playing career
Birbraer w ...
(born 1980), Kazakhstan-born Israeli ice hockey right wing currently playing for the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League.
*
Anton Khudobin
Anton Valerievich Khudobin (russian: Антон Валерьевич Худобин; born 7 May 1986) is a Kazakhstani-born Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract w ...
, ice hockey goalie currently playing for the
Texas Stars
The Texas Stars are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Cedar Park, Texas, near Austin, with home games at the H-E-B Center. They are owned by the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and are the t ...
of the
AHL.
*
Nik Antropov
Nikolai Alexandrovich Antropov (russian: Николай Александрович Антропов; born February 18, 1980) is a Kazakhstani-Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the ...
, ice hockey centre who played in the NHL and the KHL.
*
Georgy Malenkov
Georgy Maximilianovich Malenkov ( – 14 January 1988) was a Soviet politician who briefly succeeded Joseph Stalin as the leader of the Soviet Union. However, at the insistence of the rest of the Presidium, he relinquished control over the par ...
, former
Premier of the Soviet Union
The Premier of the Soviet Union (russian: Глава Правительства СССР) was the head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The office had four different names throughout its existence: Chairman of the ...
; exiled by
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
to Oskemen to manage the hydroelectric plant after
an abortive coup plot.
*
Evgeni Nabokov
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (russian: Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков; born July 25, 1975) is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ta ...
, former ice hockey goalie. Played for the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
,
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
and
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
of the NHL. Ranks 18th all time in the NHL for regular season wins and holds every major goaltending record for San Jose.
*
Alexander Perezhogin
Alexander Valerievich Perezhogin (russian: Александр Валерьевич Пережо́гин; born August 10, 1983) is a Kazakhstani-Russian professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently pl ...
, former ice hockey player for the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
.
*
Olga Rypakova
Olga Rypakova (russian: Ольга Сергеевна Рыпакова; née Alekseyeva; 30 November 1984) is a Kazakhstani track and field athlete. Originally a heptathlete, she switched to focus on the long jump and began to compete in the trip ...
, Olympic long jumper. She won a gold medal for Kazakhstan in the triple jump at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, and a bronze medal in the same event at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
.
*
Katsiaryna Snytsina
Katsiaryna Andrejeŭna Snytsina ( be, Кацярына Андрэеўна Сныціна; russian: Екатерина Андреевна Снытина; born 2 September 1985) is a Kazakhstani-born Belarusian basketball player. She was part of th ...
, Kazakhstani-born Belarusian basketball player, won a bronze medal at the
2007 European Championships
*
David Tonoyan
David Edgari Tonoyan (Armenian:Դավիթ Էդգարի Տոնոյան; born 27 December 1967) is an Armenian political figure and former Defence Minister of Armenia, in office from 2018 to 2020.
Biography Early life and career
David Tonoyan ...
(born 1967), Kazakhstan-born Armenian politician and the former
Defence Minister of Armenia
The Defence Minister of Armenia () is the head of the country's Ministry of Defence, who is charged with the political leadership of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The position was originally created in 1918 and was re-established in January 1992 f ...
.
*
Yevgeniy Chebatkov (born 1990), comedian, actor.
See also
*
Project Sapphire
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Usy-Kamenogorsk
Cities and towns in Kazakhstan
Altai Mountains
Populated places established in 1720
Populated places in East Kazakhstan Region
Semipalatinsk Oblast
1720 establishments in Russia
Populated places on the Irtysh River