Alatau, Almaty Region

Alatau, formerly known as Zhetigen, Nikolaevka is a small town in Almaty Region of Kazakhstan. It is located some 50 km north of Almaty, on the Turksib rail line.

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. On January 9, 2024, the village of Zhetygen was transformed into a city of regional subordination and renamed Alatau.

The 600th Guards Air Base of the Kazakh Air Force is located at an airfield near Zhetigen.
An airforce plane crashed near the town in 2008.