Zhanaozen, Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan

🇰🇿 Janaozen or Zhanaozen, formerly known as Novy Uzen, is a city in the Mangystau Region of Kazakhstan located south-east of the city of Aktau. The name of the town means "new river" in Kazakh. Zhanaozen is a city of regional significance. It is completely surrounded by the territory of Karakiya District, but administratively does not belong to the district.

History The town of Zhanaozen was founded in 1964, after the opening of an oil field in Uzen. On 21 October 1968 Novy Uzen took the status of a settlement of town type, and since 20 March 1973 the status of a city of regional significance. June 1989 saw large disorders. Novy Uzen was renamed Zhanaozen in October 1993.

2011 oil strike In May 2011, workers from the Ozenmunaigas oil field went on strike over pay. The strike was declared illegal by local courts and the state oil company sacked nearly 1,000 employees. Some of the sacked workers then occupied the town square in protest. On 16 December 2011 police were accused of firing on them. Fifteen people (workers and police officers) were killed according to government officials, though opposition sources put the death toll in the dozens. In disturbances that day local government offices, a hotel and an office of the state oil company were set on fire, according to General Prosecutor Askhat Daulbayev. Eighty-six people were injured in the clashes – according to the authorities – and due to shortage of hospital beds in Zhanaozen, many were taken to be treated in the regional capital Aktau, about 150 km away.

2022 protests The 2022 Kazakh protests began in Zhanaozen after a sharp increase in gas prices (the Kazakh government claiming this was due to high demand and price fixes), corruption, authoritarianism, human rights violations, and police brutality. The protest soon spread to other regions of Kazakhstan, and as of Jan 8, 2022, the government has resigned and the new government has promised to change the gas prices to 50 Kazakhstani tenge for the next 6 months.

Geography: Location Zhanaozen is located in the desert on Mangyshlak Peninsula.

Sports clubs Futsal club of Munaishy acting in the championship of Kazakhstan on a futsal.

Sports constructions • Stadium of Amin Tuyakov. • Physical culture-improvements complex (PIC) of Rakhmet Utesinov. • "Energetik" children-young mans sport school (CYSS).

Transport Zhanaozen is a terminal station at the railway connecting it to Gorgan (Zhanaozen — Gyzylgaya — Bereket — Gyzyletrek — Gorgan).

The city transport is presented by generally passenger "GAZelles" (12 routes, approx. 120 units) and private taxi. The cost of a passenger journey — 40 tenge (half price for children), and a taxi — 150-300 tenge.