Alatau, Almaty Region

For the Kazakh seven-stringed zither, see Jetigen.

For the mountain ranges with the same name, see Alatau.

Not to be confused with Alatau, Medeu District, Almaty.

Alatau^[2] (Kazakh: Алатау, Alatau; Russian: Алатау, Alatau), formerly known as Zhetigen, Nikolaevka (Kazakh: Жетіген, Jetıgen, جەتٸگەن; Russian: Жетыген, Zhetygen) is a small town in Almaty Region of Kazakhstan. It is located some 50 km north of Almaty, on the Turksib rail line.

Services at Zhetygen station

• Preceding station	KTJ			Following station
  Iliyskiy towards Novosibirsk, Russia		Turkestan–Siberia Railway		Kayrat Junction towards Arys I
  through to Astana via Turkestan–Siberia Railway		Turkestan–Siberia Railway Zhetygen–Altynkol branch		Kurozek towards Altynkol

Alatau
Alatau Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 43.6743°N 77.1082°E / 43.6743; 77.1082
Country	Kazakhstan
Region	Almaty Region
Government
• Akim	Arken Utenov[1]
Population  (2021 census)
• Total	20,418

Zhetygen photographed from above. Almaty Region, Kazakhstan.

History

On November 15, 2023, a decree was prepared by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, "On changes in the administrative and territorial structure of the Almaty region" with the assignment of the village to the status of a city and subsequent renaming to Alatau.^[3] On January 9, 2024, the village of Zhetygen was transformed into a city of regional subordination and renamed Alatau.^[4]

Accident

The 600th Guards Air Base of the Kazakh Air Force is located at an airfield (43.7330°N 77.1168°E / 43.7330; 77.1168) near Zhetigen. An airforce plane crashed near the town in 2008.^[5]