The provincial city of Karaganda (Қарағанды) sits in central Kazakhstan, on lands once traversed by the legendary Silk Road. Officially established in 1934, the city’s coal mining history, however, stretches back further to 1857, when the Ivanovka coal mine began operations. Situated in an area that was once covered by dense forests millions of years ago, these ancient woodlands eventually transformed into substantial coal reserves. During the Soviet era, Karaganda was celebrated as the mining capital of Kazakhstan. However, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many of its coal industry enterprises ceased operations, leaving only a fraction of the coal production once mined under Soviet rule.
Karaganda is also known as the «space harbor» of Kazakhstan, as it’s a common landing location for astronauts returning from space missions. Notably, Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, spent her initial days post-flight in Karaganda
The city derives its name from the karagana shrub, also known as the «yellow acacia,» which grows in abundance in the surrounding areas. As of 2022, Karaganda spans an area of 498 square kilometers, ranking as the fifth-largest city in Kazakhstan, with an official population of 497,767.
Karaganda’s climate is sharply continental, with summer temperatures reaching up to +45 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures plummeting to -40 degrees. The temperature fluctuations are extreme, and with almost no forests around the city, winds sweep freely across the open land, blowing year-round and shaping the city’s weather and way of life.
From a visual perspective, Karaganda’s appearance is reminiscent of many post-Soviet cities. As a relatively young city, it may not initially captivate tourists with its attractions. However, those who visit often come to explore the significant sites tied to the tragic legacy of Stalin’s repressions.
Karaganda’s history is deeply intertwined with the ALZHIR (Akmola Camp for the Wives of Traitors of the Motherland) and Karlag labor camps. Karlag, where countless Soviet and international figures in science and the arts were imprisoned, became a cultural hub in Karaganda. The unique cultural heritage they left behind was forged in conditions of extreme hardship and tragedy. In the late 1930s, the roots of Karaganda’s visual arts scene were established, laying the foundation for a new chapter in Kazakh art. Many who faced repression and deportation ultimately settled in the city and left an indelible mark on its culture.
It’s a curious fact that Karaganda has become a central hub for Catholicism and Protestantism in Kazakhstan—a legacy set in motion by prisoners of the KarLag labor camp who were convicted for their faith, and later carried forward by numerous deportees. During Soviet times, ethnic Germans outnumbered Kazakhs in Karaganda, a city that arose from an empty landscape without grand Orthodox cathedrals or mosques, creating an unusual equilibrium among religions from the very beginning. To this day, Karaganda hosts more small chapels, Protestant churches, and prayer houses than Orthodox churches and mosques combined, embodying a unique spirit of religious equality in Kazakhstan.