FATE CONNECTED THEM FOREVER
The official history of the discovery of the burial site sounds like an exciting movie plot.
In her memoirs, excerpts of which are presented in the exhibition of the Ata-Beyit Museum, Byubura Kydyralieva, the daughter of a guard at the favorite resort of NKVD employees in the village of Chon-Tash, recalls how as a child she, along with her brothers and sisters, was taken away from the village for a week. This happened around the same time that executions of "enemies of the people" were taking place in Chon-Tash. Upon returning, they found that the brick kiln, near which they loved to play, had disappeared, and in its place was a large earthen mound. A few days later, a foul smell began to emanate from the mound. In a few days, the smell could be sensed throughout the village, especially at night or when the eastern wind blew. Byubura recalls how often she saw her father praying by the mound. His shoulders trembled, and silent tears flowed down his face. As a child, she never thought that there was a connection between these episodes; the horrifying meaning uniting these memories revealed itself to her only in 1973, when her dying father gathered his children to tell them about the events he witnessed 35 years ago. At that time, he asked not to disclose his story to the public until it was safe – he could not say when that time would come, although he believed it would come.
Byubura kept her father's secret for almost 20 years until the fresh wind of perestroika brought change. Times changed quickly, archives that had long been inaccessible finally opened to the public, and people were fully utilizing their recently restored right to freedom of speech – Byubura felt that she could now reveal her father's secret. However, at first, no one paid attention to the words of the elderly sick woman who claimed that she had known the execution site of the repressed communists in 1938 all this time.
It took several years before, thanks to a chance meeting with a foreign language teacher from one of the Bishkek universities, Byubura met a progressive employee of the Kyrgyz State Security Committee, Bolot Abdrakhimanov. During a two-hour phone conversation with Bolot, Byubura cried with anguish, shedding tears of bitterness and joy at the same time. The sorrow and anger that accompanied her for 53 years while she held the painful truth inside were replaced by immense relief – not only because of the release from the burden but also because the families of the deceased finally learned the truth.
It was snowing when, on a winter morning in early 1992, Byubura led a search group to the burial site across the frozen slope. At first, her memory deceived her – the fruitless excavations suggested that she had recalled the location incorrectly. Fortunately, the group did not stop searching, and at the second site indicated by Byubura, the remains of 137 people were discovered. Many skulls had bullet holes in the back. In addition to human remains, the ground often yielded half-smoked cigarettes left by the executed, clothing items, and documents related to their arrest. A few months later, in the summer of that same year, the bodies were reburied with the proper funeral ritual. Here are their names:
1. Abdrakhimov Abdukadir
2. Abdrakhmanov Abdray
3. Abdrakhmanov Yusup
4. Abdulaev Tarif
5. Aydarbekov Imanaly
6. Aitmatov Tyuryakul
7. Azizov Akhmet
8. Ailov Yakub Akhun
9. Akimov Azim Akhun
10. Aliev Ibraim
11. Aliev Osmonkul
12. Alimov Aziz Akhmetzhanovich
13. Andres Sergey Mikhailovich
14. Akhmet Akhunov Baki Akhun
15. Akhmetov Mamadjan
16. Baibasunov Isa
17. Baibasunov Sartbay
18. Bakiev Mamut Akhun
19. Belousov Ivan Zakharovich
20. Beloshitsky Boris Vasilyevich
21. Bengard Fyodor Yegorovich
22. Bergman Petr Yuliusovich
23. Borovoy Ivan Grigoryevich
24. Bulatov Abdrakhman
25. Bulatov Yusup Iskhakovich
26. Vall Wilhelm Davidovich
27. Van-Dzi-Van-Chan-Lin
28. Van-Lin-Van
29. Goltsov Petr Nikolaevich
30. Gorbachyovsky Vladislav Yulianovich
31. Deis Friedrich Gotfridovich
32. Djavgoshpaev Umuraly
33. Dzhamansariev Asanbay
34. Dzhienbaev Khasan
35. Dzhumaev Omor
36. Dostaev Toktosun
37. Zaydel Notta Yankel Berkovich
38. Zinovyev Yakov Pavlovich
39. Zulfibaev Dali
40. Zunun Davlet
41. Zununov Khasan Akhun
42. Imanbaev Mukash
43. Imin Akhunov Ismet
44. Isakeev Bally
45. Ismailov Ibraim Akhun
46. Ismailov Sakmambet
47. Ismailov Tokhta Akhun
48. Kambarov Kurman
49. Kan-Tai-Dyu
50. Karimov Yusup
51. Kachibekov Abdulla
52. Kashevarov Sergey Afanasyevich
53. Kenenbaev Kerim
54. Kyrgyzbaev Bakirdin
55. Kotlyarov Daniil Ivanovich
56. Krenitsky Ludwig Kazimirovich
57. Kuzmin Iosif Ivanovich
58. Kulnazarov Nurkul
59. Lepin Arthur Yanovich
60. Li-Kha Sami
61. Litzenmayer Vladimir Augustovich
62. Luzanov Mikhail Nikolaevich
63. Lu-Chan-Toy
64. Liu-Zhe-Chin
65. Liufing Yegor Emelyanovich
66. Luft Alexander Alexandrovich
67. Luft Konstantin Alexandrovich
68. Lvov Pavel Konstantinovich
69. Magaz Arzy
70. Magai Andrei Innokentievich
71. Mametov Akhmet
72. Mamoyarov Kadir
73. Meldenberger Iosif Ivanovich
74. Miller Teodor Teodorovich
75. Muldogaziev Akimkhan
76. Murabedinov Idait-Akhun
77. Musa baev Ashur Akhun
78. Mukhametov Ashim
79. Nasirov Bakhtin
80. Nasirov Maylyakuli
81. Nur Akhunov Kurman Akhun
82. Nurdinov Gapirjan
83. Nurmatov Kerim
84. Omurkulov Djorobek
85. Oshurov Ait Akhun
86. Polinkash Andrei Ambrosovich
87. Prokhorov Grigory Antonovich
88. Richter Mikhail Eduardovich
89. Sagynbaev Kasym
90. Sakenov Niyazaly
91. Salikhov Murat
92. Sarbanov Chengish
93. Serkibaev Nurdin
94. Skalitsky Iosif Frantsevich
95. Suleimanov Chekush
96. Sultanbekov Yeshbay
97. Sufiev (Sopiev) Imin
98. Talipov Yusup
99. Tarantchenko Grigory Filippovich
100. Tarkovsky Biakiy Adzilovich
101. Tasha-Akhunov Yusup Akhun
102. Toktosunov Musa
103. Tokhtaev Bakry
104. Toktakunov Ismail Akhun
105. Tokhtaev Sydyk
106. Turdakhunov Tokhta-Akhun
107. Turdiev Imin Akhun
108. Turdy-Akhunov Akhmat Akhun
109. Tynystanov Kasym
110. Usmanov Usain
111. Khodjimamabaev Sabit
112. Khodjanov Mamet
113. Khudayberdiev Ibraim
114. Khunlava Kharti
115. Chalov Samat
116. Chengaziev Alybay
117. Chepizubov Petr Pavlovich
118. Chonbashev Sydyk
119. Chormakov Akhmatbek
120. Churukov Alakhun
121. Shabdambekov Umuraly
122. Shamurzin Sultankul
123. Sharipov Sadik
124. Shafikov Shakir Galimovich
125. Shevelev Alexander Ivanovich
126. Shorukov Kozhokan
127. Essenamanov Erkinbek
128. Esenamanov Tagai
129. Yuldashev Karimjan
130. Yun-San-Sin
131. Yurchiev Boris Emelyanovich
132. Yusup Akhunov Sadik Akhun
133. Yusupov Abdulla
134. Yusupov Sharip Akhun
135. Yanishevsky Alexander Nikolaevich
136. Yantzen Heinrich Heinrichovich
137. Yatskovsky Bronislav Stefanovich
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