Mayluu-Suu

Mayluu-Suu is a former mining town of regional significance located in the Jalal-Abad Region of southern Kyrgyzstan. As of 2021, its population was 25,892. Historically, the town played a pivotal role in the Soviet Union's atomic program. Between 1946 and 1968, the Western Mining and Chemical Combine in Mayluu-Suu produced 10,000 tons of yellowcake, a partially refined uranium product essential for nuclear power and weapons production. Due to its strategic importance, Mayluu-Suu was classified as one of the USSR’s "secret cities", with its population peaking at 32,422 in 1989. During the Soviet era, Mayluu-Suu was transformed into an industrial hub. It became home to the Soviet Union’s largest lightbulb factory, earning the nickname "Light City" (Svetlyi Gorod in Russian). The town also hosted several smaller plants and workshops.

Today, Mayluu-Suu comprises the main town, the urban-type settlement of Kök-Tash, and the villages of Sary-Bee, Kögoy, and Kara-Jygach. However, the town faces significant environmental challenges. The Soviet legacy left behind 23 unstable uranium tailings pits on the hillside above Mayluu-Suu, a tectonically active area. In 2006, the town was ranked among the 10 most polluted places in the world, highlighting the ongoing environmental and health concerns stemming from its mining past.