Nurlan Omarov, City Akim

Some data

The town was founded in 1718.

It was the center of Semipalatinsk region till 1997.

The area is 27.7 thousand square km.

The main branches of economy

Mining

Metallurgy

Building industry

Machine engineering

Metal production

Products

Energy production

Food and light industry

Timber production

Wheat and meat

Semipalatinsk is one of the largest and beautiful towns of the country situated in the very heart of Eurasia. The history of spiritual life of the people has been created for ages. These people inhabit vast expenses between the Caspian Sea and the Irtysh. As far back as the 17th century, people in Russia knew about town Dorzhinkit that was situated at the place of modern Semipalatinsk.

It is considered that the name of Semipalatinsk had its origin in seven tents by Dzhungar Khan Batyr who occupied the Irtysh bank in 1643 and later on this Dzhungar settlement became Semipalatinsk. The official history of Semipalatinsk begins in 1728 when a Russian fortress was built here. Situated at the junction of strategic ways, the town rapidly became a large trade center on the ways of caravans going from Asia to Europe and backwards. The fame of the town spread far beyond the boundaries of the Great Steppe and it influenced the developing of West Siberia and other parts of the Russian State adjoining China regions. As far back as in 1734 the permanent frontier customs appeared there.

Decade after decade Semipalatinsk, which was becoming a more important center of transit trade, not only let industrial and exotic goods of Russia and China be taken through itself, but also successfully traded with these countries. It sold leather, red leather ‘yuft’, meat, and honey produced in Pri-Irtyshye. In 1854 it became the center of a vast gubernia (province), which consisted of Pavlodar, Karkaralinsk, Kokpekty and Ust-Kamenogorsk uyezds (an old administrative division).

Developing as a trade route junction Semipalatinsk was simultaneously becoming not only an administrative center of the steppe region, but also its spiritual and cultural Mecca. In 1833 the first school was opened which commenced the whole system of Russian and Moslem educational institutions.

One of the greatest writers and thinkers Feodor Dostoyevsky created here his immortal literature works. For a long time he was connected by a friendship with a young and talented explorer, scientist, student of folklore, Shokan Ualikhanov, a descendant of Genghis Khan. The sculpture of the two great people in the Dostoyevsky memorial complex-museum became a symbol of friendship of the writer-rebel exiled from Russia and the thinker and scientist from Central Asian steppes. The friendship of the two great people played an important role in creative work of famous Kazakh land’s poets, writers and composers.

Ten-year old Abay Kunanbayev was born on the threshold of Akhmed Riza in the steppe province in 1855. Years would pass and from here he would be placed on a world pedestal deserved only by him - the great Abai, Homer of Kazakh literature, an expert and his people’s cultural heritage keeper. Abai’s genius would win the educated world of the coming epoch.

At the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century the worthy Abai’s follower Shakarim Kudaiberdiyev comes to the time arena. He’s a historian, a philosopher, a musician enriched with knowledge he has received in Istanbul and Paris.

Years passed. A classical scholar of Kazakh literature Mukhtar Auezov was able to revive traditions and life style of the people of the Great Steppe by his talent presenting the "Abai’s Path" world-famous novel.

The 1920s became a starting point for Semipalatinsk turning into an industrial center with rapidly developing infrastructure: a ship-repairing plant was opened; the largest in the USSR history leather-fur-meat complex appeared; a bridge over the Irtysh with a railway was built - the largest at the legendary Turksib railway. A flour-grinding and mixed folder complex began its work. A machinery-constructing plant and a tank-repairing plant were constructed; new houses and cultural objects were built; educational and public health institutions appeared in the town. The town was by rights considered to be a pride of the light and food industry of the former Soviet Union. In the post-war years cement, silicate bricks and asbestos-cement plants were built in Semipalatinsk. Cable, house building, milk complexes were opened in the town and an integrated poultry farm began its work.

Nowadays Semipalatinsk is becoming more beautiful and its appearance is constantly changing.

The first in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) new suspension bridge designed in Japan became the pride not only of the town but also of the whole republic. Its construction has been symbolic. It has not only united the banks of the Irtysh, but also has become a link of time between the past and the new Millennium.

The old town gets younger especially in autumn and spring. It is filled with simples, noisy joy of thousands of students studying at the institutes, academies, and colleges. In fact, Semipalatinsk is a student town, and that began in 1833 with opening the first educational institution. Now there are dozens of them in the city: Semipalatinsk State Medical Academy; one of the largest in the country Shakarim University uniting four institutes- Pedagogical, Finance-Economic, Technological, Veterinary; the State Law Institute, the Humanities Institute and some others.

However steep and winding may the turns of history be, Semipalatinsk has always been faithful to its historical destiny: something was here the first, something was for the first time. Accumulating and developing spiritual values of its people, creating material goods, the town with its remarkable past is today rich of the main values of the Earth - its people’s talents. Dozens of scientists, writers, painters, and poets stopped being only citizens of Semipalatinsk in the narrow sense of this definition. Their glory spread all over the whole Kazakhstan and far beyond its boundaries.

There are four ancient mosques, which are the bright sights of the town. One of them was designed by Istanbul architect G. Efendi. Among the city’s ancient monuments are: Voskresenki (Resurrection) Cathedral and Znamensko-Petropavloski Convent with their gilded domes. The Nevzorovs Fine Arts Museum, called "Kazakh Tretyakovka", with its 3,436 works of art by European, Russian, and Kazakhstani masters, is a symbol of great friendship of Russian and Kazakh peoples. It became the logical continuation of the first in the region exhibition hall opened in 1925. The memorial complexes-museums devoted to Abai and Dostoyevsky, and the local lore museum turned into famous spiritual and cultural centres.

Ø True (T) or false (F)?

1. People of Russia knew about town Dorzhinkit which was situated on the place of modern Semipalatinsk as far back as the 17^th century.

2. Semipalatinsk became the center of a vast gubernia in 1754.

3. Developing as a trade routes junction Semipalatinsk remained only an administrative centre.

4. The first school was opened in Semipalatinsk in 1833 and it combined the whole system of Russian and Moslem educational institutions.

5. The friendship of two great peoples played an important role in appearing of famous poets, writers and composers of the Kazakh land.

6. Semipalatinsk became an industrial centre only in the 20^th century.

7. Nowadays Semipalatinsk is a great educational centre with a number of universities, the State Medical Academy and some others.

8. As far back as in 1743 the permanent frontier customs appeared there.

9. It sold leather, red yuft, meat, honey produced in Pri-Irtyshye.

10. There are six ancient mosques in the constellation of bright sights of the town.

11. Semipalatinsk is a student town.

Ø Answer the questions:

1. What is the origin of the name of Semipalatinsk?

2. The history of Semipalatinsk dates back to 1718, doesn’t it?

3. What can you say about Semipalatinsk as a great trading centre?

4. What unique goods were produced in Pri-Irtyshye?

5. What famous names can symbolize friendship of Russian and Kazakh people?

6. The great Abai, Homer of Kazakh literature, is an expert, isn’t he?

7. What can you say about Abai’s followers?

8. What branches of industry make Semipalatinsk a great industrial centre?

9. What scientific institutions are situated in Semipalatinsk?

10. Where is Semipalatinsk situated?

11. What was the name of the town, which was situated at the place of modern Semipalatinsk?

12. What plants were opened in the 19^th century?

13. When was the first educational institution opened?

14. What does the new suspension bridge symbolize?

Ø Complete the sentences:

1. In the post- war years in Semipalatinsk …

2. Nowadays Semipalatinsk …

3. The meaning of the town spread far…

4. The town with its remarkable past is today rich in …

5. The ancient monuments are …

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 893