Chayek – Agricultural Settlement
The village of Chayek is the center of the Jumgal district in the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan. The settlement is located in the central part of Kyrgyzstan and is situated on the Jumgal River. It occupies a narrow mountain valley surrounded by picturesque steep ridges of the Inner Tien Shan. The road leading from the Tuy Ashuu pass to Kochkor runs through here. Chayek is approximately equidistant from the capital city of Bishkek and the regional center of Naryn – about 370 kilometers. Forty-five kilometers from the village lies the high-altitude Son-Kul Lake.
The population is 7,211 people.
Chayek is an agricultural settlement known for growing fruit trees and livestock farming. The village even hosts an apple festival, attracting farmers from various corners of Kyrgyzstan engaged in horticulture. There is a dairy processing plant in the village that produces sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. The village is home to branches of savings and loan companies.
In the vicinity of the village, coal is mined in the Karaketch area, and during the Soviet era, uranium was extracted in the Jumgal district. Only four storage facilities for radioactive waste remain from that enterprise.
Chayek has the potential for rural tourism, and the protected Son-Kul Lake attracts eco-tourism enthusiasts with its pristine nature and some historical monuments located along its shores. Some firms and companies in the Chayek district organize treks that pass through this village, accessible via the Kochkorka-Chayek mountain road.
Cultural institutions in Chayek include a musical and dramatic theater and the T. Tursunbaeva cinema.
Currently, the high-altitude village houses a children's home for children in need of rehabilitation.