Kyrgyzstan is a country with a very ancient and rich culture and history. There are not only monuments of architecture but also pieces of art as well as different written monuments among its social heritage. The Kyrgyz people are proud of their culture and history, as well as of their heroes - outstanding people who made a considerable contribution to the development of Kyrgyzstan.
From time immemorial, the Kyrgyz people glorify their batyrs (strong men) and national heroes. Since the Kyrgyz people are nomads they valued first bravery, courage, boldness and amor patriae among personal features. It was these characteristics which all national heroes of the country featured.
Among specially honored statesmen and heroes of Kyrgyzstan is Shabdan Batyr, who was a chieftain of the Sary Bagysh tribe and did many good deeds aimed to improvement of the Kirgiz nomads’ life. His name is still esteemed by people which fact is confirmed by his horsebacked monument erected in Kemin.
Among other public figures and supereminences of Kirgizia are Kurmanjan Datka, a woman, statesperson of Kirgizia whom people called lovingly «The Tsaritsa of Alai” or “The Queen of the South”, Toktogul Satylgan Uluu, the poet, thinker and prominent statesperson, Kojomkul, Kirgiz strong man and athlete, the man who saved many villages from starvation during World War II.
It should be specially mentioned the famous scientists who contributed much to exploration of the Kirgiz territory. Among them there is a famous scientist–geographer, researcher- natural scientist N. Prezhevalski who spent his last years of life on the Issyk-Kul lakeside. Another one well- known researcher of the XIX-XX centuries, who visited Kirgizia, was the famous alpinist G. Merzbacher.
Kyrgyzstan is famous not only for its heroes and batyrs. One the famous writer of this country is considered as of right Chingiz Aitmatov. His books are published in more than 100 languages of the world with a total run of several million copies. One should note a medieval writer Balasaghuni whose work “The Blessed Knowledge” was translated into the English language.
The Outstanding People of Kyrgyzstan:
Aitmatov
Chingiz Aitmatov, the outstanding Kyrgyz writer is, perhaps, the only Central Asian author who gained international acceptance. His works are translated into English and other languages. (His books are published in more than 100 world languages with total run of 90,000,000 copies). Aitmatov was at the peak of his popularity in the Soviet period and Mikhail Gorbachev sometimes cited him in his speeches. The author’s favorite subject was social heritage of Turkic peoples and how contemporaneity deprives people of their individuality. More...
Balasaghuni
Yusuf Balasaghuni, the great writer and medieval notionalist was born approximately in 1016 in the ancient city of Balasaghun where the Buran tower is situated, near the modern city of Tokmok. More...
Frunze
Frunze, Mikhail Vasilevich was born in 1885 in Bishkek, called as Pishpek at that time. His father was a Moldavian medical profession. More...
Kojomkul
Kojomkul was born in 1889 and died in 1955 in the age of 67. He was as tall as 2,3m and as heavy as 164 kg. When Kojomkul was young he could easily wipe eye to any “strong man” in fighting competitions. Once the strong man accepted an offer to take part in fighting competition to be held in the neighboring Toktogul region (at that time fighting competitions were an essential part of any holiday) which was organized by one of the local bays (who was a rich and famous man). Having won this fight Kojomkul distinguished himself even more in the community, and 50 ship won in this fight he gave away to the poor and distressed people. More...
Kurmanjan Datka
Kurmanjan Datka (1811-1907) is a great statesperson of the Kyrgyz Republic. She is also known as «The Tsaritsa of Alai” or “The Queen of the South”. Datka means a general, she was awarded the generalship twice. More...
Merzbacher
Gottfried Merzbacher (1843-1926), the German alpinist and geographer, inspired by the results of the Semenov-Tien Shansky’s expedition, headed 2 expeditions to the Central Tien-Shan in 1902 and 1907. More...
Prejevalsky
Prejevalsky was born on 12 April 1839 in a small village near Smolensk city in the western Russia. He had a passion for travelling from his early childhood. His father was an army officer, who retired at the age of 32, and young Nicholas had to continue his business. He completed school in the age of 18 and joined duly the army. Though he never enjoyed the military life, he decided that the career in the army would give him a better chance “to start the way” and travel. More...
Shabdan Baatyr
Shabdan Juntaev was born in 1839 in the Sary Bagysh tribe in the region of Kemin. He was born to be a chieftain and rule the Chon Kemin Valley as a local feudatory. The locals still respect him much. This is confirmed by his horsebacked monument erected in Kemin (in the left from Bishkek road to Issyk Kul). More...
Toktogul
Toktogul Satylgan Uluu (1864-1933) is a Kyrgyz poet, democrat, thinker and outstanding komuzist (komuz is a Kyrgyz national music instrument). More...
