Osh — the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan.
Findings of lifted ceramics and stone artifacts from the Bronze Age in the territory of the city, followed by excavation work on the terraces of Suleiman Mountain, have shown their affiliation with the Chust archaeological culture, dated to 3000 years ago. The archaeologically documented age of the oldest settlement in Osh is evidence of the first stable economic development by primitive humans of the territory of the modern city. Thus, the previously held beliefs about the time of the emergence of sedentary agricultural culture in the lands of Southern Kyrgyzstan — the modern Osh region with its center — are significantly antiquated.
However, the mentioned oldest settlement (terraced) on Suleiman Mountain is "merely the progenitor of the city," its cradle, but by no means a city, unlike ancient Tashkent (Chach), Samarkand (Afrosiab), or Leninabad (Khojent) with their characteristic urban planning, administrative-political functions, and developed trade and crafts for their time (2500 years ago). There is no evidence of direct continuity of life in this territory from the Bronze Age to early medieval Osh.
As the reader may recall, the first mentions of Osh, specifically about the city, come from Arabic and Persian manuscript sources: in particular, the work of Ibn Khardadbih (232 AH (846/47 AD)); "Book of Roads and Kingdoms" by al-Istakhri, written in 930-933 AD, based on the work of Balhi, compiled in 920 AD; and the anonymous work of the 10th century "Hudud al-Alam" ("Book of the Limits of the World"), which utilized information from authors of the 9th to early 10th centuries. All this allows us to set the starting point for the existence of the city of Osh from the 9th century AD, meaning the city has already existed for over a thousand years.
Consequently, if the first settled settlement at the site of Osh can be considered to have emerged 3000 years ago, then the city of Osh can proudly claim an 11-century historical past. It has experienced periods of rise and decline, devastation and revival, and has witnessed the oppression of its working people and the national liberation and revolutionary movements of the townspeople and the surrounding population.
Over the years of Soviet power, the socio-economic and cultural appearance of Osh has changed beyond recognition. It was the second largest and most significant city in the republic after its capital, Frunze. It is unique and attractive.
Osh is a major industrial center. It possesses the specific beauty of a Central Asian city: bright greenery, unique architecture. Just like centuries ago, the swift, always murky-white waters of the mountain Ak-Bura once divided Osh into two parts — the so-called old and new city. Now, few residents of Osh remember this.
Since February 1918 — the time of the first Congress of Soviets of the Osh district, led by the Bolsheviks, a new era began for Osh — this ancient city and its inhabitants. The tumultuous years of struggle against Basmachism and counter-revolution, the difficult period of industrialization, the introduction of literacy and new culture to the working people, and the liberation of women — were times of maturation for a new generation of townspeople — builders of a socialist society, internationalist patriots.
The population of the city rapidly grew, exceeding the 200,000 mark. In Osh, representatives of over 80 nationalities lived and worked together in harmony, and the city ranked among the top in the republic for birth rates.
Osh produced one-third of the entire industrial output of the republic. The unique deep electric pumps from the Osh factory are known in many countries around the world. It was home to one of the largest silk factories in Central Asia named after the VLKSM, a cotton textile association named after the 50th anniversary of October, a sewing and shoe factory, a large-panel housing construction plant, and a developed food industry — there is a meat processing plant and a dairy factory.
During the first five-year plan, a railway line was built connecting Osh with other cities in Central Asia, including the capital of the republic. Osh is a major hub for road transport. The pride of the residents of Osh and all the southern inhabitants of the republic is the road built during the second five-year plan, connecting Osh and Khorog. In the 1930s, one of the first foreign guests of Kyrgyzstan, Julius Fucik, left vivid memories of the workers of the city, of the builders of this highway, who were in love with their renewed land, and were boundlessly devoted to their people's power. Their worthy successors became the builders of the road from Frunze to Osh.
The development of industry, transport, construction, and energy led to the formation of a multinational working class, which became the leading force in the socio-economic development of the city. The network of trade and communal enterprises expanded steadily, and the sphere of social, cultural, and domestic services improved.
Osh is home to a pedagogical institute, a branch of the Frunze Polytechnic Institute, technical schools, and vocational schools.
The pressing issue of environmental protection was addressed — bus depots and industrial enterprises were relocated from the central part of the city to the outskirts, significant attention was paid to greening and creating park zones in the city. Work continues on the improvement and greening of Suleiman Mountain, where an open-air historical and local history museum is being created, and a large volume of construction and other works on the improvement of the Ak-Bura embankment will be carried out. Significant tasks were set before the labor collectives of Osh and the Osh region in the twelfth five-year plan.
The city of Osh is growing and flourishing. Ancient and young: ancient — with its monuments and centuries-old historical and cultural past, young — with modern life and a renewed appearance. The city warmly and hospitably welcomes guests in a southern manner. Its workers are inscribing new glorious pages in the history of Kyrgyzstan, in the history of the country.