Museum of the History of Mining and Smelting in the village of Zhezdy named after Maken Toregeldin

The Museum of the History of Mining and Smelting is located in the village of Zhezdy in the Ulytau district of the region of the same name. It was organized by the Order of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR No. 285-r dated 12/21/1988. It was officially opened on July 15, 1994 by the Order No. 285-r of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR dated December 12, 1988.

By the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 61 dated March 5, 2015, the museum was awarded the name of its founder and first director, cultural figure of the Republic of Kazakhstan, veteran of the Great Patriotic War and public figure Maken Toregeldin.

The idea to create this unique open-air museum belongs to the former chairman of the village council of the village of Zhezdy, veteran of the Great Patriotic War Maken Toregeldin. The history of the village is closely connected with the extraction of manganese. During World War II, the Nazis captured the city of Nikopol in Ukraine (the center of manganese mining in the USSR), at that time manganese, which is one of the main components of armor, was needed for the production of tanks. In July 1942, a manganese mine was opened near the Zhezda River, where a settlement for workers and builders was formed. The museum's exhibits and exhibitions are based on showing the history of the region from ancient times to the present day in chronological order.