Nationalities
It used to be said that there were over 80 nationalities represented in the population of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the results of the census in 1999, there were some members of 132 nationalities registered in Bishkek – including 33 “Brits”, ( … we are still waiting for the results of the 2009 census).
The Kyrgyz make up just over 50% of the population – of the over 70 other nationalities the major ones are: Russians (17%), Uzbeks (13%), Ukrainians, Germans and Tartars. According to the 1999 census there were 12 nationalities with a population of over 20000 people.
The Soviet period was one of considerable internal migration and this helped to reinforce the multi-ethnic nature of the population – as well as feed the periods of population growth.
There were a number of other consequences of important social and demographic importance. For example, the migration led to differences in the ethnic mix of communities. Although it is common for “ghettos” (areas where communities tend to congregate) to emerge, there was a tendency for some nationalities (e.g. Kyrgyz, Germans and Uighurs) to settle in rural communities and for others (such as Russians, Koreans and Uzbeks) to prefer urban ones.
Up until the 1970s the numbers of ethnic Kyrgyz was in decline – but this tendency has been reversed.
The last major influx of nationalities occurred when Stalin moved sizable populations of other minorities here: these include Koreans, Germans and some Chinese (though there was already a Chinese population called Dungans or Dongans, in residence. Many Germans have now emigrated to Germany leaving some smaller towns practically empty. A large proportion of the Russian population have also emigrated since Independence in 1991, and there are often reports of even more seeking to emigrate.
The period between 1959 and 1970 saw an increase in population over virtually all of the republic. Bishkek doubled in size during this period in which there was a lot of investment in the infrastructure – constructing the North-South, Bishkek-Osh highway and the road that rings lake Issyk Kul; numerous factories and plants were built; ….
The 1970′s however saw a consolidation (or stagnation) in population growth. The natural population increase was maintained – but migration between Kyrgyzstan and other republics of the Soviet Union matched this growth. This trend continued throughout the 1980′s. In the 1990′s, declining birth rates, a slight increase in death rates and continued migration (such as the exodus of ethnic Germans and Russian) led to a much lower level of population growth (1.2% as opposed to 2%).
Following Independence, migration was still an important factor – and, one year (1993/4) actually helped towards a decrease in the country’s population.
The Kyrgyz
The Kyrgyz themselves probably originated in the northern Altai Mountains. There are references to them in ancient Chinese texts and these were used for a justification of 2003 being declared the Year of Kyrgyz Statehood – marking 2200 years of their existence.A Kyrgyz Khanate stretched from the Yenesei River in the Eastern Tien Shan, but this was replaced by other Turkic empires, the Karakhanid, the Mongol, Chagatal, … Khokand and finally Russian and Soviet. Each brought about a mix of nationalities, as did Kyrgyzstan’s position across the Great Silk Road.
Ethnically, the Kyrgyz tend to resemble somewhat the Mongols or Chinese, while the Uzbeks and the Uighurs (the latter live mainly in China) resemble more the people of Turkey.
The original Kyrgyz, however, were somewhat different. For example, the Kyrgyz which descended upon the Uighur Empire around 832 were a forest dwelling people from the Yenesei region in Siberia – some 40 days travel from the Uighur capital of Karabalasugin. Their homeland was a place where the trees grew so tall “that an arrow could not reach their peaks”. Apparently, they were a tall people with light coloured hair and green or blue eyes.
There used to be some confusion in identifying the Kyrgyz, themselves, and the Kazakhs. This is because the Kazakhs, (a larger nationality), were often referred to as “Kyrgyz”, (some suggest that this was to avoid confusing them with the “Cossacks”), whilst the Kyrgyz themselves were often referred to as “Kara-Kyrgyz” (= “Black Kyrgyz”) to distinguish them.
The Kazakhs were nomadic pastoralists who herded animals on the steppes – and it is sometimes said that the Kyrgyz were nomads who wandered from place to place vertically and the Kazakhs were nomads who wandered from place to place horizontally.
There are sizeable Kyrgyz communities in Afghanistan and Turkey. The Kyrgyz of the Wakhan corridor (in Afghanistan) have, over the years, been granted considerable freedom by the various rulers of that country to organize themselves. There is also a large community of people in Siberia which identify with the Kyrgyz – live by similar customs and speak a similar language. On the Chinese side of the border, just past Torugart is the Kyrgyz Autonomous County. Apparently it was Kyrgyz nomads who showed Younghusband passes over the Pamir from Hunza. It is even said that there was an ancient Kyrgyz community settled in parts of Tibet.
In recent years, some of the ethnic Kyrgyz have been returning “home” to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Because of the huge mixing of populations and you will notice a great difference in facial appearances.
In the summer of 1992 the first Kyrgyz Kurultai, (or “gathering”), took place in Bishkek, and representatives of Kyrgyz communities from various parts of the world (including Australia Saudi Arabia, Canada, Germany, Turkey, China, Afghanistan and the US) attended. The second such gathering took place in 2003. More than 300,000 Kyrgyz live in other parts of the former Soviet Union, and 150,000 in China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Smaller communities can be found in Mongolia, India, Turkey and Jordan. In China the Kyrgyz even have their own Kyzyl-Suu autonomous district.
There is a tradition amongst some Kyrgyz that says that long ago some of their ancestors crossed the Bering Land Bridge to become the forefathers of today’s Native Americans.
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are descendants of the Mongol horde of Genghiz Khan. In the 14th century they converted to Islam and emigrated from their home in Southern Siberia looking for conquest. By the 15th century they were already established in what the land that Uzbekistan now occupies. The Uzbek Khans fought battles with both the existing population – and amongst themselves – but eventually established themselves as rulers over the land. The Uzbek people settled down from a nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary agrarian one in the fertile regions such as the Ferghana valley.The three khanates of Kokand, Khiva and Bukhara emerged to fill the void left by the collapsed Iranian regime in 1747. They were committed rivals – but all three seemed to live in splendid isolation from the rest of the outside world. Surrounded by troublesome nomadic tribes, with boundaries impossible to delimitate and constant disputes with distant states over several outlying provinces, led to a precarious and “violent” history. The Khans ruled as feudal despots and some were despised by the people they ruled, but were cowed by tradition and fear. They were supported in their position by the fact that trade was good – although the Silk Road had long since disappeared – including a huge trade surplus with the Russian Empire.
They resisted the expansion of the Russian empire but the three Khanates fell, one by one: first Kokand, then Bukhara and finally Khiva. (The last of the Central Asian peoples to hold out against thjis expansion were probably the Turkmen Tekke nomads.) In 1917 there was an attempt to re-launch an independent Kokand state – but this was put down by the Bolsheviks after the Revolution.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the Uzbeks have reestablished themselves as a regional powerhouse with a strong sense of identity and tradition. They tend to be firm believers in Islam.
Uzbek houses are fairly easy to identify. They are spacious, built behind high walls – often with handsome gates, with a large yard, verandah and tapchan – a raised platform with a low lying table around which people sit for meals.
Uzbek males often wear a dopilar: a square, four sided skullcap – usually black with white embroidery. If the men usually dress in sombre colours, the women prefer bright colours.
Uzbekistan is the most populous nation in Central Asia. Many Uzbeks, however, live outside its borders. They are the largest of the Turkic peoples outside Turkey, and were the third largest nationality in the former Soviet Union – with many of their numbers spread throughout the various republics of the Union. A considerable number – over half a million – live in Kyrgyzstan, (which over the centuries was subject to various of the Khanates which proceeded the modern state) where they make up about 13% of the total population. In some areas, however, (especially in the South) they form the majority of the population.
Typically, they are traders and farmers – they dominate the cotton farms of the republic.
Although relations between the Kyrgyz and the Uzbeks tends to be good, ethnic tension between them seems, sometimes, to just “under the surface” and threatening to explode, shattering the image of social cohesion in the multi-ethnic Kyrgyz State. Occasional incidents do occur – and the most serious was the Osh riots of 1990.
Russians
The Russians are largest of the Slavic minority groups in the country – accounting for just over 11% of the total population.The Kyrgyz of the Chui and Issyk Kul regions made overtures to tsarist Russia seeking protection from the Khanates of Kokand and Bhukara and the Chinese. At the time of the first emissary, (Atake Baatyr), however, the Russian empire was faced with problems elsewhere and little inclined to extend themselves further East. The situation changed, however, and the Russians began to look on their southern neighbours as unstable, anachronistic regimes. They soon found that they were plunged headlong into an expansionist campaign – often driven by individualistic military commanders (some contrary to their orders). Apart from their distrust and distaste for many of the regimes they were to eliminate, there was a concern over the expansion of British influence emanating from British India – and the perceived need to establish a secure southern border.
As a consequence of the military campaigns to conquer the lands of Central Asia – and scientific expeditions to explore the remote and little known lands and peoples to the South and East, Russians started to emigrate to the region towards the end of the 19th century. Although there was a Russian presence in the area beforehand – the main thrust of expansion came after 1861 and the Stolypin reforms abolished serfdom throughout the Russian empire. In a policy which could be described as “Go East Young Man”, the Tsarist government had promised them grants of land and tax breaks in order to encourage the “colonization” of the country.
Later, during the Second World War, whole communities were transported away from the Western Front, and the advancing German armies. There was then a further influx during in the 1950s under Khrushchev’s ”Virgin Lands” campaign which sought to develop the vast expanses of the East, encourage agriculture and the development of industry.
Relationships between the Russians and the Kyrgyz have been mixed …
Although the Russian expansion into the region may appear to have been aggressive – it should be remembers that, in the North – to some extent at least, they were invited and welcomed. Even in the South where there was more reluctance to accept them – they were still seen as the “power to be dealt with”. When Kurmanjan Datka, (“the Queen of the Alai” – and leader of the Southern Kyrgyz) met with two British agents en route – undercover of disguises – who had made overtures to her in the name of Queen Victoria, she is reputed to have replied to the effect that: England is far away – Russia is much nearer … and they don’t interfere with us, we live our lives as we always have.
Many of the early settlers were to learn Kyrgyz – and even today it is possible to find ethnic Russians living in villages speaking fluent Kyrgyz.
There were times of trouble, however, and the events of 1916 marked a nadir in relationships between the two groups. It is true that fault can be laid on both sides for the excesses that led to many thousands of people being slaughtered and yet more to die of hunger and cold on the mountain passes as thet fled to China. … In due course, the Russian armies proved superior and the Kyrgyz subjected themselves to Russian rule once more … and subsequently to Soviet rule.
Most Russians live in the North – in Bishkek, along the shore of Lake Issyk Kul and in Talas. There are many villages with Russian names – Orlovka, Alexadrovka and so forth. Many settlements, however, have had their names changed to Kyrgyz ones – in the case of Prezhervalsk, to revert to the former Kyrgyz name, (Karakol); or in the case of Rybache, to a Kyrgyz version of the same word (Balykchi); or in the case of Dalinka to a totally new name in Kyrgyz, (Kara Oi).
They tend to work as settled farmers, technicians and academics. During the Soviet period they formed an elite within the country. It is said that in the Soviet system, throughout the USSR, the figurehead always came from the most populous of the region’s nationalities, his first deputy from the second most populous and the third most important person (the second deputy) was always a Russian … and always exercised the real power whilst owing allegiance to the Central government in Moscow.
Since independence there has been a large migration of ethic Russians back to “Mother Russia”. One reason seems to have been a tendency to feel that the local Kyrgyz are nationalistic – and so they see little future for their children. This “brain drain” has had some serious consequences on the republic and is likely to get worse as Russia tries to cope with a declining population and seeks to encourage the Russian Diaspora to return. Many Russians, however, have decided to stay – and, indeed, some who had left earlier have returned – either disillusioned in Russia, or feeling more comfortable in the land of their birth/youth in which they grew up and that Central Asia is really their “home”.
The government is aware of the concerns of many Russians – and has made overtures to reassure and “win over” their confidence. The Russian language has been afforded the status of an “official” language. The Russian military, having once withdrawn from the country (in 1999, when they ceased to man the border service) have now re-established a military presence in the Air force base at Kant. The government is seeking to reinforce ties with their old “friend” and cooperation agreements have been signed which should bring considerable investment to the country.
Tajiks
In some ways the Tajiks stand out from the rest of the Central Asian peoples. Many have distinct Mediterranean features – which some claim are a sign of their descent from the armies of Alexander the Great. In fact they are descended from an Indo-European people – the Aryans – which makes them relatives of the present day Iranians and, in fact, they speak a form of Farsi – the language of Iran – rather than a Turkic language. The term ‘taj’ means ”a Persian speaker”.As with the Kyrgyz, there are many different tribes and clans amongst the Tajiks.
Tajik males normally wear a quilted coat – like the the Kyrgyz chapan – and a black hat embroidered in white – like the Uzbek doparilar, and the women brightly coloured dresses, with trousers underneath, and matching headscarves.
The borders of Central Asia have been fairly nebulous over the course of time – and nomads would wander freely across, what is today, a national border. As a result many Tajiks live in the surrounding countries rather than in Tajikistan itself. Tajiks, for example, can be found in the neighbouring Chinese province of Xingjian – where they have an area designated as an Autonomous County.
There are a little under 50000 Tajiks living in Kyrgyzstan. Most of them live in the far South where they are farmers.
To complicate matters even further, the way in which the borders of the different Central Asian republics were delimitated in the 1920s means that there areas in each of them which are totally populated by people of a different nationality and, for example, the Murghab province of Tajikistan is almost entirely populated by ethnic Kyrgyz. Similarly, Samarkand in Uzbekistan is almost entirely populated by Tajiks – and there have been some calls for it to be “handed back”.
During the civil war in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan received a large number of refugees from that country – approximately 14000. Originally they settled in camps in the areas around Osh and Djalal Abad – but following tensions rose many were resettled in the North (for example, in Kara Balta and Ivanovka) where they were accommodated in houses left by departing slavs. After the civil war ended many of the Tajiks returned home.
Uighurs
The Uighurs are a Turkic people, related to the Uzbeks. In fact they have a long and proud history and tradition.The Uighur empire arose in Southern Siberia, to the North of China and for some time they dominated China, her society and the Chinese court. They were unpopular however, and the Chinese emperors amassed a coalition of allies to expel them.
The Uighurs were expelled from their homeland and moved West – to the area now known as Xingjian in China where they established an empire which supplanted the Kyrgyz Khanate, (which represented the height of Kyrgyz power and influence). The Uighur empire adopted Manichean Christianity as the official State religion – the only state to do so in history.
They lived in the part of China known as Xingjian for about a thousand years and some families claim to be able to trace their lineage back to the 10th century. The major Uighur migration into the rest of Central Asia occurred in the 1850s and 1860s – when they fled Manchurian expansion – and there was a second wave in the 1920s.
The Uighur language is a Turkic language, closely related to Kyrgyz and Uzbek … but for writing they use an an Arabic script … just as the Kyrgyz did for some time – and it was the basis for the Mongolian script.
Although most Uighurs have assimilated into the local community – there is a movement in Xingjian to create a new Uighur state – which sometimes causes tension with China.
Uighurs make up about 1% of the population of Kyrgyzstan. They are concentrated in a number of locations, such as around Bishkek, Uzgen and Djalal Abad. Many are descendants of refugees that fled China in 1881 to avoid persecution.
They are mainly active in trading and farming. In the Spring of 2006, there were some incidents in a village near to Tokmok, where young ethnic Kyrgyz and young ethnic Uighurs fought each other. One of the issues underlying the unrest seemed to be that the Uighurs tended to be well off landowners - whilst the labourers they employed were Kyrgyz.
Kazakhs
The Kyrgyz and the Kazakhs are closely related. They both share a nomadic culture – but whereas the Kyrgyz wander the mountainous countryside of the Tien Shan, the Kazakh wandered the steppes. Some people say that the name Kazakh means “steppe wanderer” – although other sources suggest a different interpretation: “free warrior”. It has been said that whereas the Kazakhs were nomads that traveled horizontally, the Kyrgyz were nomads that traveled vertically.At one time the Kazakhs were known as Kyrgyz, and the present day Kyrgyz were known as Kara-Kyrgyz … which can lead to a great deal of confusion when reading historical accounts.
They trace their origins back to the 15th century, when rebellious tribes broke away from Uzbekistan and settled in the territory of current day Kazakhstan.
Due to their proximity to Russia – and extensive contact with Russians over the years, they are probably the most Russified of all the Central Asian peoples. Most adopt Russian (western style) dress except for special occasions when they wear clothes which appear close to Kyrgyz costume.
The small Kazakh community – about 1% of Kyrgyzstan’s population – lives mostly close to the border with Kazakhstan: in Talas, Kara Balta, Karkara and Karakol. The Kazakh community is becoming increasing involved in investing in the Kyrgyz economy.
Koreans
The first Korean to emigrate to Kyrgyzstan was a young woman call Pak, in 1935. (She died in 1975 – aged 96 – in a small village in the Alamedin rayon, near Bishkek). She was not alone for long.In 1937, the Stalin regime, feared that the Korean community might form a “fifth column” in support of the Japanese who were then occupying Manchuria and Korea just across the borders. They ordered a mass deportation of all 36442 families from Sakhalin, Vladivostok and the Russian Far East to Central Asia – a total of 171781 people.
The journey was harsh. No one really knows how many people died in transit, or in their new home. To make matters worse, members of the Korean Communist Party were amongst the first to suffer under the Stalinist repressions – being liquidated.
In 1959 there were only 3346 living in Kyrgyzstan. By 1994, this figure had risen six fold, and now there are over 20000 ethnic Koreans in the country.
At first life was not easy. Koreans were forbidden, for example, to enter University. Things apparently got easier for the community in the 1950′s – following the death of Stalin. They established social structures: cultural clubs, schools, clinics and even a Korean language newspaper. In fact many of the young people forgot their mother tongue, and nowadays most cannot speak or read it – only Russian.
In their new homeland, and improved opportunities, young Koreans soon established themselves. They were economically active and were often promoted to management positions.
Most of the Koreans (about 55%) live in Bishkek. Another 20% live in the northern Chui and Issyk Kul oblasts, and just over 10% in the southern Osh and Djalal Abad oblasts. Most of them live in the town – about 77%, however, members of the community are commonly involved in agriculture and in many places the markets stalls are dominated by Koreans.
There is a Korean Community Center in Bishkek – with its own hotel (P&Co). There is also an evangelical Christian Church which has a strong presence amongst Bishkek’s Korean Community.
Tartars
The Tartars are a Turkish people from the Volga region in Russia – where they have their own Autonomous Republic, centred around the capital: Kazan. Although they are descended from the Mongol Golden Horde, most resemble Russians rather than the other Turkic peoples.The Tsar began encouraging the Tartars to begin settling in Central Asia in the middle of the 19th century as farmers, traders and clerical workers. In 1944 another trance were deported here by the Soviet authorities from the Crimea. A large number have emigrated to either the Crimea or Russia since Independence and there are now just over 50000 in Kyrgyzstan.
Sabantui is a Tartar festival which takes in June each year with performances by various ensembles (including ensembles representing other ethnic groups which are represented in Kyrgyzstan’s population) and games.
Dungans
Dungans are ethnic Chinese Muslims – in China they are known as Hui. Like the Uighurs – the original Dungan community arrived in Kyrgyzstan as refugees from persecution in 1882 after a series of failed Muslim rebellions.Although they have, on the whole, assimilated into the local community, (for example, only a few of them still speak their native Chinese and they write using the Cyrillic script), they have maintained certain features of their traditional culture and identity, (for example, they have their own newspaper – Huiming Bo = Muslim People), and their cuisine remains a striking feature and Dungan restaurants and cafes are popular.
There is a large community of Dungans in the region around Karakol.
… and, of course, not forgetting the British
There is a small British community – including me. The 1999 census revealed that there were only 33 “Brits” living in Kyrgyzstan at that time. Some of these would have been consultants who had come to work in Kyrgyzstan on projects supported and funded by international aid agencies, others working for foreign investments such as Kumtor or British Airways, but there are a small number who have settled in the country. Some of these have chosen the ex-pat life in Kyrgyzstan because they have met and married local partners – others are drawn here by business opportunities.
Bishkek