Tokmok (Kyrgyz: Токмок) is a city in Kyrgyzstan, the administrative center of the Chuy Region.
It is located in the north of Kyrgyzstan, between 43° N latitude and 75° E longitude, on the left bank of the Chu River, which forms the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. To the north and south of it stretch the Tien Shan mountain ranges. South of Tokmok lies the powerful Kyrgyz Ala-Too range. North of the Chu River is the Ili Ala-Too, extending into Kazakhstan.
The combination of the topography of the Chuy Valley, which has a significant slope towards Tokmok and nearby areas in the eastern part, as well as the result of the unstable, wandering course of the water-rich Chu River, threatened the city with constant flooding. For instance, in the winter of 1878, an ice jam on the river created a natural dam upstream of the city, and the floodwaters inundated the city of Tokmok in just a few minutes, destroying many buildings. Around 1909-1914, a special dam was constructed on the Chu River, 1200 meters long and 800 meters in the eastern part, to prevent flooding. It is worth noting that this flooding was the main reason for the relocation of the district center from Tokmok to Pishpek in 1878.
The climate of Tokmok averages 180 days a year without precipitation and is abundant in sunlight. According to the city meteorological station data for 1945, the maximum air temperature was 37 °C (July), and the minimum was -26 °C (January). The average annual temperature is +8.7 °C.
Modern Tokmok was founded as a Kokand fortress in the early 19th century (1825-1830). Later, by 1862, it was captured by Russian troops and destroyed.
During the conquest of the Tokmok fortress by Russian troops, they did not storm it, as the garrison of the fortress resisted fiercely, and ultimately the fortress was destroyed by artillery.
Later, Russian fortifications were established on the sites of the former Kokand fortresses. In early May 1864, a detachment of Colonel Chernyaev, arriving from Verny, settled at the ruins of the Tokmok fortress, where on May 13, 1864, they established the Russian fortification of Tokmok.
In 1867, Tokmok was granted city status and became the center of the Tokmok district of the Semirechye region of the Turkestan Governor-Generalship. The district center was moved to the city of Pishpek in 1878. After that, Tokmok lost its city status. In 1927, Tokmok again became a city.
The city is home to the 8th Guards Idritsko-Rezhitskaya Red Banner Order of Suvorov named after Hero of the Soviet Union Major General Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov rifle division, which heroically distinguished itself in battles on the distant approaches to Moscow in the Volokolamsk area.
Since July 16, 2014, the city has had a sister city - Volokolamsk (Russia, Moscow Region). The decision for friendship between the cities was unanimously made at a meeting of the Council of Deputies of the Volokolamsk urban settlement.
Population - 53,231 people (2009).
According to the 2009 census of Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz people make up 24,910 individuals or 46.8%, Russians - 10,930 individuals or 20.5%, Dungans - 8,790 individuals or 16.5%, Uzbeks - 4,556 individuals or 8.6%, Tatars - 991 individuals or 1.9%, Uighurs - 923 individuals or 1.7%, Kazakhs - 598 individuals or 1.1%, Germans - 332 individuals or 0.6%.
