Industrial Progress in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan on the Eve of the Great Patriotic War

Kyrgyzstan on the Eve of the Great Patriotic War

In February 1941, the workers of Kyrgyzstan celebrated a significant date—the fifteenth anniversary of national socialist statehood. During the days of this glorious anniversary, the Kyrgyz people, with a sense of great pride, summarized the results of the difficult path of struggle and victories achieved under the leadership of the Communist Party within the fraternal family of free and equal peoples of the USSR.

The main condition and starting point for implementing radical socio-economic transformations that changed the way of life of the peoples of the Soviet country, their everyday life, and culture was the Great October Socialist Revolution. The victory of October and the establishment of Soviet power opened a new era in the history of mankind—an era of the collapse of capitalism and the establishment of socialism and communism.

The resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union "On the 60th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution" emphasizes: "The victory of October is the main event of the 20th century, fundamentally changing the course of development of all humanity. The Great October Socialist Revolution was a logical consequence of social development and class struggle in the conditions of monopolistic capitalism. As a result of its victory, the first socialist state in the world emerged."

Five years after the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution, a unified Soviet multinational state was formed—the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. "Life itself," said Yu. V. Andropov in a report at the ceremonial meeting dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the formation of the USSR, "the most difficult economic, social, foreign policy, and defense tasks dictated the necessity of uniting the peoples and the republics that arose from the ruins of the Russian Empire."

On December 30, 1922, at the I All-Union Congress of Soviets, guided by Lenin's principle of voluntariness and equality, the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Belarusian SSR, and the Transcaucasian SFSR (Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia) united into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The formation of the USSR opened up broad prospects for the economic, political, and cultural development of the country, the construction of socialism, and the strengthening of its defense power in the conditions of a hostile capitalist environment.

During the socialist construction, the number of members of the Federation continued to increase. Thus, on October 14, 1924, the Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was formed within the RSFSR, on February 1, 1926, it was transformed into the Kyrgyz ASSR, and on December 5, 1936, it directly became part of the USSR as a sovereign union republic. Article 13 of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz SSR states: "In order to carry out mutual assistance in economic and political matters, as well as in defense, the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic voluntarily united with equal Soviet Socialist Republics... into a union state—the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."

At the time of the adoption of the USSR Constitution in 1936, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics included 11 union republics; by 1940, the Soviet Union comprised 16 union republics, 20 autonomous republics, 9 autonomous oblasts, and 10 national districts.

In a historically short period, Soviet Kyrgyzstan transformed from a backward region into one of the advanced union republics with a developed multi-sector socialist industry, large mechanized agriculture, and advanced culture, thanks to the unwavering implementation of Lenin's national policy and the comprehensive fraternal assistance of the Russian and other peoples of our country.

It should be noted that industrial progress in the republic was achieved at a faster pace than in the central regions of the country. This is convincingly evidenced by the dynamics of industrial gross output growth. In 1940, the large industry of the Russian Federation produced nearly twelve times more than in 1913, while in the Kyrgyz SSR, its production increased by 153 times.

The share of industry in the total volume of the national economy of the republic in 1940 was 50.2%.

During the pre-war five-year plans, more than 140 large industrial enterprises equipped with advanced technology were put into operation. The Kadamjai Metallurgical Plant was established, allowing the Soviet Union to abandon the import of antimony products from abroad as early as 1936.

Kyrgyzstan was the main coal base of Central Asia. Along with the fundamental reconstruction of the Kyzyl-Kiya and Suluktu mines, new large coal deposits—Kok-Yangak, Tash-Kumyr, and small mines Sary-Chelek, Dzhergalan, Soguty, and Almalyk—were developed. In 1940, the coal industry of Kyrgyzstan provided the country with 1,474.8 thousand tons of fuel, which was 14.3 times higher than the pre-revolutionary level of production and accounted for 88% of the total coal production in the Central Asian republics. A total of 23.8 thousand tons of oil were extracted.

The energy base developed rapidly. Electricity generation in 1940 amounted to 51.6 million kWh, which was 64.5 times more than at the beginning of the first five-year plan.

The share of production from individual sectors of the industry of the Kyrgyz SSR as part of the unified economy of the USSR is quite indicative.

On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, Kyrgyzstan produced 3.3% of the total union share of cotton fiber, 4% of raw silk, 3% of sugar, and 7.3% of canned meat.

Fundamental changes in Soviet Kyrgyzstan occurred in road construction. Even during the pre-war five-year plans, the inherited economic and territorial disunity from the past was eliminated.

On the eve of the war, the length of public railways in the republic was 218 km compared to 18 km in 1916 (the railway line to Jalal-Abad).

Automobile transport experienced particularly rapid development in Kyrgyzstan—accounting for three-quarters of the total freight turnover. If in 1928 the length of the roads was only 25 km, by 1940 it had increased to 11,500 km. Since 1926, water transport began to develop on Lake Issyk-Kul. In 1940, the freight turnover of the Issyk-Kul Shipping Company amounted to 78.2 thousand tons, and 27.9 thousand passengers were transported.

Agriculture of Kyrgyzstan during the Great Patriotic War