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Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1990) Кыргыз Советтик Социалисттик Республикасы (Kyrgyz) Киргизская Советская Социалистическая Республика (Russian) Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan (1990) Социалисттик Кыргызстан Республикасы (Kyrgyz) Социалистическая Республика Кыргызстан (Russian) Republic of Kyrgyzstan (1990–1991) Кыргызстан Республикасы (Kyrgyz) Республика Кыргызстан (Russian)
1936–1991
Flag (1952–1991) State emblem (1956–1991)
Motto: Бардык өлкөлөрдүн пролетарлары, бириккиле! (Kyrgyz) Bardıq ölkölördün proletarları, birikkile! (transliteration) "Workers of all nations, unite!"
Anthem: Кыргыз Советтик Социалисттик Республикасынын Мамлекеттик Гимни Kyrgyz Sovettik Sotsialisttik Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni "Anthem of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic" (1946–1991)
Location of Kirghizia (red) within the Soviet Union from 1956 to 1991
Status	Soviet Socialist Republic
Capital	Frunze
Common languages	Official languages: Kirghiz · Russian Minority languages: Uzbek
Religion	State atheism
Demonym(s)	Kirghiz Soviet
Government	Unitary Marxist-Leninist single-party soviet republic (1936–1990) Unitary presidential republic (1990–1991)
First Secretary
• 1936–1937 (first)	Moris Belotsky
• 1985–1990 (last)	Absamat Masaliyev
Head of state
• 1936–1937 (first)	Abdukadyr Urazbekov
• 1990–1991 (last)	Askar Akayev
Head of government
• 1936–1937 (first)	Bayaly Isakeyev
• 1991 (last)	Andrei Iordan
Legislature	Supreme Soviet
History
• Kirghiz ASSR formed	11 February 1926
• Elevation to a Union Republic	5 December 1936
• Osh riots	June 1990
• Sovereignty declared	30 December 1990
• Independence declared	31 August 1991
• Independence recognized	26 December 1991
HDI (1990)	0.640 medium
Currency	Soviet rouble (руб) (SUR)
Calling code	+7 319/331/332/334/335
Preceded by Succeeded by Kirghiz ASSR Kyrgyzstan

The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR), also known as the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kyrgyz SSR), KySSR or Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirgiz SSR), was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. It was also known by the names Kyrgyzstan and Soviet Kyrgyzstan in the Kyrgyz language, and as Kirghizia and Soviet Kirghizia in the Russian language. Landlocked and mountainous, it bordered Tajikistan and China to the south, Uzbekistan to the west and Kazakhstan to the north. The Kirghiz branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union governed the republic from 1936 until 1990.

On 30 October 1990, the Kirghiz SSR was renamed to the Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan; on 15 December, after declaring its state sovereignty, it was renamed again to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. On 31 August 1991, it transformed into independent Kyrgyzstan.

Etymology

The name Kyrgyz is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for forty, in reference to the forty clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghur Khaganate. The name Kyrgyzstan or Kirghizstan means 'land of the forty tribes', combined from three words: kyrg (kyrk) meaning 'forty', yz (uz) meaning 'tribes' in East Turkic, and -stan meaning 'land' in Persian. Politically, the name of the republic was the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic as stated in the 1937 and 1978 constitutions.

From 30 October to 15 December 1990 it was renamed the Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan (or Kirghizia). Afterwards, the socialist prefix was dropped and it became the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Officially, in Russian, the name of the country in Kyrgyz, Kyrgyzstan, began to be used instead of the Russian Kirghizia. Later, the official name of the state was changed to the Kyrgyz Republic, which was retained after independence.

History

Eastern Bloc
Republics of the USSR Armenia Azerbaijan Byelorussia Estonia Georgia Kazakhstan Karelia-Finland Kirghizia Latvia Lithuania Moldavia Russia Tajikistan Turkmenia Ukraine Uzbekistan
Allied and satellite states Afghanistan Albania (until 1961) Angola Benin Bulgaria China (until 1961) Congo Cuba Czechoslovakia East Germany Ethiopia Grenada Hungary Kampuchea Laos Mongolia Mozambique North Korea Poland (until 1989) Romania Somalia (until 1977) South Yemen Vietnam (North Vietnam, PRG) Yugoslavia (until 1948)
Related organizations Warsaw Pact Comecon Cominform World Federation of Trade Unions World Federation of Democratic Youth
Opposition Anti-Soviet partisans Albania Bulgaria Croatia Poland Romania Serbia Ukraine Guerrilla war in the Baltic states Soviet occupation Estonia Latvia Lithuania Operation Jungle Protests and uprisings Poland 1944–1989 Poznań 1956 1980–89 Plzeň 1953 East Germany 1953 Georgia 1956 Hungary 1956 Novocherkassk 1962 Prague 1968 Invasion Moscow Czechoslovakia 1976–1990 Romania 1977 Kazakhstan 1986 Brașov 1987 Tbilisi 1989 Ukraine 1989–1991 Baku 1990 Lithuania 1991 Riga 1991 Dissent Soviet Poland East Germany to Hong Kong North Korea
Cold War events Marshall Plan Czechoslovak coup Tito–Stalin split Berlin Blockade Korean War Secret Speech Sino-Soviet split Albanian–Soviet split De-satellization of the Socialist Republic of Romania Berlin Wall Cuban Missile Crisis Vietnam War Cuban intervention in Angola Afghan War 1980 Moscow Olympics 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Gulf War
Fall Singing Revolution Polish Round Table Agreement Revolutions of 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall January Events Barricades in Latvia Breakup of Yugoslavia Yugoslav Wars End of the Soviet Union Post-Soviet conflicts Fall of communism in Albania Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
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Part of a series on the
History of Kyrgyzstan
Timeline
Early history Achaemenid Empire 542–330 BC Macedonian Empire 329–312 BC Seleucid Empire 312–189 BC Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 250–152 BC Xiongnu 204–53 BC Han China 101 BC–185 AD Kushan Empire 30–375 Former Liang 301–376 Rouran Khaganate 330–555 Former Qin 383–386 Later Liang 386–403 Hephthalites 440–560
Medieval history Kyrgyz Khaganate 539–1207 Turkic Khaganate 557–603 Sasanian Empire 559–628 Western Turkic Khaganate 603–657 Eastern Turkic Khaganate 603–630 Tang China 657–751 Second Turkic Khaganate 682–744 Umayyad Caliphate 706–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–875 Uyghur Khaganate 791–840 Tibetan Empire 794–842 Kara-Khanid Khanate 840–1089 Seljuk Empire 1089–1141 Qara Khitai 1141–1212 Khwarazmian Empire 1212–1221
Early modern history Mongol Empire 1218–1266 Chagatai Khanate 1266–1347 Moghulistan 1347–1514 Golden Horde 1368–1446 Timurid Empire 1370–1505 Uzbek Khanate 1437–1471 Kazakh Khanate 1465–1757 Khanate of Bukhara 1501–1709 Yarkent Khanate 1514–1705 Dzungar Khanate 1680–1758 Khanate of Kokand 1709–1876 Qing China 1757–1841 Emirate of Bukhara 1841–1876 Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate 1842–1867
Russian Vassalage Russian Empire 1876–1917 Urkun 1916–1917 Turkestan Autonomy 1917–1918
Soviet rule Turkestan ASSR 1918–1924 Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast 1924–1926 Kyrgyz ASSR 1926–1936 Kyrgyz SSR 1936–1991
Independent Kyrgyzstan 1st Kyrgyz Revolution 2005 2nd Kyrgyz Revolution 2010 3rd Kyrgyz Revolution 2020
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Established on 14 October 1924 as the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast of the RSFSR, it was transformed into the Kirghiz ASSR (Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic) on 1 February 1926, still being a part of the RSFSR. The borders were not drawn along ethnic or linguistic lines, however.

On 5 December 1936, with the adoption of the 1936 Soviet Constitution, it became a separate constituent republic of the USSR as the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic during the final stages of the national delimitation in the Soviet Union.

At the time of formation of Kirghizia, its territory was divided into districts (raions). On November 21, 1939, five oblasts (regions) were created: Jalal-Abad, Issyk Kul, Osh, Tyan Shan, and Frunze Oblast]s. In 1944, Talas Oblast was established from Frunze but was abolished in 1956. In 1959 the Frunze, Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad oblasts were abolished. Frunze and Issyk-Kul became territories under direct republic jurisdiction while Jalal-Abad was joined into Osh. Tyan Shan was the last oblast to be abolished in 1962, and by this point, the rest of the republic with the exception of Osh was divided into districts of republican subordination. In 1970, Issyk-Kul and Naryn (formerly Tien Shan) oblasts were restored, and in 1980 so was Talas. In 1988, the Naryn and Talas oblasts were again abolished; the former was merged with Issyk-Kul, while the later was merged with Osh. However, in 1990 they were restored and at the same time, Jalal-Abad and Chüy (formerly Frunze) were reestablished.

The Osh Massacre in 1990 undermined the position of the first secretary. That same year, on 15 December, the Kirghiz SSR was reconstituted as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan after declaring its sovereignty. On 17 March 1991, Kirghizia supported the Union preservation referendum with a 95.98% turnout.

However, this did not come to pass when the hardliners took control of Moscow for three days in August 1991. Askar Akayev, the first president, unequivocally condemned the putsch and gained fame as a democratic leader. The country declared its independence on 31 August 1991 and the Soviet Union was formally dissolved on 26 December 1991. However, the 1978 constitution remained in effect after its independence until 1993.

Politics

Similar to that of the other Soviet republics, Kirghizia's government took place in the framework of a one-party socialist republic with the Communist Party of Kirghizia as the sole legal political party. The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kirghizia served as the head of the party, while the Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet functioned as the executive heads of state and the Chairmen of the Council of Ministers led the legislative branch.

Economy

Demographics

In 1926, the republic had a population of 1,002,000 people. In 1939, 1,458,000 people were recorded. The population grew significantly in the decades after World War II; the republic had 2,065,837 people in 1959, 2,932,805 people in 1970, and 3,529,030 people in 1979. In the final Soviet census of 1989, the republic had grown to 4,257,755 people. The majority of the population were ethnic Kyrgyz people. However, because large numbers were sent there in deportations, at times there were other significant ethnic groups. Between March and May 1944 alone, it was reported in the Kremlin that 602,193 residents of the North Caucasus region had been deported to the Kirghiz and Kazakh SSRs, of which 496,460 were Chechens and Ingush, 68,327 of which were Karachays and 37,406 were Balkars. The majority of the Kyrgyz population are Muslims and speak a Turkic language. Bishkek had the largest concentration of Russians in the country, some 22% of the population by independence, with Uzbek minorities in the Fergana Valley especially constituting some 13% of the population. In 1990, violent clashes between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz peoples broke out in the Osh Region; ethnic tensions still remain in the region.

Religion

Under Soviet rule, Islam in Kirghizia was heavily suppressed with people actively encouraging atheism.Soviet authorities permitted limited religious activity in all the majority-Muslim Soviet republics. Most of the Russian population of Kirghizia were atheist or Russian Orthodox. After independence, the country enjoyed greater religious freedom and remains to this day a secular state.

Geography

Kirghizia, a landlocked republic in Soviet Central Asia shared its borders with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as China on the outside lying between latitudes 39° and 44° N, and longitudes 69° and 81° E. It is farther from the sea than any other individual country, and all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country, with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.

Issyk-Kul Lake, or Ysyk-Köl in Kyrgyz, in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest point and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from the mountains is also used for hydro-electricity.

Culture

As the Soviet Union respected other cultures even after delimitation, there are a wide variety of cultural items in Kirghizia listed here:

• Manas, an epic poem
• Komuz, a three-stringed lute
• Tush kyiz, large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings
• Shirdak, flat cushions made in shadow-pairs
• Other textiles, especially made from felt
• Falconry

Traditions

Apart from celebrating the New Year each 1 January, Kirghizia, like all Soviet Republics, observed the Great October Socialist Revolution on 7 November. Its festivals and traditions such as Nowruz and Ulak Tartish were suppressed by the Soviet authorities.

The tradition of bride kidnapping, which remains illegal to this day, was suppressed by the Soviet regime. It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that arranged marriages were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping".

Legacy

According to a 2013 Gallup poll, 62% of Kyrgyz people said that the collapse of the Soviet Union harmed their country, while only 16% said that the collapse benefited it. The poll also showed that well-educated Kyrgyz people were more likely to say that the breakup harmed their country.

See also

• Leadership of Communist Kyrgyzstan
• Interhelpo
• Daughter of Soviet Kirgizia (painting)

Notes

1. • Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Советтик Социалисттик Республикасы (Кыргыз ССР), romanized: Kyrgyz Sovettik Sotsialisttik Respublikasy (Kyrgyz SSR)
   • Russian: Киргизская Советская Социалистическая Республика (Киргизская ССР), romanized: Kirgizskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika (Kirgizskaya SSR)
2. Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан, Советтик Кыргызстан, romanized: Kyrgyzstan, Sovettik Kyrgyzstan
3. Russian: Киргизия, Советская Киргизия, romanized: Kirgiziya, Sovetskaya Kirgiziya

References

1. ^ A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia. From 15 October 1990 to 15 December 1990, it was named the Socialist Republic of Kirghizia.
2. On 27 October 1990, article 6 on the monopoly of the Communist Party of Kirghizia on power was excluded from the Constitution of the Kirghiz SSR
3. Cholpon Chotaeva. History of Kyrgyzstan (Lecture book) (PDF).
4. Nelson World Atlas, A Metric Atlas - Nelson, 1974
5. Forty tribes and the 40-ray sun on the flag of Kyrgyzstan Archived 2009-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, SRAS–The School of Russian and Asian Studies
6. Bennigsen, Alexandre; Broxup, Marie (3 June 2014). The Islamic Threat to the Soviet State (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. pp. 42–. ISBN 978-1-317-83171-6.
7. Dana, Leo Paul (1 January 2002). When Economies Change Paths: Models of Transition in China, the Central Asian Republics, Myanmar & the Nations of Former Indochine Française. World Scientific. p. 65. ISBN 978-981-277-745-4.
8. Group, Taylor & Francis (2004). Europa World Year. Taylor & Francis. p. 2543. ISBN 978-1-85743-255-8. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
9. Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian) – via Great Scientific Library
10. Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Incorporated. 1993. p. 141. ISBN 9780717201242.
11. Sakwa, Professor of Russian and Foreign Policy Richard; Sakwa, Richard (17 August 2005). The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union. Routledge. p. 480. ISBN 978-1-134-80602-7. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
12. Pavlenko, Aneta (2008). Multilingualism in Post-Soviet Countries. Multilingual Matters. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-84769-087-6.
13. Tishkov, Valery Aleksandrovich (15 May 2004). Chechnya: Life in a War-Torn Society. University of California Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-520-93020-9.
14. Rubin, Don; Pong, Chua Soo; Chaturvedi, Ravi; Ramendu Majumdar; Minoru Tanokura (January 2001). The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Asia/Pacific. Taylor & Francis. p. 274. ISBN 978-0-415-26087-9.
15. Escobar, Pepe (26 March 2005). "The Tulip Revolution takes root". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 27 March 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
16. Aidar, Iliyas. "Kyrgyz Style – Production – Souvenirs". Kyrgyzstyle.kg. Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
17. Lom, Petr (March 2004). "Synopsis of "The Kidnapped Bride"". Frontline/World.
18. "Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan". Human Rights Watch Report. September 2006, Vol. 18, No.9.
19. ^ Esipova, Neli; Ray, Julie (2013-12-19). "Former Soviet Countries See More Harm From Breakup". Gallup.

Further reading

• Fatland, E. (2020). Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. New York: Pegasus Books.

v t e Kyrgyzstan articles
History	Scythians Kushan Empire Uyghur Khaganate Golden Horde Khanate of Kokand Basmachi movement Soviet era Osh riots Tulip Revolution 2010 Kyrgyz Revolution 2020 Kyrgyz Revolution
Geography	Borders Central Asia Cities Environmental issues Mountains Protected areas Regions Districts Rivers Valleys Wildlife
Politics	Central Asian Union Constitution Elections Foreign relations Human rights LGBT Military Parliament Political parties President Prime Minister
Economy	Agriculture Banking Central bank Energy Som (currency) Telecommunications Tourism Transport
Society	Abortion Demographics Education Ethnic groups Health Language People Prostitution Sex trafficking Squatting Culture Ala kachuu Architecture Cinema Cuisine Media Music Public holidays Religion Sports Symbols anthem emblem flag
Outline Index Category

42°52′N 74°36′E / 42.867°N 74.600°E / 42.867; 74.600

• Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
• States and territories established in 1936
• States and territories disestablished in 1991
• 1936 establishments in the Soviet Union
• 1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union
• Former socialist republics
• Republics of the Soviet Union
• Communism in Kyrgyzstan