The town of Uralsk is located on the Ural River, the river that from ancient times has conventionally been considered part of the boundary between the continents of Europe and Asia. Originally, when founded back in 1613, the town was named “Yaitsk”, after the Yaik river (the name of the Ural River at that time). The town is known as a sight where Pugachev’s Rebellion occurred in 1775, after which the Yaik river was renamed the Ural River and the town of Yaitsk was known as Uralsk.
Alexander Pushkin visited the town in September 1833 while doing research for his novel “The Captain's Daughter”, a romanticized account of Pugachev's Rebellion. Leo Tolstoy, Saken Seyfullin, Sabit Mukanov and other writers and academicians visited the town on certain occasions as well.
Alexander Pushkin visited the town in September 1833 while doing research for his novel “The Captain's Daughter”, a romanticized account of Pugachev's Rebellion. Leo Tolstoy, Saken Seyfullin, Sabit Mukanov and other writers and academicians visited the town on certain occasions as well.
The work to be done was clear. A town with such a controversial history, located at the intersection of two continents, needed distinct positioning and identification. This town has its own peculiar character, it is full of life and meanings, it has a unique story to tell. The story of Uralsk cannot be shared in just a few words or a couple of images. Its eclectic story is literally woven from myriads of different pieces into a single kurak-korpe (a patchwork carpet).
