Salieva Urkuya
In the very heart of the capital of our homeland, among the weeping willows, majestically stands one of the most beautiful monuments to Urkuya Salieva. Among the Kyrgyz people, she is known as a political figure, an activist for social reforms, and a fighter for freedom.
Urkuya Salieva was born on February 17, 1911, in the village of Besh-Burkan (now the village of Taktek), in the Nookat district, to a poor peasant family. It is hard to imagine that a woman from the East, raised in strict Muslim traditions, could become a leader. At a time when women's rights were oppressed, she proved that women have the right to a voice. Fragile yet strong in spirit, Urkuya fought for freedom, defended the rights of the poor, and called for labor and unity. She believed in a bright future for the simple Kyrgyz people.
In 1927-1928, the organization of party cells began in Naukat, and they included progressive individuals and Komsomol youth. Urkuya Salieva was one of the first girls in Kyrgyzstan to join the Komsomol, and in 1929, she joined the party. That same year, she became the organizer of the first collective farm in the district. Bold and headstrong, unlike other girls, she broke old customs and was the first among women to conduct agitation work, actively helping the village council in the fight against illiteracy and the establishment of collective farming. In 1928, her fellow villagers unanimously elected Urkuya Salieva as the chairwoman of the village council. A woman chairing the village council! At that time, it was an unprecedented event. During these years (1928-1933), Urkuya Salieva worked wholeheartedly for the party and the government, became a delegate to the Congress of Soviets, and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the republic. She was highly respected by the people, referred to as the "woman-aksakal." Local wealthy individuals, who resisted Soviet power with all their might, also agreed that a woman should lead the collective farm, mistakenly believing that she would not cope with the new and difficult task. A daughter of her people, she tried with all her might to meet the expectations of those around her.
The bright goals and plans of Urkuya were not destined to come true; in the early years of socialism, on February 13, 1934, at the age of 24, Urkuya was brutally murdered by bandits along with her husband, Koldosh. That same year, the February issue of the newspaper "Soviet Kyrgyzstan" announced the death of Urkuya Salieva and published an appeal from the delegates of the women of the collective farm from the 1st Congress, calling for the ruthless killers of Urkuya and her husband to be found and severely punished. The women also called for active struggle to improve the formation of the collective farm. Since then, Urkuya Salieva has become one of the heroines of state propaganda. At the request of the peasants, the collective farm created by Salieva was renamed in her honor.
A few years later, her name began to be given to streets, collective farms, schools, and other facilities.
The name of Urkuya, who died for a bright future, and her merits have forever remained in the history of Kyrgyzstan. The famous writer and poet Nasirdin Baytemirov dedicated the novel "Monument of History" to the activist. The image of Urkuya inspired the renowned sculptor Turgunbay Sadykov to create the monument "To the Fighters of the Revolution." A great tribute of respect and love is paid to Urkuya primarily by her fellow countrymen. A school in the village of Toylyos, a street in Bishkek, and a lyceum for exact sciences in Osh are named after Salieva.
In 1972, the film "Bow to the Fire" by Kyrgyz director Tolomush Okeeve about the life of Urkuya Salieva was released, with Tattybubu Tursunbaeva playing the lead role. The director of the film was Tolomush Okeeve. It is worth noting that the film received the "Golden Palm Branch" award at the Cannes Film Festival (France).
Driving along Chuy Avenue, one can see the monument to the Fighters of the Revolution, established in 1978 (sculptor T. Sadykov, architect G. Kutateladze). On a high granite pedestal stands the figure of a woman holding a flag in her hand.
With her other hand, she points to those who gave their lives for a beautiful future. The two side groups symbolize the awakening of the people and their participation in the revolution. The prototype for the figure of the woman was Urkuya Salieva.
Although this memorial is not officially dedicated to Urkuya Salieva, calling it by her name would not be a grave mistake — now the monument, through her image, has become associated with the struggle for women's rights.
Salieva was known for her fight for girls' right to education and became a symbol for contemporary movements for women's rights, which began holding actions near this memorial after 2010.
It is near this monument that the women's march for equality and solidarity concludes annually. Here, actions related to tragedies in which women were killed or harmed take place: a rally in memory of Burulai or a requiem for Kyrgyz migrant women who died in Moscow.
Historical Figures