Postcard from Bishkek

In a previous postcard, written to commemorate the birthday of Pyotr Semenov, (the Russian explorer whose accounts of his journey and the samples he took back to St. Petersburg opened the Tien Shan Mountains to Western science – for which he was given the honourary title Tienshansky), I gave a summary of his first foray to Lake Issyk Kul in 1856.

Today marks the anniversary of his death one hundred years ago, in 1914, so I thought I would take the opportunity to continue his story based on the English translation of his journal published by the Halykut Society.

He had left Vernoe, (now called Almaty), on that first tip and taken a two week journey crossing the Zaliinskiy Mountains, (known in Kyrgyzstan as the Kungey Ala Too – or Sunny Mountains), and exploring the Eastern end of the lake around what is now Tyup before returning to Vernoe on 16th September.

But … that was not to be the end of the story, just the end of a chapter … in the two weeks he had been away exploring and making notes, relations with the Sarybagysh tribe had taken a turn for the worse with the Kyrgyz crossing into Russian territory and attacking a merchant caravan on its way to Tashkent just a short distance from Vernoe … and the Russian commander, Khomentovskii, had resolved to send a expeditionary force with deal with the raiders.

Apparently there had been a a large and bloody battle and the Kyrgyz had retreated over the mountains.

Semenov was offered the chance to go after them as a sort of “peace” emissary.  He was given a detatchment of Cossacks together with  a small number of Kyrgyz guides (presumably they were actually Kazakhs – as, at that time the Kyrgyz were called Kara Kyrgyz), and twenty pack horses, he was ordered to head West to the River Chu.  If he didn’t find the rebels, (members of the Sarygabish tribe), there then he was to proceed to Issyk Kul and return to Vernoe over the Mountain passes with which he was now familiar.

At eleven o’clock on the morning of the 21st September the ninety strong party headed West and after about 27 versts, (a verst was a old Russian unit of length – roughly equivalent to just over a kilometer), to the banks of the River Keskellen – where there is now a settlement. Crossing the river they pressed on.  The weather was dull and turning to rain.

The crossed the river and proceeded further.  After about another 13 kilometers they found themselves in a small hollow where they decided to camp for the night.  Suddenly, they heard some frantic screaming. Apparently a small Uzbek caravan on its way to Vernoe was being attacked by a group of Kyrgyz bandits and Semenov led his Cossacks like the cavalry to the rescue in an old Western movie, chasing off the Sarygabish raiders, (who had been in the process of relieving the Uzbeks of their boots … because that is where they kept their money).  The bandits rode off with Semenov and his men in hot pursuit.  The band of robbers started stripping off their outer garments in order to ease their escape by lightening the load being carried by their mounts.

Most of the raiders had managed to make their escape but there were still three lagging behind.  Unfortunately, the horses giving chase were also getting tired and only Semenov and one Cossack were catching up with them.  The bandits set fire to the steppe grasses and the wind started blowing smoke in their direction and so Semenov, not wanting to fire on unarmed men – even if they were raiders – decided to give up the chase

The next day, the weather cleared and as the morning fog lifted the summits of the mountain peaks emerged.  They set off once more and after another 30 kilometers and then set up camp by the River Chemolgan in order to wait for fresh horses.  As evening set in the weather changed for the worse once again and it started raining … which went on well into the night,

New horses apparently arrived and the next morning they set off at an early hour, in the midst of a dense fog.  The journey was further hampered by the landscape through a network of deep, steep sided hollows through the foothills.  After four hours they stopped by another River, the Uzun Aganch and in his journal he takes time out to describe the colourful flowers that were still in bloom despite the lateness in the time of year.  The weather cleared and they continued on their way, another 20 kilometers, to another River, and another footnote – this time about the magnificent sunset, and golden crescent of the new moon.  It may well have been evening but they doggedly continued on their way for another three hours … finally making camp by the side of … yes, another River = the Kastek.

On the 24th, the weather was clear and it was relatively warm, (some 7°C), and the party turned South along the valley of the Kastek climbing up into the Zaliinskiy Ala Too between granite rocks.  They took an south eastern pass over the mountain in order to avoid the Kokoand fortress at Tokmok.  It was turning cold as they reached the summit of the pass but they were rewarded with a good view of the Chu Valley, flanked on the far side with snow capped peaks.  The descended from the summit following the course of year another river and after an hour stopped for the night.

The night was very cold, the tents being covered with ice, and when they awoke the following morning it was -1°C.  The pass that they had just come over, Suok Tiube, was living up to its name, Cold Mountain.  Now that they were over the mountains there was no time to be lost, so they set off at seven o’clock through the morning fog. There were no Kyrgyz raiders to be found in the Chu valley, in all likelihood, following a skirmish with the Russian troops after an earlier raid, they had presumably decamped up towards Issyk Kul.

It was not easy to persuade the Cossacks – many had participated in earlier campaigns and it was clear that they were likely to meet hostile groups en route – be they Kyrgyz or patrols out from Tokmok. On top of that, Boom Gorge was thought to be well nigh impassable.

Fortunately the weather was them … thick fog and then snow turning to rain hid their progress into the six kilometer wide Chu valley and across to the entrance of the gorge.  The gorge was extremely narrow with steep sides and they were ford the rapid river several times, and at other times climbing dangerous paths up, over and around the various obstacles that blocked their way.  As night fell, they continued on their way, the only light available to them being when the moon peeked out from behind dark clouds.

They finally reached a hollow, by the side of the river and under two steep cliffs, where they could stop and rest at three o’clock in the morning … or as he puts it, “until dawn”.  By my reckoning, that means for about just three or four hours at best. As it turned out, they back on the move in just two.

Guards had been posted on the cliffs above the camp because any hostiles could easily have wiped out the entire detachment if they had been spotted.  The worry, and the noise of the flowing river, meant that he couldn’t fall asleep and he describes the night as the most anxious of his life.  Even had he managed to fall asleep, it would have been rudely interrupted as the sentries fired off two rifle shots … they had heard stones falling and upon investigating seen two Kyrgyz leading their horses on a narrow path further up the slope.  Semenov determined that they posed no immediate threat to the party and were probably trying to avoid any contact by sneaking round them.  They did pose a threat, however, because if they got to Issyk Kul and warned the Kyrgyz there of the detachment’s approach, then there was a distinct possibility of facing a hostile reception once they emerged from the gorge.

So they made their way in much the same fashion as the previous day … but after a couple of hours the gorge widened out into a valley with wider, gentler slopes.  It wasn’t long before they came across an ail consisting of five yurts.  On seeing them approach the men quickly galloped away on their horses – well, the old man on an ox – and hid in a nearby ravine.  Only the womenfolk and children were left, and they pleaded for mercy.  Semenov tried to put them at their ease, giving them presents and explaiingd, through an interpreter, that they had no hostile intentions towards them, but were hoping to meet with the Kyrgyz manap Umbet Ala.

They learned from the women that Umbet Ala was camped at Kutemaidy on the Northern Shore of the lake … and so they set off to try and find him.

Soon they found themselves amidst a vast mass of flocks and herds and had to clear a way through them.  An advance party of four Cossacks were sent ahead to carry the same message that he had given to the women … that they had no hostile intentions … but wanted to meet with Umbet Ala.

In fact, Kutemaidy wasn’t on the shore of the lake itself, but about 15 kilometers short of it, on the plain of Kochkara, between the lake and the mountains that Boom Gorge dissects, by the side of the Kurtmaly stream, a tributary of the Chu.  Here it seemed that the whole Sarybagish tribe had assembled as it appeared as one large yurt city.

They were met with great formality and hospitality … it seems that Umbet Ala wasn’t at home himself, but was away ay Kochkara, preparing a baiga – a funeral feast – for those who had been killed in the battle with the Russians.

He explained that he had come from afar to see how Russian settlers lived in remote regions and recently learned of the conflict that had disturbed the peace between their two peoples.  The Russians did not want to be enemies with the Kyrgyz but, on the contrary, to be their tamyr – friend – and it would be a pity if any more attacks such as on the caravans would lead to a war between them.  He passed on presents for Umbet Ala, and in return received three fine horses … so, according to custome, he had indeed become Umet’s tamyr … the rest of the day was spent in talks with the tribal elders and then they were shown to a magnificent yurt prepared for honoured guests.

Although he felt confident that the rules of hospitality meant that the party were in no danger, sentries were set for the night.

Early in the morning he set out from the ail to explore the lake – and he was particularly interested to see if the Chu River really flowed from the lake … which was the general impression gathered from travelers’ tales at that time.  He discovered that it wasn’t and that the lake really did not have an outlet.

He returned to the ail and, his mission accomplished, gathered his party together.  They took their leave and set off along the northern shore of the lake, admiring the beauty of the mountains as they went.  Still a little anxious, when they stopped for the night on the southern slopes of the mountains they lit no fires.

They climbed up over the snow covered mountains and down into the valley of the Kemin River, making good time and even finding time to catch some wild boar which made a pleasant meal when they made their camp in the forest zone among Spruce trees.

Unbeknownst to him, two Cossacks on their best horses were dispatched ober the mountains to Vernoe for Vodka … a journey of over 90 kilometers … and they arrived back, with the vodka, buy the next morning!

They made their way down the valley at a leisurely pace … but one of the Kyrgyz (Kazakh) guides grew unsettled when, having inspected some dung by the wayside, announced that some bandits from the unfriendly tribe of Kyrgyz had passed by just a couple of hours earlier.  The guide may have been unsettled by this, but the Cossacks took it in their stride, confident in their abilities and sure that the landscape was actually to their benefit.

They turned North and crossed over the Zaliiskiy mountains once more … actually, nowhere near the mountain passes that Semenov had used on his first foray into Issyk Kul … spending the night of September 30th just 30 kilometers from Vernoe.  The following day, 1st October, they made their way into Vernoe where they were met with great ceremony … and a certain amount of revelry.

Late Autumn was settling in and further journeys of exploration would have to be postponed until the following year … but, once again … that’s another story for another time.

Tags: History, People