The giant who tried to block the Irtysh River

Every mountain in the Eastern Kazakhstan is shrouded in myths. The Tolagay and Kalba mountains are no exception. In ancient times, there lived a Giant. And he had two sons. The youngest son once swam in the Irtysh River and drowned. No matter how much the Giant looked for him, he could not find him.

The Giant got angry at the merciless river and decided to block it so that it would not flow further. To block the Irtysh, the Giant needed a mountain. And behind this mountain the Giant and his eldest son went to the mountains of Tarbagatay. They took a mountain called Tolagay, lifted it onto their shoulders and carried it. In the evening they reached Mount Kolba and decided to spend the night there. Before going to bed, the father told his son: “Don’t date your wife, spend the night alone, otherwise you won’t have enough strength to carry the mountain tomorrow.” But the son did not listen to his father and violated the ban. The next day, the Giant and his eldest son shouldered Mount Tolagay and carried it, but the son did not have enough strength, and they could not drag the mountain to the Irtysh. And Mount Tolagay remained lying next to Mount Kalba.​