Krasnaya Rechka — a village with a rich past
Krasnaya Rechka is a village in the Krasnorechensky rural district of the Issyk-Ata district in the Chuy region of Kyrgyzstan and is essentially the only populated point within its boundaries. It is located on the Bishkek—Tokmak highway, 8 km east of the city of Kant. The village is traversed by a road that serves as a transport artery connecting Bishkek and Tokmak.
Population - 7,328 people.
It was founded in 1907 by settlers from the central and southern provinces of Russia, who were developing the outskirts of the empire under the tsar's decree on land reform and the resettlement policy implemented by the head of government, Pyotr Stolypin. According to the memories of the old-timers, most families initially settled in Przhevalsk (Karakol) and the nearby Cossack settlements of Preissykul, but soon moved from there to the Chuy Valley. The local area attracted them primarily due to its milder climate. They planned to engage in viticulture, bringing with them cuttings of several varieties of the "sunny berry," but in that region, as is known, grapes do not ripen due to insufficient warmth.
The area was rich in game: wild boars inhabited the reed thickets, and saigas and other wildlife were found in the foothills. This was also significant, as there were many hunters among the settlers. However, growing grain in the early years was not easy. There seemed to be plenty of free land, but it was mostly marshy. They drained it using large wells (which were then called "kubuki"). Later, a collector-drainage and irrigation network was built here.
The founders of the village are considered to be four families: Voropaevs, Yeremenko, Saulin, and Tarabarov. They were the first to build small adobe houses here, and soon the village already had 60 such houses with reed and straw roofs. The place was bustling — a road from Pishpek to Tokmak and further to Przhevalsk passed through here, so the village quickly grew.
At that time, a river with red-colored water flowed through this area — apparently, there was a clay mountain somewhere in its upper reaches. Hence the name of the village. Now there is neither a red river nor any other river here. Most likely, the riverbed changed direction as a result of an earthquake.
In 1929, the villagers united into the collective farm "Krasny Put." Upon joining, each family contributed their livestock and available tools for cultivating the land to the collective farm. At that time, the collective farm had 40 cows, and five years later, the relatively large farm received its first 40 tractors, and later, in honor of the anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917, the collective farm was renamed "40 Years of October."
The number 40, signifying the absolute completeness of something, brought good fortune to the residents of Krasnaya Rechka.
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the collective farm was considered one of the strongest in the region, with a lot of machinery and livestock, and the villagers harvested rich crops. For many years, Krasnaya Rechka also had a large freight bus depot and a repair-mechanical plant. Unfortunately, almost nothing remains of these enterprises today, just as little remains of the collective farm.
The collective farm-millionaire and the famous plant that produced rare products — residential cars — are spoken of with pride by the residents of Krasnaya Rechka. They fondly remember the front-line soldier Vasily Ivanovich Kiryaynov, who led the farm for 30 years, as well as other leaders and front-line soldiers, and they honor the memory of their fellow countrymen-liberators who died on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. About 300 residents of the village did not return from the war. The Hero of the Soviet Union, Alexey Krivoshchekov, also fell heroically in February 1945. One of the first local tractor drivers, Pyotr Biryukov, was awarded the high title of Hero of Socialist Labor.
Today, the residents of Krasnaya Rechka have much to be proud of. First and foremost, it is their fellow countrymen who have become outstanding athletes.
Shabdan Shadmanov and Isa Mambetov have each won the title of world champion in kickboxing in different years.
It is no surprise that this sport is particularly popular in the village. This is largely due not only to the champion compatriots but also to the enthusiasm of the local youth and adolescents' coach, master of sports in kickboxing Habib Mametov. Many are engaged in martial arts here. Fortunately, local authorities create conditions for this.
On the territory of the village, there is an internet school where orphans and teenagers from disadvantaged families live and study. The educational institution was opened in the mid-20th century in a building that previously housed a hospital. In addition to school-age children, there is a group for toddlers. Besides the standard school curriculum, there are interest clubs and workshops where skills are acquired, particularly in carpentry and sewing. The school receives assistance not only from local authorities and private entrepreneurs but also from citizens of other countries. In 2001, Canadians helped to set up a sports ground and renovate the cafeteria.
Within the village, there is an Orthodox church. Every year, on Christmas Day, a marathon of Christmas Archpriest trees takes place here. In 2010, a project was implemented in Krasnaya Rechka to renovate the sports complex. During the work, the building was reconstructed, and basketball and volleyball courts were restored.
Krasnaya Rechka is known for the archaeological site of Nevaket, located in its vicinity within the Chuy Valley. In documentary sources, it is also referred to as the Krasnorechenskoe settlement.
Nevaket existed for several centuries, from the 8th to the 12th century. Now only ruins remain of it. At its peak, it was a settlement with a multi-confessional population. Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, and adherents of other religions lived here. One of the main artifacts found by modern archaeologists during the study of the ruins is a statue of Buddha made of clay. It is known that in those distant times, there was a missionary school in Nevaket that was active. Its preachers were sent to various countries, including China and Persia. In 2014, the ancient settlement was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
