Ülken (Kazakh: Үлкен, [ylˈkʲen], lit. 'big'; Russian: Улькен) is a village in the Jambyl District of Almaty Region, Kazakhstan and the administrative center of the Ülken rural district.
Ülken
Үлкен | |
|---|---|
  Ülken Location in Kazakhstan | |
| Coordinates: 45°12′18″N 73°58′53″E / 45.20500°N 73.98139°E | |
| Country |  Kazakhstan |
| Region | Almaty |
| District | Jambyl |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,673 (2,024) |
Before 2013, Ülken was classified as an urban-type settlement.[1]
History
editThe settlement was founded in 1984 in connection with the proposed construction of the South Kazakhstan State District Power Plant (YUKGRES), which was never carried out. In 1986, the settlement was transferred from the Moiynkum District of the Dzhambul Region to the Kürti District of the Alma-Ata Region, giving the name Ülken and classifying it as a "working settlement".[2] In 1997, at the proposal of the President of the Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan Vladimir Shkolnik, it was decided to use the site for the construction of a nuclear power plant,[3] but protests from environmentalists and residents of the area[4] again forced the plans to be reconsidered, and at the end of 2008 the Government decided to build the Balkhash Thermal Power Plant.[5] Preparations for the construction of the BTPP began in 2013, but were suspended sometime later. In the first half of 2016, some materials were delivered to the construction site, and the construction site was also prepared, after which activity stopped again.[6]
In the early 2020s, the government once again proposed that a nuclear power plant be built in Ülken. A large portion of the local residents protested against the proposal in August 2023. Most of the ones opposing,[7] including Kazakh ecologists, are troubled about the already worryingly low levels of the Balkhash Lake,[8] which is a major food and income source for the settlement.[7] In June 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that a referendum on the construction of the nuclear power plant would take place in the autumn of 2024.[9][10]
Population
editAccording to the 1989 census, 3,977 people lived in the village (2,047 men and 1,930 women).[11]
In 1999, the population of the village was 3,106 people (1,538 men and 1,568 women).[12] According to the 2009 census, 1,682 people lived in the village (813 men and 869 women).[12]
Infrastructure
editIn August 2023, Radio Liberty reported that the village lacks proper roads, jobs and a hospital. The absence of a local hospital especially worries the local populace, as ill people are forced to drive to Priozyorsk, Karaganda Region, which is 126 kilometres (78 mi) away. The city administration (akimat) lacks an official building, and the äkim and his apparatus operate in a rented three-roomed flat.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Решение маслихата Алматинской области от 24 июля 2013 года №20-128 и постановление акимата Алматинской области от 24 июля 2013 года №205 «О некоторых преобразованиях в административно-территориальном устройстве Алматинской области». Зарегистрировано Департаментом юстиции Алматинской области 30 июля 2013 года №2417". adilet.zan.kz (in Russian). 2013-06-24. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10.
- ^ "Справочник по истории административно-территориального деления Алматинской области (10 марта 1932 г. — 1 января 2000 г.)". tugan-olke.kz (in Russian). 2013-06-24. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06.
- ^ Кунелекова, Гульсум (2016-10-30). "Из века в век". Мегаполис (43) (307 ed.). Archived from the original on 2011-08-18.
- ^ "Исследования : АЭС на Балхаше". comcon-2.kz (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2011-07-22.
- ^ Строительство Балхашской ТЭС: современные технологии для устойчивого развития региона и снижения уровня риска для здоровья населения (PDF) (in Russian). Энергетика : журнал. 2014. pp. 26–31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-05.
- ^ Тумашева, Елена (2016-09-09). "Обойдется ли Балхашская ТЭС без дополнительных финансов?". kapital.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ a b c Троценко, Пётр (2023-08-24). "«Мы за мирный атом!» Почему в Улькене ждут строительства АЭС и кто этого не хочет?". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ Радиосы, Азаттық (2024-06-27). "Тоқаев: АЭС бойынша референдум биыл күзде өтеді". Radio Liberty (in Kazakh). Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ "Kazakhstan to hold referendum on nuclear plant construction". Nikkei Asia. 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- ^ "Kazakhstan to hold referendum on first nuclear plant". www.euractiv.com. 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- ^ "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". demoscope.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2006-10-21. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ a b "Итоги Национальной переписи населения Республики Казахстан 2009 года" (PDF). stat.kz (in Russian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-13.