Postcard from Bishkek

It may seem a little late as the year was already well and truly underway, but in January the government the Government confirmed the list of anniversaries which Kyrgyzstan will be officially commemorating in the year 2012, as they are considered to be of specific “national value”.  I was quite impressed, however, as here in Kyrgyzstan it is quite common for things to be left to the last moment.

The list contained 13 anniversaries.   It may seem that it doesn’t contain easily recognizable, global names, but each has its own importance here in Kyrgyzstan,  and there is a story behind each.  Here it is:

• The 20th anniversary acceptance of the Kyrgyz national flag, (although ironically there are proposals to change it);
• The 20th anniversary acceptance of the Kyrgyz national anthem, (again, ironically, there are proposals that a new one should be adopted);
• The 80th anniversary of the Kyrgyz National University named after Djusup Balasagyn, in Bishkek;
• The 70th anniversary of the Kyrgyz Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Abdylas Maldybaev, in Bishkek;

and,

• The 80th anniversary of the birth of the poet, and winner of the Toktogul and Alykul Osmonov awards, Baidyldy Sarhogoev.   (They were a bit late for this, as his birthday was actually on January 14th, but they say that “it’s the thought that counts”.)
• The 90th anniversary of the birth of the academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, (a professor and doctor of geographical sciences), Kaiyp Otorbaev, (22nd April);
• The 90th anniversary of the birth of the Hero of Soviet Union, Major General Dair Asanov.    He died in 2009 at which point he was the last of Kyrgyzstan’s World War II Heroes of the Soviet Union. (30th May);
• The 100th anniversary of the birth of  the writer Tugolbai Sydykbekov.  His father died when he was just three years old, after which his mother and family moved to work for the Russian teacher of Zaimka settlers.  He graduated from the Russian school in Karakol, eventually going on to study at agricultural college and the veterinary institute.  Sydykbekov’s work in agriculture allowed him to assemble material which he used in his books.   In the 1930′s he also wrote the newspaper “Lenin’s youth”.  He was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet, (1954-1958), and served five terms as a deputy of the the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyzz SSR.  (14th May);
• The 100th anniversary of the birth of the politician and public figure Zhamankul Toigonbaev.  In 1947 Toigonbaev was elected as first secretary of the Tien Shan regional party committee and in 1952 as  secretary of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan.  Later he became First Secretary of the Osh regional committee of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan. From 1956 to 1976 was Chairman of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of Kyrgyz SSR on vocational education where he made a significant contribution to the training of highly skilled workers for the national economy and the development of vocational education of the Republic.  He was repeatedly elected a member of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, twice served as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet, and seven time as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz SSR.  He was awarded the Order of Lenin, October Revolution, Orders of Red Banner (twice), the Order of the “Badge of Honor” (also twice) and other medals. He was conferred the honorary title “Honored Worker of vocational education and training of the Kyrgyz SSR.” ;
• The 100th anniversary of the birth of the artist Gapara Aitiev, after whom the State Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek is named. (15th September);
• The 100th anniversary of the birth of politician and public figure Abdy Sujerkulov.  Born in the Toktogul district of what was then Osh region, he was chairman of the Council of Ministers of Kyrgyz SSR from 1950 to 1958.  (25th December);
• The 110th anniversary of the birth of Lieutenant General Ysakbek Moniev, the military leader of the unrecognized Republic of East Turkestan (which is now the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China )(which is now the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China ).  Born into an aristocratic Kyrgyz family in the Alai region of Southern Kyrgyzstan, his father, (a large trader), moved to Xinjiang.  At the age 25 Ysakbek assembled a squad of Kyrgyz from the Kyzyl-Suu region, that fought with the robber bands that traveled along the Soviet-Chinese border. For these services the government KMT, (the Kuomintang, the Chinese National People’s Party), awarded him the rank of Major General.  Later, however, friction with the Kuomintang government led to him taking refuge in Alma-Ata, where formed another military unit, with which he returned to Xinjiang and defeated the troops of the Kuomintang . In 1944 he was instrumental in establishing the unrecognized Republic of Eastern Turkestan led by Akhmetzhan Qasimi.In 1949 the government of East Turkestan flew to talks in the Soviet Union, but the plane crashed on September 3rd, not far from Alma-Ata and Lake Baikal.  (According to some sources the accident was organized by the Soviet secret service, because Stalin had agreed with Mao Tse Tung to restore the territorial integrity of China, and therefore an independent East Turkistan was not in the interests of either).
• The 130th anniversary of the birth of the Komuzist Karamoldo Orozov, an interesting character who defied tradition for the sake of his art, a devout Muslim who wrote in Arabic yet a revolutionary and member of the Supreme Soviet, who was reputed to play all day long, (17th November);

Personally, I was a bit surprised at some of the omissions, in particular for example:

• 110th anniversary of the birth of the composer and singer Baetov, (9th May);
• 90th anniversary of the birth of the writer Abdymomunova, after whom the Kyrgyz Drama Theater takes its name, (15th August);
• 110th anniversary of the birth of Semen Chuikov, a lively and charismatic character who has been called the Father of Kyrgyz Art – and in 2007 became the painter of the most expensive Kyrgyz painting of all time when his Daughter of Soviet Khirgizia fetched USD85000 in a Moscow auction. (30th October)

Still, I suppose there were too many possible candidates and resources for such commemorations are scarce.  I am not sure what celebrations will be organized to commemorate these events.  It is unlikely that there will be any large “street parties”; in some cases the committee has decided to erect a monument or establish a scholarship.  In one case they decided not to allocate any funds at all but to seek sponsorship.

I’ll write a bit more about some of them in later postcards.

 

Tags: Calendar, For_the_Record, Kyrgyzstan, People