Ala-Too square, Bishkek. Photo by neweurasia's Samat "S@M" Barataliev.

Translator’s note: The Kyrgyz parliamentarian Karganbek Samakov has recently proposed to rename the “Ala-Too” square to “Manas” after a legendary epic hero, whose image, according to the MP, “goes all the way through history of the Kyrgyz people”. “Ala-Too is not the best name for a central square,” he adds.”They say everything changes with history, so we also must make a change.” Translated from Malika’s post (RUS)

The Kyrgyz parliamentarian Karganbek Samakov has recently proposed to rename the “Ala-Too” square to “Manas” after a legendary epic hero, whose image, according to the MP, “goes all the way through history of the Kyrgyz people”. “Ala-Too is not the best name for a central square,” he adds. “They say everything changes with history, so we also must make a change.”

In fact, the square has not always been called so. In the soviet times, it was named after Lenin, later after Kyrgyzstan got sovereignty it got renamed to Ala-Too after the Ala-Too Mountains.

Today it is a favorite promenade area both for the citizens and the visitors of Bishkek, but few of us know that this same square historically used to be a detainment place for political prisoners, whereas today’s Museum of History – once a KGB building.

The construction of the square was finished only by the end of 70′s, but in spite of its short history, it has already become an important historical spot, namely for two revolutions of 2005 and 2010. Since then the square has turned into a frequent opposition field for powerful and disadvantaged. Today is no different: a group of people by a flagpole protesting against the construction of bio-laboratory, 100 meters away – another meeting against some parliamentarian’s actions. Here is the third one – young people setting the posters, attracting people to join for another protest.

The deputies are sure that renaming the square would be a good foundation for a national ideology. According to seven covenants, Manas calls for inter-ethnic peace and friendship.

Experts therefore believe that the name and the destiny of a place should be connected, but one cannot act in haste while making such an important decision. Alexander Katsev, professor at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University after Yeltsin, says that “towards independence, Bishkek has turned into a city with more roads been renamed than paved. It is ok to change the name, but then one has to correspond to its standards. Take Manas, for instance, – Katsev continues, – for many years the newborns in the Kyrgyz families have not been named Manas, because the name has been considered sacred.”

According to legislative draft, not only the name, but also the esthetic look of the square will change. The monument Erkindik, also known as the local “statue of liberty” will be replaced by several monuments of Manas himself and of his fellow heroes. The deputy assured he would himself carry all the construction expenses. At the moment a group of architects and construction workers are evaluating the cost of the project.