Before 1917, there were 6 semi-artisanal brick factories in Kyrgyzstan, mostly operating seasonally, and one lime burning factory. In 1922, the brick production amounted to only 0.4 million pieces, and in 1924 — about 1 million pieces. A small amount of tiles and lime were produced. In 1927, the construction materials industry in the republic was represented by a brick factory that was part of the "Kyrgyzstroyobedineniye," and artisanal production within the system of the industrial cooperative "Kyrpromsoyuz." In 1927, the industry produced 1 million pieces of brick, and in 1936 — 28.9 million pieces. The construction materials industry saw significant development in the post-war period. The largest construction materials plant in the republic, the Kyrgyz Construction Materials Combine, and several other enterprises were reconstructed. Brick production increased by 6.9 times, lime by 5.2 times, and tiles by 28 times from 1946 to 1950. In 1953, the Kyrmyontin Cement Plant (Issyk-Kul region) was commissioned. Between 1955 and 1960, production of precast reinforced concrete, gypsum construction materials, and facing tiles emerged. In 1964, a cement-asbestos combine was built in Kant, and in 1965, the Zhelargyn Lime Plant, workshops for the production of aerated concrete, expanded clay, and others were established. Many construction materials enterprises are mainly located in Bishkek, Osh, and the Chui Valley. Enterprises such as the Kyrgyz Construction Materials Combine, Ivanov Construction Materials Combine, Tokmok Glass Plant, Chui Crushing and Sorting Plant, "Red Builder" Plant, Osh Construction Materials Combine, and others were established here. From 1960 to 1980, in the Central Asian economic region, Kyrgyzstan accounted for 16-18% of cement, over 25% of asbestos cement sheets, and about 24% of wall materials. Approximately 2,000 deposits of raw materials suitable for construction materials were identified in the republic. Of these, 140 deposits were explored by 2001, and 50 deposits were used for the development of the national economy. From an economic perspective, the deposits are very promising, especially for the production of bricks, cement, expanded clay, aglopirite, construction gypsum, lime, sand, gravel, and the extraction of marble and granite, technical oxygen http://tehgazservis.ru/catalog/kislorodnye_ballony/. The total reserves of construction materials enterprises for raw material supply amount to 1,512.0 million m³. On average, 25 million m³ of raw materials for construction materials are extracted annually. Some types of raw materials, such as quartz sand for glass production, are imported from Tajikistan, soda from Bashkortostan, sodium sulfate from Ukraine, and dolomite from Turkmenistan.
Under market conditions, neighboring republics experienced a rise in the prices of raw materials needed for construction and suitable for producing relatively inexpensive materials, and external economic ties were disrupted. As a result, some enterprises were halted due to a lack of raw materials. Currently, Kyrgyzstan has undergone the privatization of construction materials industry enterprises and structural changes. Enterprises have been transformed into state joint-stock companies (SJSC) or joint-stock companies (JSC). The construction materials industry enterprises are unevenly distributed across the territory of the republic. They are built where mineral resources are located, and their extraction is determined by the level of consumption of construction materials.
In Kyrgyzstan, enterprises for the production of cement, bricks, asbestos cement, glass, lime, and gypsum are located where the raw materials are found; enterprises for the manufacture of concrete, reinforced concrete, sanitary-ceramic products, and stone processing are located close to consumers. In 2000, more than 120 enterprises were part of the construction materials industry in the republic. Since 1996, there has been a noticeable growth in industrial production. The volume of products released by this sector in 1997 amounted to 121.9% (compared to 1996), and in 1998 - 107.2%. However, in 1999, production decreased by 21.9% compared to 1998. In 1996-97, significant production growth in the sector occurred due to the development of cement production. The restoration of trade relations with CIS countries played an important role here. During these years, the volume of cement exports to Kazakhstan accounted for half of the produced amount. Export supplies of asbestos cement sheets (slate) to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan increased threefold in 1998, but decreased by 88.6% and 25.7% respectively in 1999. Glass exports decreased by 73%. From 1994 to 1999, the production of construction lime decreased by 2.4 times.
The sector includes: factories for reinforced concrete structures and products, expanded clay-gravel plants, gravel sorting and crushing combines for construction materials, brick, cement, glass, and several other factories and combines. The range of products produced is very diverse: cement, asbestos cement sheets, clinker, expanded clay, asbestos cement pipes, construction lime, wall materials (bricks), precast reinforced concrete structures and products, facing tiles made of ceramics, granite, marble, shell rock, porous fillers, thermal insulation products based on basalt composite materials, window glass, and many others. In 2000, the construction materials enterprises produced products worth 1,203.2 million soms. Major enterprises in the sector are located in the Chui and Osh regions. The republic's need for basic construction materials: cement, slate, lime, wall materials, and other types is met through domestic production. In terms of the volume of construction materials produced, the Chui region ranks first in the republic. In the structure of the region's exports, construction materials rank third (5.2 million dollars). The share of construction materials industry products in the total volume of industrial production in the republic is about 3%. The volumes of cement, asbestos cement products, and wall materials are mainly determined by the needs of the domestic market and the export of products to neighboring countries.
The republic has rich raw material resources for expanding the production of construction materials. Loess, limestone (Changyr-Tash and Shurab deposits), gypsum (Nookat and Changyr-Tash deposits), syenites (Ak-Olyon and Orto-Tokoy deposits), granites (Kyr-Tabylgin deposit), marble (Arym, Grozny, Chaar-Tash, Tash-Koros deposits), gravel-sand deposits, quartz sand deposits suitable for the production of household and construction glass, and other raw materials for the production of various construction materials are widely distributed, as well as the comprehensive use of non-metallic raw materials from industrial waste is being developed.
One of the most important sectors of the construction materials industry is the extraction and processing of natural facing materials such as syenite, marble, basalt, shell rock, and others. Enterprises in this sector are located in Osh and Tokmok. Annually, slabs of marble (18 thousand m³), granite, and shell rock are produced, but this does not meet the needs of the republic. Currently, the largest processing deposits are: the Sary-Tash shell rock deposit and the Arym marble deposit. The overwhelming majority of the extracted marble is processed at the state joint-stock company "Kyrgyz Tootash" (Tokmok Stone Processing Plant). In 1999, they produced products worth 13,040.5 thousand soms. There is a marble and granite processing workshop in Osh. Basalt composite materials are produced by enterprises: the joint-stock company "Kyrgyzmunay" in the Batken region (2000 — 869.2 tons) and "Fakel" in Bishkek.
In the perspective of further development of deposits, the most important is the Ak-Olyon syenite deposit, with a total reserve of 1.3 million m³. Large reserves of basalt deposits have been found in Sulu-Tereke, located 43 km northeast of Balakchy. Currently, there are 2 enterprises for the production of cement-asbestos: the Kant Cement-Asbestos Combine (produced in 2000 — 451.4 thousand tons) and the Kyrmyontin Cement Plant (in 2000 — 1.5 thousand tons). The republic has rich raw materials for cement, with a total reserve in the industry of 5.5%. In 2000, 452.9 thousand tons of cement and 138.1 million conditional sheets of slate were produced.
Enterprises for the production of precast reinforced concrete structures and products are located in places where they are used or in densely populated areas. They are located in Bishkek, Tokmok, Karakol, Osh, and other cities. Major enterprises include: the joint-stock company "Bishkek Precast Reinforced Concrete Plant" (2000 — 9.2 thousand m³), Tokmok joint-stock company "Reinforced Concrete" (0.6 thousand m³), joint-stock company "Tash-Temir" (Bishkek Precast Reinforced Concrete Plant No. 1; 1.9 thousand m³), joint-stock company "Kum-Shagyl" (Bishkek Precast Reinforced Concrete Plant No. 2; 13.0 thousand m³), joint-stock company "Polibeton" (Bishkek Polygon of Precast Reinforced Concrete Structures and Products; 3.6 thousand m³), joint-stock company "Temir-Tash" (Jalal-Abad, 1.1 thousand m³), and others. In 2000, 48.4 thousand m³ of precast reinforced concrete structures and products were produced. For this sector, cement is sourced from the republic, while iron is imported from abroad. In 1999, enterprises producing glass released 1.3 million m³ of window glass. The state joint-stock company "Ainek" (Tokmok) produced products worth 76,544.0 thousand soms or 1,257 thousand m² (2000); the joint venture "Chui Glass" produced 7,367.2 thousand glass bottles (2000).
Lime raw materials are available in all regions. However, currently, only one joint-stock company "Ak-Tash" in the Kemin region produces construction lime (the Zhelargyn Lime Plant, built in 1965). In 1999, they produced products worth 5,700.0 thousand soms.
Bricks are produced in all regions of Kyrgyzstan. In 2000, 71.9 million conditional bricks were manufactured. Major enterprises include: the joint-stock company "Bishkekstroy Materials" (in 2000 — 11.1 million conditional bricks), the joint-stock company "Hyp" (Kyzyl-Kiy Construction Materials Combine — 1.7 million), the joint-stock company "Osh Ak-Tash" (Osh KSM — 10.0 million), the joint-stock company "Iygilik" (Belovodsky Brick Plant — 32.1 million), and others. Additionally, the following enterprises are involved in the production of construction materials: the state joint-stock company "Kyrgyz Tootash" (Tokmok), the corporation "Azat" (Bishkek House Building Combine), the joint-stock company "Kum-Shagyl," the joint-stock company "Silicate" (Ivanov Construction Materials Combine), and others.
In the republic, the production of sanitary-ceramic products is represented by the state joint-stock company "Kyrgyzfarfor." In 2000, 2.5 thousand products were released. The state joint-stock company "Linoleum" operates. Its production volume amounted to 43.4 thousand m² (2000). In the construction materials industry, the number of employees is about 10 thousand people (2000).
