What struck the house built for the residents of Aktau in Kazakhstan

In the summer of 2018 I was able to visit such a wonderful place on the Mangyshlak Peninsula, the city of Aktau nuclear scientists. It is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. This is a young, growing, modern city.

A little history to start. Creating a settlement on the future site of the city began with the construction of the lighthouse on the beach in 1948. It was only in the late 50's and early 60's they started to build the village, soon developed into the city. In 1958 came the first adobe huts, and in 1963 it was already a city. In 1964 it was renamed the town of Shevchenko. Name Aktau back in 1991.

City from the beginning built neighborhoods with all the infrastructure. Each neighborhood has its own number. There was no street names, as we used to. And until now, many of the streets do not have names.

There will not find old buildings, and it seems - well, what may be of interest, and even more hitting the town, built in the late Soviet era. Because then it built many types of cities.

Still, Aktau is the highlight. Nowhere else I have not met a house of the kind built for the residents of Aktau. I'm talking about the houses which they call galleries. These houses are built entire neighborhoods.

What are they unusual?

The facades of all the apartments in the house are located on the same side. The windows look onto long balconies. Entrance is located on the opposite side of the gallery entrances on each floor. To get to the floor, you need to climb any stairs or in the lift tower, which was attached from the side, or is located in the center of the building. Therefore, the houses no entrances or corridors.

According to local residents, such houses were built as experimental. It was believed that in the heat, they do not overheat and is cooled by the wind. A hot summer on Mangyshlak is up to 45 degrees, the sand is heated to 70 degrees. In winter, due to the structure and compliance of the wind rose, not cold in these homes.

All buildings of the same type, similar to each other. Therefore it is very easy to get lost without a guide. But Aktau residents to somehow distinguish them easily.

Many of the houses originally built on the "legs" to the space beneath them was formed with a shade and coolness. But now these homes almost gone, all the empty spaces built up small stalls and shops.

Now, of course, we built a lot of modern houses and even entire neighborhoods. Still image of the city is formed by the old neighborhoods.

What's unusual to meet in the city and its surroundings?

This is a huge and very beautiful mosque Becket-Ata. In the evenings, it is dealt with lyrical song of the muezzin.

Near the town is a huge necropolis Kashkar-Ata, which means Father of Sheep. Very unusual, in my opinion unenlightened Russian, Kazakh construction of Aborigines.

But I'll explain next time.

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