Abstract
The article considers the urbanization processes in two single-industry towns of Kostanay region: Lisakovsk and Arkalyk. Both cities were created during the Soviet period for the development of mining. Lisakovsk has always been a regional city, while Arkalyk has been the center of the Turgay region for a long time. However, Arkalyk has been steadily losing its population since 1991, when the decline was up to 40 % percent, and until now. The closure of the leading enterprise of the city, a branch of JSC «Aluminum of Kazakhstan» TBOM may lead to a further increase in the outflow of population, which in the long run may lead to the loss of the city status. In contrast, the population of Lisakovsk continued to grow even during the period of economic instability after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The city had a special economic zone status, which contributed to the momentum of food development. The article also traces the development of cities from their foundation to their current situation. The differences in the goals and methods used by the Soviet leadership for the formation of future single-industry towns are shown. The critical problem stages in the transition period of the 90s of the XX century are described.