Altybas

In accordance with Kazakh tradition, it has long been customary to name places after respected local heroes – biys, warriors, or individuals who died on that land. These names are a testament to the people’s deep connection to their land and history.

The story of Altybas (literally “six heads”) dates back to the turbulent times of the Kazakh-Jungar–Manchu wars. Among the six Qaratay clans, one was led by Beske, whose son Sherushi gave rise to a prominent lineage. Sherushi’s descendants came to be known collectively as the five Sherushi. Of these five, the eldest, Shaka, had four sons: Zhanibek, Koshkinshi, Kolybai, and Baubek. Among them, Zhanibek’s line flourished the most.

Zhanibek had nine sons: Togambai, Zhumyk, Mama, Sakan, Orys, Taibuga, Tailak, Balapan, and Kyrgyz. His sixth son, Taibuga, also fathered nine sons. So renowned was his large family that locals began referring to them as «Taibuga’s Nine».

In his later years, Taibuga, now over seventy, distributed his herds and lands among his sons. Together, they toured the settlements near present-day Maiemer village, located between the Naryn and Shyngystai regions. Afterward, Taibuga set off alone to return to his village along the Naryn River.

On the way, he was ambushed by Jungar fugitives hiding in the dense forest and was tragically killed.

Upon hearing the news, his kin from the Qaratay clans gathered a large force and scoured the slopes, ridges, and valleys of the Altai Mountains as thoroughly as fishermen drag a net through water. In the ensuing clash, most of the fleeing Jungars were killed, and six were captured alive. The victorious Qaratay warriors, enraged over the murder of Taibuga, handed the captives over to his descendants for justice.

The fierce battle, said to have taken place near a ford just north of the Maiemer River, left casualties on both sides. Driven by grief and fury, Taibuga’s descendants executed the six captured Jungars – beheading them and mounting their heads on the branches of a tall poplar. The bodies, stripped of their heads, were cast into the flowing waters of the Maiemer River. It was a message to those still hiding in the northern Altai forests: never return.

From that day on, the clearing where the heads had been displayed came to be known as Altybas – «Six Heads». The name remains a solemn reminder of loss, vengeance, and the struggle to defend one’s homeland.