On the Research Trip of the Employees of the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology

From June 10 to June 20, 2025, researchers from the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology – A.S. Ualtaeva and G.A. Omarov – conducted a field research trip to the small and mono-towns of Abai Region (Semey, Kurchatov, Ayagoz, Shar) as part of the research project “Everyday Life in the Small and Mono-Towns of Independent Kazakhstan (Case Study of the Eastern Region)”.

During the trip, they conducted research and collected materials from the following institutions:

• State Archive of the Abai Region and its branches (Kurchatov, Ayagoz, Kalbatau, Shar)
• Department of the Bureau of National Statistics under the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the Abai Region
• Abai Regional Universal Library

A meeting was held with the rector and researchers of the “Shakarim University” Non-profit JSC. Books were donated, and future academic collaboration was discussed.

A sociological survey was carried out among over 200 residents of Kurchatov, Ayagoz, and Shar. Random sampling was used. Respondents filled out an online questionnaire (Google Forms) in Kazakh and Russian. The survey included five thematic blocks and more than 10 key questions aimed at analyzing life satisfaction and social adaptation in small towns compared to large cities and rural areas.

In Ayagoz District Archive, historical documents were discovered covering the administrative history from 1929 to the 1960s. Additionally, statistical data on population and socio-economic indicators for the Abai Region from 1999 to 2024 were obtained.

Trip outcomes:

• A catalog of identified archival materials and literature was prepared
• Information was submitted for publication on the archive’s website
• Materials collected will contribute to a future monograph as part of the research project

Delivered Books:

1. “A Spring Called Shakarim” Anthology. Chief editor: D. Orynbekov; comp. by T.K. Shanbay. – Moscow: Eastern Express Publishing, 2024. – 352 pages.
2. The Sacred Land of Abai. Semey, 2023. – 128 pages.
3. Panitsky A.V. Assessment of the Possibility of Agricultural Production in Areas Affected by Radioactively Contaminated Watercourses. – Astana, 2024. – 128 pages.
4. Collected Papers of the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Compiled by specialists of the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology of the RSE “NNC RK” under the leadership of General Director E.G. Batyrbekov and Deputy Director for Radioecology S.N. Lukashenko.
5. Batyrbekov E.G., Aidarkhanov A.O., Vityuk V.A., et al. Comprehensive Radioecological Survey of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. – Kurchatov: Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology, RSE NNC RK, 2021. – 340 pages.
6. Collected Papers of the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology of RSE NNC RK for 2019–2021. / Edited by A.O. Aidarkhanov // Current Issues in Kazakhstan’s Radioecology. – Pavlodar: “House of Printing”, 2023, Vol. 7. – 552 pages.
7. Lukashenko S.N. Current Issues in Kazakhstan’s Radioecology. – Pavlodar: House of Printing, 2017. – 388 pages.
8. Semipalatinsk Test Site. Current Status. – 3rd edition, revised and expanded. – Pavlodar: House of Printing, 2017. – 52 pages. Published in Russian, Kazakh, and English.
9. Семей сынақ полигоны. Қазіргі ахуалы. (Kazakh version of the above title). – Pavlodar: House of Printing, 2017. – 52 pages.
10.  Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology: Popular Science Publication. / Translated by A.E. Nesipbayeva, P.S. Makhmetova. – 2nd edition, revised and expanded. – Pavlodar: House of Printing, 2016. – 56 pages. Published in Kazakh, Russian, and English.