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'Öskemen' (Kazakh: Өскемен; also Russian: Усть-Каменогорск or 'Ust-Kamenogorsk'), is the capital of the Shyghys Qazaqstan (Eastern Kazakhstan) Oblast. It is served by Ust-Kamenogorsk Airport.

Contents

History

Economy

Sports

History

Founded in 1720 at the confluence of the Irtysh and Ulba rivers as a fort and trading post named ''Ust-Kamennaya''.[1] In 1868 the city became the capital of the Semipalatinsk Oblast.
The city developed into a major mining and metallurgical center during the Soviet period. Mining of non-ferrous metals, especially copper, lead, silver and zinc remain important. It is a center for the construction industry producing manufactured housing and ferroconcrete articles.
Ust-Kamenogorsk is predominantly Russian and Ukrainian, with ethnic Kazakhs constituting less than thirty percent of the total population of 350,000.[2]

Economy

Under the name of Ust-Kamenogorsk Lock, the highest lock in the world lies in Ablaketka at the end of the dam on the Yrtych river.
It has a drop of more than 40m.
Since the opening of the 3-Gorges locks, the upper lock of that 5-lock cascade is theoretically at par with this lock, but its full drop shall not be used except in extreme case, while the Ust-Kamenogorsk lock is designed for permanent use at this height.

Sports

★ Torpedo- Kazakh ice hockey team. Famed in the former Soviet Union and is often responsible for most of Kazakhstan's top level players.

★ Is the home city of NHL players Nikolai Antropov, Vitaly Kolesnik, Evgeni Nabokov, Konstantin Pushkarev and Alexander Perezhogin.
'FC Vostok Öskemen' - Kazakh football team, founded in 1963.