Before the begining of tourist season Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs published the list of the countries which don’t need to get the visa to visit Kyrgyzstan.

Here it is.

Azerbaijan
Armenia
Belarus
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Moldova
Russia
Tajikistan
China Nothern Corea. Sorry for my mistake, guys.
Cuba
Vietnam
Japan
Ukraine (up to 3 months)
Uzbekistan (up to 60 days)
Malaysia (official and tourist visa up to 1 month)
Mongolia (up to 3 months)
Turkey (up to 1 month)

Also:
Australia,
Austria
Belgium
Great Britain
Germany
Greece
Denmark
Israel
Ireland
Iceland
Spain
Italy
Canada
Cyprus
Korea
Liechtenstein
Luxemburg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
New Zealand
Portugal
USA
Finland
France
Switzerland
Sweden

Classic of modern world literature, great Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aytmatov has been buried today…

(…) It was late as we journeyed home from the station. Daniyar rode on ahead. The night was magnificent. Who does not know these August nights with their far-off, yet so close, gleaming stars! There was one star: it seemed frozen round the edges, its icy rays sparkled as it looked down from the dark sky in surprise at the earth below. I gazed at it as we rode through the canyon. The horses, eager to be home, trotted briskly and gravel crunched under the wheels. The wind from the steppe brought the bitter smell of flowering wormwood, the faint aroma of cooling ripe wheat, and all this, mingling with the smell of tar and horses’ sweat, made our heads light.
From Chingiz Aitmatov’s Jamila (online version)

Passages like this have drawn me to Central Asia long before I actually went there. They have instilled longing and a feeling of freedom in many people. Thanks to Chingiz Aitmatov, Central Asian traditions, lifestyles, myths – but most importantly – a transcendental Central Asian “feeling” became part of Soviet culture, known and celebrated beyond the borders of the former empire.

Chingiz Aitmatov died on Tuesday this week, at the age of 79. With him, Kyrgyzstan loses one of her (if not the) most famous sons and one of the most important Soviet-era authors. Jamila and The Day Last More than 100 Days belong to the best books I have ever read in my life, and his bibliography is long enough to discover his work for a long time to come.

The blogosphere is grieving. Read the full story »

President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiev has signed a decree about declaring June 14, 2008 as the mourning day in Kyrgyzstan in connection with the death of Chingiz Aitmatov Torokulovich, the people’s writer of Kyrgyzstan, and organizing his funerals, news agency “Kabar” reported.

The people’s writer of Kyrgyzstan, Hero of the Socialistic Labor, laureate of Lenin and USSR State Prizes, Hero of the Kyrgyz Republic Chingiz Aitmatov Torokulovich died on June 10, 2008.

Chingiz Aitmatov always remains in the memory of the whole people of Kyrgyzstan as great writer, thinker, thanks to whom the world knew about Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyz people, its culture and customs.

The head of state decrees:
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Yesterday, one of my friends asked me:”Why do people become more interested in a person after his death???” I did not answer immediately; firstly, I reflected on his question, and many answers penetrated my mind. The only sensible reason was an absence!!! When you are away from someone, you miss him; so simple, but so real. In most cases the harsh absence is death.

Why not in all cases? Think of a man divorced whose wife left him for another. The new family lives abroad, children are with the mother. The real father cannot see his children due to some financial problem. In this case he would prefer to die… Anyway, back to the subject…

The reason for the question was death of the famous Kyrgyz writer – Chyngyz Aitmatov. I am not going to discuss how he died, or how good he was before because you already know that well. I’d rather talk about the atmosphere in the room; most of friends started discussing about his poems, some about his contribution to the country and to the world at all. Only one of us was listening carefully and asked that question after which I flew away into deep thoughts.

One thing made me upset is that as time passes I will not read his poems that much as I did before. Life circumstances will not let me do that!!! If only I read more of his books… Still I have time to do that in order to discuss about his life and writings which involve the recent history of our nation. I would advise you too, especially to the youth.

It’s not only for the case with Chyngyz Aitmatov whom we are proud of, the life itself teaches us to behave adequately. Do not waste your time, make small steps, but make them constantly.

Chingiz Aitmatov died today in a clinic in German city Nuremberg today. He was 79. German news agency DPA wrote that the cause of the dead became pneumonia. Aitmatov was delivered to the clinic “Clinicum Nuremberg Zud” on 19 may with the diagnosis “renal failure”.

German doctors said that pneumonia was the source of the renal and pulmonary failure.

Chingiz Aitmatov was born in 1928 in Kyrgyzstan. He graduated agricultural institute in Frunze (now Bishkek) and Supreme literary courses in Moscow. First he published his prose on Kyrgyz, than began to write on Russian language.

“Jamila” story (1958) brought all-union fame and popularity to him. Than was stories “First Teacher” and “My small poplar in a red scarf” (1961).

Aitmatov published his most famous books in 70-s. “White steamer”, “Piebald dog running on the sea edge”, “Day last longer century”. The novel “Plaha” in 1980-s became one of the most important book in the reconstruction period. In 90 he published the novel “Cassandra’s Brand”. His last big book “When mountains are falling down” was published in 2006.

Aitmatov was the laureate of Lenin and three State prizes of USSR. After reconstruction Chingiz Aitmatov was appointed the ambassador of USSR in Luxemburg. After break-up of USSR he became the diplomatic representative of Kirgizia in Benelux countries and the permanent representative of the republic in NATO and UNESCO.

2008 year was announced as a year of Chingiz Aitmatov in Kyrgyzstan.

There was a recent Miss Tourism Kyrgyzstan pageant, held on the eve of summer. Some bloggers have visited this contest and published photos of the event. The chosen Miss Tourism and other participants of the contest didn’t impress Kyrgyz bloggers.

Blogger baisalov wrote [ru]:

Miss Tourism looks like Filipino and other east-Asian beauties. I think, first vice-miss Tourism has more or less averaged and typical face of Kyrgyzstan.

simpu joked [ru]

Last two girls are more or less attractive. I am clever man and I understand that their appeal is because of make-up.

One more “fashion event”. Russian newspaper “Komsomolskaja Pravda” published an article “Kyrgyzstan – Fatherland of Dior” about the incomes from clothing manufacturing in Kyrgyzstan.
Read the full story »

On 6 June an informal summit of the Heads of States of CIS started in Saint Petersburg. The meeting of the Heads of States of CIS took place at Konstantinovskiy palace.

The summit discussed issues of reforming economic development, energy and transport communication.

The President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiev delivered a speech at the XII Petersburg International Economic Forum. After the forum, Bakiev met with President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.

The President of Russia Dmitriy Medvedev noted the dynamic development of trade and economic cooperation of both countries.

“Trade and economic cooperation is developing dynamic, we have a real growth of the commodity circulation. It has increased 50% recently. This growth is favorable for the development of the mutually beneficial bilateral relationships between Russia and Kyrygzstan”, Medvedev told.

Read the full story »

High in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan, a remnant population of 1,300 Kyrgyz still follows the traditional lifestyle of semi-nomadic pastoralism. During the past 100 years, the Afghan Kyrgyz have ranged across tsarist Russia, Qing and Republican China, the Afghan Pamir, Pakistan and even Turkey, where the majority of the 1970s Afghan Kyrgyz population was resettled in 1982, four years after leaving Afghanistan for Pakistan in expectation of a Soviet invasion.

Today, the Afghan Kyrgyz dwell in one of the most remote and inhospitable environments occupied by any human population. Lacking roads, schools, or doctors, this community has some of the highest rates of maternal, infant and child mortality in the world. Opium addiction is also a rapidly growing problem.

Yet, despite the challenges posed by geo-political events, Afghanistan’s thirty years of war, and living at average elevations of 4100 meters, the Afghan Kyrgyz have persevered and today their future is probably more hopeful than it has ever been before.

On 6 June, six Afghan Kyrgyz visited AUCA for a question-and-answer session. Ted Callahan, a PhD candidate in anthropology, who has spent the past year living with the Kyrgyz in the Afghan Pamir presented a brief introduction and slide show.

That 6 Afghan Kyrgyzes told us a lot of interesting facts. There are about 4, 000 kyrgyz people living in Pamir Mountains. They have natural economy, almost don’t use money. They breed sheeps, yaks and some camels. The food, language and traditions of Afghan Kyrgyzes are almost the same. They just have a light accent and poligamy because of lack of the girls in their society. They have a khan, who solve some problems and deal with the Afghaninstan goverment.

Kyrgyz Girl in Pamir, photo by Ted Callahan

254 ethnic Kyrgyz received citizenship of Kyrgyzstan, head of the state committee for migration and employment Aigul Ryskulova told at a plenary meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) of Kyrgyzstan, news agency “Kabar” reported.

Aygul Ryskulova said that it has not been determined the status of 2 thousand ethnic Kyrgyz, who are returning to the motherland. She added that the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of interior affairs of Kyrgyzstan first check ethnic Kyrgyz in order to grant them the citizenship.

Besides, it is expected to create an office of labor attaché jointly with the ministry of foreign affairs of Kyrgyzstan to protect the rights of ethnic Kyrgyz.