Karaganda

Introducing Karaganda

Smack in the steppe heartland, 220km southeast of Astana and 1000km northwest of Almaty, Karaganda (Kazakh: Qaraghandy) is famous for two things: coal and labour camps. The two are intimately connected, as the big ‘KarLag’ network of Stalin-era camps around Karaganda was set up to provide slave labour for the mines. At its peak the KarLag system extended over an area larger than France. Prison labour also built much of Karaganda itself, which was founded in 1926.

Mining in the area continues today, with the remaining mines owned by the Indian-owned, Europe-based Mittal Steel, to feed its steelworks at Temirtau, 25km north of Karaganda.

Karaganda’s population has shrunk by 100, 000 since the Soviet collapse, with many ethnic-German residents (descendants of Stalin-era deportees) departing for Germany. But it’s a pleasant city, with avenues of trees and a large central park providing greenery, and the downtown revived with shopping malls, cafés and restaurants.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009