THE CLEVER FARMER There lived a khan. One day he decided to amuse himself and ordered his loyal horsemen — Asan and Usen — to find and bring him a foolish person. The horsemen set off to fulfill the khan's command.
HOW THE BOY SAVED HIS CITY In ancient times, there lived a warlike khan named Zhanibek. He became famous for his brutal raids on neighboring khanates. One day, the countless armies of Khan Zhanibek besieged the city of Khan Sultanmamyt. The inhabitants of the besieged city were told by the enemies: — If you do not surrender within three days, we will destroy your city!
ZHÉERENCHÉ-CHÉCHEN AND KARACHACH In ancient times, there lived a man named Zhéerenché-chéchen. Chéchen means "eloquent." He was nicknamed this because he was wise and resourceful in conversation. He had a son named Telemyrza, about whom the wise Zhéerenché heard every day from the people: "He is such a deceiver, such a liar; he has never spoken a single word of truth in his life." Telemyrza would kill a crow and boast that he had killed a gazelle. In reality, he could do
THE FOOLISH KHAN In ancient times, there lived a rich khan. He had plenty of livestock, but not much wisdom. One day, this khan called his son to him and said: — My son, I have heard that there lives a wise old woman in the neighboring aul. I want to hear her advice. You go and invite her to me, but do not tell anyone about this. The son agreed, but immediately told his companions about his father's request and ordered them to bring the old woman. The khan's son met her.
The Wise Girl In ancient times, there lived a khan named Sarybay. One day he gathered his people and said to them: — For forty years I have been your khan and have seen much during this time; I have drunk and eaten as much as was destined for me. Now I have only to die, but I have no children to whom I can pass on the khanate. Choose for yourselves a new khan. And Sarybay's people replied: — You appoint us a new khan!
HAWK AND OWL Once upon a time, there was an owl. One day, she fell seriously ill and could not fly out of her nest for food. Then the owl turned to the hawk: — Hawk, my hero, do a good deed — help me. The hawk agreed. He began to feed the sick owl and take care of her. The owl got better.
THE INSATIABLE GLUTTON DIES OF HUNGER In ancient times, there lived a wolf. And this wolf was very rich — he owned a lot of land. The wolf was rich, but very greedy and insatiable. He often roamed in search of prey. One day, the wolf came across a piece of kazy — horse sausage — on the road. The wolf was delighted.
THE GREEDY CROW Once, a crow decided to hatch some chicks. She laid eggs, but it seemed to her that there weren't enough. When she saw that her neighbor—the hawk—had flown away, she sneaked into his nest and stole 2 hawk eggs. She brought them back, placed them with her own eggs, and began to incubate them. The chicks hatched. The crow started to feed them. Soon, the young crows grew up, got their feathers, became strong, and began to leave the nest.
WHO IS STRONGER? Once upon a time, a colorful Pheasant was running about his business when he unexpectedly slipped on the ice and fell. "Who knocked me onto my back?" he thought in confusion. — Ice, Ice, did you do this? — asked the frightened Pheasant. — Where do you get such strength?
“THE TALE OF ISSYK-KUL” The name of the greatest representative of the Zamanist movement in Kyrgyz literature of the 19th century, Kaligula Bai uulu (1785-1855), was ostracized until recently and classified among the ranks of reactionary poet-philosophers. In our time, his great-grandson Turdakun Usubaliev erected a monument and a dome in his honor in the village of Kara-Oy using his personal savings. He was a great akyn and a legend in his lifetime. The talent and wisdom bestowed upon him by
GAZAVAT In early spring of 1898, alarming rumors began to spread in many villages of Fergana. It was said that a holy man, marked by the seal of Allah, had appeared in some settlement. And that this man denounces and prophesies, calls and predicts. He denounces the decline of morals and prophesies the end of the world if morals are not corrected. He calls for the punishment of the guilty. He predicts universal prosperity if those who corrupt Muslims are expelled and destroyed. These rumors
PULAT-KHAN As soon as the khan's troops suppressed the uprising in one place, it flared up in another. Now the nomads of Chatkal had risen. They were led by a certain Pulat-Khan. He was a simple Kyrgyz named Ishak, who claimed to be the grandson of the Kokand khan, Alim. Why did he do this? In those times, the common people believed (as they had been led to believe for centuries) that only a person of noble lineage should lead. That is why Ishak took the name Pulat-Khan. In a short time,
KURMANDZHAN AND SHABDAN The name Kurmandzhan — the "Alai queen," as the Russian press called her, began to be surrounded by legends even during her lifetime. These legends are passed down from generation to generation. Here is one of them.
BAYTIK-BATYR In 1862, a rebellion erupted among the Kyrgyz in the Chuy Valley. It was led by the bey of the Solto clan, Baytik Kanaev. What made this man famous? Here are the scant historical data, gathered bit by bit from archives.
ALIMBEK-DATKA The power of the khan's deputy in the Andijan province, Alimbek-datka, is strong. The entire Alay is in his mighty fist. After all, he is the tribal leader of the southern Kyrgyz from the Bargy clan of the Adigens tribe. Other southern Kyrgyz tribal leaders, the chieftains of the Kipchaks, the most noble nobles of the Kokand Khanate, flirt with him and respectfully listen to the voice of the "ilbirs" - the lord of the mountains.
COMPETITION The famous Russian scientist P. P. Semenov (Tyan-Shansky) during his journey to Kyrgyzstan visited the aul of Boldysana, a relative of the supreme manap of the Bugyns, Borombai. Pyotr Petrovich had heard much about Boldysana: in the eyes of the Kyrgyz themselves, he was a strange manap - he did not engage in barimtа (cattle raiding), nor did he participate in any feuds. To avoid being disturbed, he migrated with his aul far into the mountains. More than anything in the world,
ORMON-KHAN Time passed. The old generation of manaps peacefully departed to the other world. A new generation took their place. Now, Ormon, the beloved son of Niyazbek, ruled the Sarybagysh branch of Esengul, a "generalized copy" of his ancestors. Ormon was hot-tempered like Niyazbek, quarrelsome like his grandfather Esengul, cruel and despotic like his distant great-great-grandfather Manap. His cruelty frightened those around him. It is said that he tested the accuracy of his rifles
AT THE WALLS OF KASHGAR At sunset on a summer day, a small merchant caravan approaches the gates of Kashgar — the capital of Mongolia. The caravan leader, riding ahead, signals to stop as he sees warriors straining to slam shut the huge wrought-iron gates. — Too late! — says the caravan leader to the approaching merchants. — No matter! Praise be to Allah, we will enter the city tomorrow.
THE AKCHIY MASSACRE A dozen horsemen descend a steep path to the river. While the horses drink greedily, snorting and shaking their sides, the dismounted warriors also quench their thirst, scooping icy water with their palms. The Ak-chiy River at this time of year is not particularly turbulent, but to cross to the other bank, one must find a ford. The path leading to it is about two hundred steps from here — there, the bushes lean over the waters, and a wide shoal glistens in the sun. The
THE FIRST KYRGYZ EMBASSY TO RUSSIA. They deliberated for a long time on whom to appoint as ambassador to the distant unknown country. For this role, first of all, a respected person was needed. Secondly, someone experienced, who had seen many foreign lands. Thirdly, intelligent and judicious. And fourthly, this person had to agree to face the many dangers that always lurk for travelers in foreign lands. Where to find such a person? Then Atake-biy proposed the candidacy of Abdurakhman Kuchakov,
KURULTAI In the village of Atake, guests began to arrive in the morning. First, the close ones: the junior biis — heads of the Sarubash tribes; venerable elders, respected for their wisdom and experience. The heroes — outstanding jigits, renowned for their defense of their pastures or for attacking others. Then, jingling with rich bridles, surrounded by a retinue of advisors and personal guards, the leaders of allied tribes began to arrive one after another. From the Sayaks came Kaday, from
Why is the city called Bishkek? Darytai, grunting, approached the hearth, leisurely adjusting the hot ember that had rolled out, grimacing—his back ached. “It must be the weather,” he thought, smirking. He had fought all his life against enemies, but the greatest enemy—old age—had slipped by unnoticed. It had stealthily silvered his temples and then all his hair. But the eyes of the elder were youthful, and his memory held many wonderful tales and legends.
URA-TYUBE UNDER SIEGE In the far west of Fergana lies a small flourishing region — Ura-Tyube. In the 18th century, it was an independent principality — a vilayet, ruled by the elderly sage Fyzyil-Biy. Surrounding it were powerful neighbors, and the wealth of the Ura-Tyube people did not let them rest. In the summer of 1754, these neighbors conspired and besieged Ura-Tyube from all sides. From the west came the troops of the Bukhara emir Muhammad-Rahim; from the east — the Kokand forces of
BALASAGUN-BURANA An expansive valley, bordered by two mountain ranges, is filled with pure and fresh air. Through it, one can see nearby and distant estates, the reddish walls of buildings made of burnt brick, and among the green crowns of poplars and white mulberries, the domes of mosques once stood out as red spots. The fate of Balasagun was fraught with difficulties. Once, in ancient times, fire worshippers from Sogdiana came to this blessed valley and founded a city. Over the centuries,
BARS KHAN An analysis of the legend provided by Gardizi to explain the etymology of the toponym "Barskhan" suggests the presence of an Iranian-speaking, possibly Sogdian population there. The Iranian historian directly states: "The inhabitants of Barskhan are descended from the Persians, namely the residents of Fars." The narrative then recounts an elaborate tale of how Alexander the Great, having conquered Iran, took hostages from noble Persian families to prevent
Albarsty Pishpek District, Burana Region, village of Gaur How Khaireddin Khashimbekov saw albarsty. An aunt came and started talking to him; her feet were turned backward, and her resemblance to the aunt was incomplete in appearance. Khaireddin was sitting on a horse with a whip in hand. He quickly straightened up and swung at her (he had heard about this shapeshifter before), and the albarsty disappeared.
Legends and Myths Sagimbai Orosbekov Ablai Khan boasts that he can "negotiate" with anyone. The Kyrgyz sent a yellow Chuvash against him114. The Khan said he was going to Tashkent (and the yellow Chuvash lived in Talas near Auliye-ata), so let the yellow Chuvash prepare to meet him.
MAHMUD BARSKHANI In these mountains, an unheard-of event occurred: a poor young man, an orphan, dared to raise his gaze to the younger wife of the clan leader, the powerful bek-tarkhan Ogul-bars. Even more unprecedented was the fact that this gaze met with complete sympathy from seventeen-year-old Burul. Outraged by the sacrilege, the relatives wanted to act according to the old custom — to stone the offenders. But a third unheard-of event occurred: Ogul-bars forbade it. "I will think of
THE BIRTH OF MANAS Such a heavy year had not been known by the brave Kyrgyz for a long time: the state had collapsed, great heroes had laid down their brave heads in distant campaigns, and there was no peace from the enemies. The Chinese and Kalmyks came to Kyrgyz villages as lords. They burned yurts, killed people, and stole livestock. Thousands of captives were taken away by the enemies to foreign lands... This was more than a thousand years ago. In a foreign land in the Altai mountains
Miraculous Rescue It is said for a reason — an orphan has seven fates. The night passed safely. The beast did not touch them, and the forest monsters did not carry them away. When they woke up, it was morning. The birds were singing. The children got up and wandered again along the path of the theft. They gathered berries and roots along the way. They walked and walked, and on the third day, they stopped on a mountain. They looked down and saw a great feast taking place in a wide green meadow.
The Extermination of the Kyrgyz Tribe This happened a long time ago. In ancient times, when there were more forests on earth than grass, and the waters in our lands were more abundant than the dry land, there lived a Kyrgyz tribe on the banks of a large and cold river. That river was called Enesai. It flows far from here, in Siberia. It takes three years and three months to ride there on horseback. Now this river is called Yenisei, but at that time it was called Enesai. That’s why there was a
BARS-BEG: THE BATTLE AT CHERNI SUNGA The seventy-three-year-old Bars-beg had not dismounted from his horse for two days. The remaining warriors with him, wounded and sullen, awaited the Word: what to do next? — The sky has punished us for our carelessness, — said the old kagan. — But we are warriors. We must not lose heart. Who will protect the people if not us?
THE MAN WITH TWO HEADS Utkul did not stop talking for a minute. - Do you think you saved a simple warrior? No, dear. Know this: I am entrusted with important matters by the great Ynancho Alp Bilge himself, our great ajo-kagan Bars-beg. Don't believe it? Just take a look at this.
ISKANDER IN THE MYTHICAL KINGDOM OF THE KYRGYZ The king, drawn in restless dreams to Khyrkhiz, Could not sleep under the shimmering midnight robes. He decided to command the camp to move again. At the hour of farewell with the khakan, he entrusted the khakan
THE ORIGIN OF THE KYRGYZ This happened deep in Central Asia many, many years ago. Fierce foreigners attacked a peaceful tribe. There were many enemies, and in a brutal battle, they destroyed everyone. Only one young man remained from the entire tribe — the son of the chieftain. He fought with all his strength. They cut off his right hand. The young man seized the sword with his left hand. They cut off that one too. The brave man, losing strength, defended himself with his legs. The enemies
Chinese Chronicles on the Origin of the Turks Ancient Turkic legends have been preserved in Chinese chronicles, telling of the supernatural origin of the people. Here is a simplified version of it. ...A small tribe was attacked by enemies. The tribe was brave, the enemies were numerous. Sometimes courage is broken by strength: for each defender, there were forty enemies. No one surrendered, no one begged for mercy. And the enemies spared no one: the men fell in battle, the women, children, and
THE LEGEND OF SHAH-FAZIL In the mid-7th century, Caliph Hazreti Ali sent eight thousand warriors through Samarkand to Turkestan, commanded by Abdullah ibn Omar. After suffering defeat in Fergana, Abdullah ibn Omar sent a letter to Medina requesting assistance. After reading Omar's letter, the rulers of Medina decided to support him with a 12,000-strong army led by Muhammad ibn Jarir (the prophet's nephew). On the way to Fergana, he replaced the rulers in some cities who opposed
ISSYK-ATA BUDDHA The Issyk-Ata gorge (75 km southeast of Bishkek) is renowned for its marvelous nature. Blue and green mountains reaching into the sky, the foamy white waters of transparent mountain streams, centuries-old firs and pines, grasses and wildflowers, air rich in natural electricity, mineral and thermal springs. All of this is like a heavenly revelation, a generous gift from Mother Nature, attracting people since ancient times and to this day. Water sources have always been revered
THE JOURNEY OF XUANZANG In the early 7th century, one of the remarkable travelers of the Middle Ages, Xuanzang, described the territory of Northern Kyrgyzstan. In his youth, he became a monk at a Buddhist monastery and soon surpassed everyone with his knowledge. To enhance his education, in 629 he set out from China to the homeland of Buddha—India. Later, Xuanzang described all the lands he visited. He dedicated several invaluable pages to describing the territory of medieval Kyrgyzstan, which
KURMENTIN TREASURE 1919. The Civil War is coming to an end, although the intensity of the Basmach movement has not yet subsided. After the announced amnesty, refugees who had not stained their hands with the blood of fratricidal war began to return to Russia. One of these emigrants was a certain Uspensky, who fled to China after the October Revolution. In China, he quickly befriended a priest who was deeply homesick for his homeland. On his deathbed, the Orthodox priest handed Uspensky a map
WORD ABOUT THE TREASURES OF THE KYRGYZ "ATLANTIS" From the 3rd to the 6th centuries, Nestorian Christians appeared in Central Asia. In the 12th century, Syrian Christian refugees established a monastery on the shores of Issyk-Kul. Its exact location is unknown. It is assumed that searches should be conducted underwater in the northwest of the lake. In 1218, the troops of Genghis Khan, led by the commander Jebe, conquered Semirechye, including Issyk-Kul.
BRIGHT CAPE: CHRISTIAN "MECCA" Yes, the ancient mountains and blue waters hold many legends. But the people living on this truly holy land still remember the "messages" from the past. According to theological tradition, the body of the holy apostle and evangelist Matthew found its posthumous resting place on Kyrgyz soil. He accepted a martyr's death for Christ in Syria. From there, the honorable relics of the apostle were taken to a land renowned for its broad
RUSSIAN CITY OF KITEZH AT THE BOTTOM OF ISSYK-KUL? Back in the 1960s, the already recognized Russian artist Ilya Glazunov reflected in his book "The Road to You" on our common ancestors - the Aryans, and later, in 1996, he developed his hypothesis, combining in one narrative the mystery of the Russian city of Kitezh and the underwater mysteries of Issyk-Kul. "Today, speaking of the great legend of the city of Kitezh, which holds significance for the Russian people," he
THE SUNKEN CITY Human memory is fickle; it holds only separate remarkable milestones of a people's life, interspersed with fantastic scenes from mythology, echoing with history. Turning to the past of Issyk-Kul, one cannot help but recall a characteristic parable by the famous medieval geographer Muhammad Kazvini:
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT In the palace of the Chinese princess, widow of the great ruler of the Usuns, Unguymi, a feast was in full swing. In the large guest room with two columns, the Usun tribal leaders drank imported Fergana wine and their own kumys, eating fatty lamb. The table was strewn with fruits. In the honored place sat the current ruler of the Usuns, the great kunbag Nimi-Kuanwan, a young man with black, coarse shoulder-length hair and slanted "Hunnic" eyes. The hostess
THE BRIDE OF KUNBAG In 105 BC, another embassy from the Usuns arrived in Han. The hosts were not surprised by the event itself. What astonished them was the extremely rich gifts, including 1,000 magnificent horses. But when they learned that the ambassadors were essentially suitors, their astonishment ceased: the lavish gifts for a princess from the House of Han were to be expected! It is known that emperors of all eras were extremely reluctant to agree to marital alliances for their
Zhang Qian's Embassy to the Usuns The question of the second embassy to the West — now to the Usuns — was resolved. At its head was Zhang Qian. The great Chinese historian Sima Qian writes: “The Son of Heaven appointed him as a Hun magistrate, with 300 workers, two horses for each, and up to 10,000 heads of cattle and sheep... and subordinated to him many assistants with banners — to send them as envoys to various territories along the route traveled. The chief court astrologer Sima Qian,
THE CITY OF THE RED VALLEY Chigu (Chigucheng — in Chinese sources "The City of the Red Valley") is one of the oldest cities of the "Issyk-Kul Atlantis" — the residence of the supreme leader of the Usuns, who came from the east of Central Asia. In the 2nd century BC, the Usuns captured the valleys of the Tian Shan, and their supreme ruler occupied the former residence of the Sakas at Issyk-Kul. At that time, the great Chinese traveler and discoverer of the Great Silk Road,
