The Kyrgyz SSR is one of the fifteen former Soviet republics. She is the forerunner of modern Kyrgyzstan. Like the rest of the republics, this state entity had its own characteristics related to the history, culture, geographical location, economic conditions, and ethnicity of the population. Let's find out in detail what the Kyrgyz SSR was, its features and history.
Geographical position
First of all, let's find out the geographical location of this republic. The Kyrgyz SSR was located in the south of the USSR, in the east of its Central Asian part. In the north, it bordered on the Kazakh SSR, in the west - on the Uzbek SSR, in the south-west and south - on the Tajik SSR, in the east - the state border with China. The total area of the republic was almost 200,000 square meters. km
This state entity had no access to the sea, and most of the country's relief is mountain ranges. Even the intermountain troughs, such as the Issyk-Kul, Ferghana and Dzhumgal ditches, as well as the Talas valley, are located at an altitude of at least 500 m above sea level. The main mountain range of the country is the Tien Shan. The highest peak is Victory Peak. In the south of Kyrgyzstan - the Pamir mountain system. On the border with Tajikistan is the peak of Lenin.
The largest body of water in Kyrgyzstan is Lake Issyk-Kul, located in the northeast.
Background
In ancient times, various Indo-European nomadic tribes lived on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, which were replaced by Turkic peoples in the early Middle Ages. Throughout the Middle Ages, separate groups of Yenisei Kirghiz came here from southern Siberia, which, mixed with the local population, formed the modern ethnic appearance of the country and gave the name to the whole people. This relocation was especially intense since the fourteenth century.
The Kyrgyz had to fight for independence with strong Uzbek states, in particular with the Kokand Khanate. Its rulers subjugated a significant territory of Kyrgyzstan and in 1825 founded their fortress - Pishpek (modern Bishkek). In the course of this struggle in the XIX century, individual tribes took Russian help and patronage, and then citizenship. Thus, it was the Kyrgyz who became the main supporters of the Russian expansion into Central Asia among the local peoples.
In the 50-60s of the XIX century, the north of the future Kyrgyz SSR was conquered by the Russian Empire from the Kokand Khanate. The first Russian fortified fort here was Przhevalsk (modern Karakol). On the lands of northern Kyrgyzstan and eastern Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Empire in 1867, the Semirechensk region was formed with the administrative center in the city of Verny (modern Almaty). The region was divided into five counties, two of which - Pishpeksky (main city Pishpek) and Przhevalsky (main city Przhevalsk) - were Kyrgyz. Initially, the Seven Rivers was subordinated to the Steppe Governor General, but in 1898 it was transferred to the Turkestan Governor General (Turkestan Territory).
In 1876, Russia completely defeated the Kokand Khanate and included its entire territory, including southern Kyrgyzstan. The Ferghana region with the administrative center in Kokand was formed on these lands. She, like the Semirechensk region, was an integral part of the Turkestan Territory. Ferghana region was divided into 5 counties, one of which - Osh (the administrative center is the city of Osh), was located on Kyrgyz lands.
The formation of the Kyrgyz SSR
Actually, the start of the long process of the formation of the Kyrgyz SSR can be considered the revolutionary events of 1917. Almost 20 years have passed from the time of the revolution to the moment when the Kyrgyz SSR was formed.
In April 1918, in the territory of the Turkestan Territory, which included all the modern states of Central Asia and southeast Kazakhstan, the Bolsheviks created a large autonomous entity - the Turkestan ASSR, or the Turkestan Soviet Republic, which was part of the RSFSR. Kyrgyz lands, as part of the Semirechensk and Ferghana regions, also entered this entity.
In 1924, a large-scale plan for the national demarcation of Central Asia was implemented, during which autonomy was granted to all the large peoples living in Turkestan, including the Kyrgyz. Of the parts of the Semirechensk and Ferghana regions, as well as a small region of the Syr Darya region (the north of present-day Kyrgyzstan), where the majority of the population were Kyrgyz, the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region was established with an administrative center in the city of Pishpek. This name was explained by the fact that at that time the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was called modern Kazakhstan, since Kazakhs were mistakenly called kaisak-kyrgyzs according to the tradition of imperial times. However, already in May 1925, the territory of Kyrgyzstan began to be called the Kyrgyz Autonomous Region, since Kazakhstan acquired the name of the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and there was no longer any confusion. Autonomy was directly part of the RSFSR, and was not a separate Soviet republic.
In February 1926, another administrative transformation took place - the Kyrgyz Autonomous Region became the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the RSFSR, which provided for the provision of greater autonomy rights. In the same year, the name of the city of Frunze, named after the famous red commander of the Civil War, was changed at the administrative center of the Kyrgyz ASSR Pishpek.
After 10 years, in 1936, the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was expelled from the RSFSR, like other republics of Central Asia, and became a full-fledged subject of the Soviet Union. The formation of the Kyrgyz SSR.
Republican symbols
Like every Soviet republic, the Kyrgyz SSR had its own symbolism, which consisted of a flag, coat of arms and anthem.
The flag of the Kyrgyz SSR was originally a completely red banner, on which the name of the republic was written in yellow block letters in Kyrgyz and Russian. In 1952, the appearance of the flag was substantially changed. Now in the middle of the red cloth passed a wide blue stripe, which, in turn, was divided into two equal parts by white. In the upper left corner were a hammer and a sickle, as well as a five-pointed star. All inscriptions have been removed. So the flag of the Kyrgyz SSR remained until the collapse of the country of the Soviets.
The song to the words of Sydykbekov, Tokombaev, Malikov, Tokobaev and Abildaev became the anthem of the republic. The music was written by Maodybaev, Vlasov and Fere.
The coat of arms of the Kyrgyz SSR was adopted in 1937 and was a complex image in a circle with an ornament. The emblem depicts mountains, the sun, ears of wheat and cotton branches intertwined with a red ribbon. The coat of arms was crowned with a five-pointed star. A ribbon with the inscription “Workers of all countries, unite!” Was thrown across it. in Kyrgyz and Russian. At the bottom of the coat of arms is an inscription with the name of the republic in the national language.
Administrative division
Until 1938, Kyrgyzstan was divided into 47 districts. There were no larger administrative entities at that time. In 1938, the districts of the Kyrgyz SSR merged into four districts: Issyk-Kul, Tien Shan, Jalal-Abad and Osh. But some areas remained not in district subordination, but in the republican.
In 1939, all districts received the status of oblasts, and those districts that had not previously been in district subordination merged into the Frunze region with a center in the city of Frunze. The Kyrgyz SSR now had to consist of five regions.
In 1944, the Talas region was allocated , but in 1956 it was liquidated. The remaining regions of the Kyrgyz SSR, except for Osh, were abolished from 1959 to 1962. Thus, the republic consisted of one region, and the regions that were not included in it had direct republican subordination.
In subsequent years, the region was restored, then again abolished. At the time of the collapse of the USSR, Kyrgyzstan consisted of six regions: Chuy (formerly Frunzenskaya), Osh, Naryn (formerly Tien Shan), Talas, Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad.
Control
The actual control of the Kyrgyz SSR until October 1990 was in the hands of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, which, in turn, was subordinate to the CPSU. The supreme body of this organization was the Central Committee. We can say that the First Secretary of the Central Committee was the de facto leader of Kyrgyzstan, although formally this was not so.
The supreme legislative institute of the Kyrgyz SSR at that time was a parliamentary body - the Supreme Council, which consisted of one chamber. It met only a few days a year, and the Presidium was a permanent body.
In 1990, the post of President was introduced in the Kyrgyz SSR, the elections of which were held by direct vote. The president from that moment became the official and de facto head of Kyrgyzstan.
Capital
The city of Frunze is the capital of the Kyrgyz SSR. So it was throughout the existence of this Soviet republic.
Frunze, as mentioned earlier, was founded in 1825 as an outpost of the Kokand Khanate, and had the original name Pishpek. In the fight against the khanate, the fortress was destroyed by Russian troops, but after a while a new village appeared here. Since 1878, the city has been the administrative center of Pishpek county.
Since 1924, when the national demarcation of the peoples of Central Asia took place, Pishpek was alternately the main city of the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region, the Kyrgyz Autonomous Region and the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1926, the city received a new name - Frunze. The Kirghiz SSR throughout its existence from 1936 to 1991 had the capital under this name. Pishpek was renamed in honor of the famous Red Army commander Mikhail Frunze, who, although he was a Moldavian by nationality, was born in this Central Asian city.
As mentioned above, since 1936 Frunze - the capital of the Kyrgyz SSR. During the period of industrialization in the USSR, large factories and enterprises are being built here. The city is constantly being improved. Frunze became more and more beautiful. The Kyrgyz SSR could be proud of such a capital. By the beginning of the 90s, the population of Frunze was approaching 620 thousand people.
In February 1991, the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR decided to rename the city to Bishkek, which corresponded to the national form of its historical name.
Cities of Kyrgyzstan
The largest cities of the Kyrgyz SSR, after Frunze - Osh, Jalal-Abad, Przhevalsk (modern Karakol). But by all-Union standards, the number of inhabitants of these settlements was not so great. The number of residents in the largest of these cities, Osh, did not reach 220 thousand, and in the other two it was even less than 100 thousand.
In general, the Kyrgyz SSR remained one of the least urbanized republics of the USSR, so the rural population here prevailed over the number of urban residents. A similar situation persists in our time.
Economy of the Kyrgyz SSR
Accordingly, the proportions of the distribution of the population, the economy of the Kyrgyz SSR was agrarian-industrial in nature.
The basis of agriculture was livestock. In particular, sheep breeding was the most developed. The development of horse breeding and cattle breeding was at a high level.
Crop production also occupied leading positions in the economy of the republic. The Kyrgyz SSR was famous for growing tobacco, grains, fodder, essential oil crops, potatoes, and especially cotton. A photo of cotton picking at one of the collective farms of the republic is located below.
Industrial areas were represented mainly by the mining industry (coal, oil, gas), engineering, light and textile industries.
Military units
In Soviet times, military units in the Kyrgyz SSR were located on a rather dense grid. This was due to the sparsely populated region, as well as the important geopolitical position of the republic. On the one hand, Kyrgyzstan was located near Afghanistan and other countries of the Middle East, where the USSR had its own interests. On the other hand, the republic bordered on China, with which the Soviet Union at that time had rather tense relations, and sometimes even went into armed confrontation, although it did not come to an open war. Therefore, the borders with the PRC constantly demanded an enhanced presence of the Soviet military contingent.
It is noteworthy, but the famous Ukrainian boxer and politician Vitaliy Klitschko was born precisely on the territory of the Kyrgyz SSR in the village of Belovodskoye, when his father, who was a professional military man, served there.
If you delve further into history, you can find out that during the Great Patriotic War in 1941, three cavalry divisions were formed on the territory of the Kyrgyz SSR.
The elimination of the Kyrgyz SSR
At the end of the 80s, the time for change came in the USSR, which took the name Perestroika. The peoples of the Soviet Union felt a noticeable political relaxation, which, in turn, not only brought about the democratization of society, but also launched centrifugal tendencies. Kyrgyzstan did not stand aside.
In October 1990, a new post of the President was introduced in the republic. Moreover, the head of the Kyrgyz SSR was elected by direct vote. The victory was won not by the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan Absamat Masaliev, but by the representative of the reformist movement Askar Akayev. This was evidence that the people required change. Not the least role in this was played by the so-called “Osh massacre” - a bloody conflict that occurred in the city of Osh in the summer of 1990 between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. This significantly undermined the position of the communist elite.
On December 15, 1990, the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Kyrgyz SSR was adopted, proclaiming the supremacy of republican laws over all-union ones.
On February 5, 1991, the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan adopted a resolution on renaming the Kyrgyz SSR to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. After the events of the August coup, Askar Akayev publicly condemned the coup attempt by representatives of the State Emergency Committee, and on August 31, Kyrgyzstan announced its withdrawal from the USSR.
Thus ended the history of the Kyrgyz SSR, and began the history of a new country - the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.