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Residents of Temir, a small historical town in Kazakhstan's Aktobe region, have made an unusual request: they want their town to be officially reclassified as a village. Their reasoning is that the current 'town' status hinders their access to vital state development programs and makes it difficult to attract young specialists.

A Glimpse into Temir's Rich History

Founded in 1870 as Karamys, Temir was once a bustling trade hub. Merchants from Tashkent, Bukhara, Ufa, Orenburg, and Orsk frequented the area. The town's historical significance is still visible today in its late 19th and early 20th-century buildings, including an old mosque, a church, and a mansion built in 1895. Local accounts suggest that the prominent public and political figure Mustafa Shokay stayed in this mansion for several days in 1918, as noted in his wife Marina Shokay's writings.

Akerke Akshabayeva, a history teacher at Baishev School, emphasized the importance of preserving these landmarks. "We want to protect this building, along with the Akhmet-Khalifa mosque and the church, as historical monuments," she stated.

Development Stalled by Town Status

Despite its rich past, residents feel the town is stagnating. Temir has essential services like a school, two kindergartens, and a medical clinic. However, attracting new professionals is a significant challenge, according to Sandugash Tasbauova, the school principal.

"Young people don't actively participate in competitions for positions here. We see many applicants for vacancies elsewhere, but only a few contact us. This is because we have town status. There's a difference in salaries between villages and towns," Tasbauova explained. She added that the town's status prevents it from participating in several state programs specifically designed for rural areas.

Residents' Plea for Change

Local resident Sabyrzhan Moldagulyov highlighted the issue: "Programs like 'With a Diploma to the Village' are not accessible to us. We have water, gas, and communication, and our indicators are good for a rural district. But for a town, it's insufficient. There's no development."

The residents believe that reclassifying as a village would open doors to state programs, encouraging young families to settle, and fostering the development of local infrastructure and small businesses.

Official Response and Future Possibilities

Temir's Akim (Mayor), Mukhtar Akimov, confirmed that a majority of residents support changing the town's status. "Historically, Temir will remain a town. But the vast majority of local residents are asking for village status due to the lack of benefits," he noted.

The Ministry of National Economy indicated that changing a settlement's status is possible if the local community supports it. "One of the criteria for changing a settlement's status is the opinion of the local community. Local executive and representative bodies make decisions based on the local community's opinion," said Darhan Adylbekov, a ministry representative.

Currently, Kazakhstan has 12 district-level towns with fewer than 10,000 residents. However, no proposals to change their status have yet been submitted to the Ministry of Economy. Historically, Temir served as a district center until 1972, when its population exceeded 5,000. Today, the town's population is just over 2,000.

This situation was reported by the Infohub.kz information agency.