TEMIRTAU
Temirtau is an industrial city in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region, located on the banks of the Nura River, just 30 kilometers from Karaganda. It is known primarily as the country’s metallurgical center: home to the largest metallurgical plant, which laid the foundation for the city’s development and gave it its name—Temirtau translates as “Iron Mountain.” The city is also famous for being where Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, worked in his youth.
Recommended attractions:
The Temirtau Museum of History and Local Lore was founded in 1972 with the “Industrial Temirtau” exhibit, occupying the entire second floor. A model of the city was later displayed in the center of the hall. The museum comprises nine halls divided into thematic sections: “Paleontology,” “Archaeology,” “City History,” “Temirtau during the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” “Hall of Memory,” “Nostalgia,” and “Ethnography.” A hall dedicated to the nature of the native land and a hall housing a numismatic collection are also featured.
The monument to the soldiers of Temirtau was erected in 1974 in honor of the internationalist soldiers and fellow countrymen who died during the Great Patriotic War. The monument can be considered an example of monumental art.
The First President’s Historical and Cultural Center’s basement floor houses utility rooms, a storage facility, a printing laboratory, restoration workshops, and study groups. Of particular note is the third floor, which houses a museum dedicated to the life and work of the First and only President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The City Palace of Culture is the center of Temirtau’s cultural life. It opened in November 1972 in a building constructed according to a standard design by Soviet architects. Its façade is adorned with eight masks representing metallurgical specialists, and an unusual metal sculpture of the muse Melpomene hangs above the concert hall’s façade. Various ensembles and groups perform at the Palace of Culture.
We also recommend visiting: the Monument to Metallurgists and the Youth Theater.