Information about his life and activities was provided to the Turmush correspondent.
Mokey was born in 1895 in the village of Ak-Bulak, located in the Ak-Suu district of the Issyk-Kul region. From a young age, he demonstrated exceptional abilities and hard work. Neighbors and acquaintances of his family never tired of saying, "Your son will become a valuable member of society."
Mokey Maksutov
// Turmush
According to Manara Makeeva, Maksutov's granddaughter and a veteran teacher, his father Maksut passed away when Mokey was still a child. As a result, he was left an orphan and, facing difficulties, could only complete three grades of school. To support his mother Burmakan and younger sister, he began working for wealthy Russian residents of Ak-Suu. While working there, he learned Russian and Ukrainian.
"With the arrival of Soviet power, Mokey realized how important it was to know the Russian language, which opened up many job opportunities for him. He became the chairman of a cooperative, then the manager of a collective farm. During this time, the basmachi and bais called for protests against the Soviet regime. Mokey, along with other activists, conducted propaganda activities, telling about the advantages of Soviet power. Later, he began working in the NKVD and fought against class enemies. His participation in the detention of well-known basmachi, such as Janday and Jakshylyq, became a significant moment in his career. Major Osmon Lailiev mentions Maksutov's feats in his book "In the Footsteps of the Basmachi," noting that "Mokey was a clever shepherd with a keen eye and a sharp shot," Manara recounted.
She also noted that in 1937, when Stalin's repressions began, Mokey was able to save several fellow villagers who started to become active.
Mokey Maksutov's granddaughter - Manara Makeeva
// Turmush
"In 1939, the first decade of Kyrgyz literature and art took place in Moscow, which Mokey Maksutov attended along with Kutan Torgoev. During this trip, my grandfather recounted that Ybyray Tumanov took a train for the first time and, during the three days of travel, created a work titled 'Temir Kanat,' which later became known as 'The Locomotive.' Mokey also assisted our artists during performances in the Kremlin. At that moment, Stalin asked, 'Comrade Maksutov, how do you speak Russian so well?' To which my grandfather replied that he was orphaned as a child and worked for wealthy Russians in Ak-Suu." In my childhood, I often walked in the Karakol park with my grandfather, and many residents of Issyk-Kul knew him as "Ordenis Mokey." When he passed away, I was only seven years old. In 1958, Russians arrived on horseback for his funeral, crying and mourning, as is customary among the Kyrgyz.
"In 1978, I got married. My father-in-law Kuseyin Saparbaev was for a long time the secretary of the party organization in the Tyup district. He was interested in my family background and said, 'You come from a very good family and cannot be a bad daughter-in-law. In my youth, I met your choon ata. He was then the first secretary of the Komsomol organization. At that time, the village of Taldy-Suu was the administrative center. Once, during a meeting, it was announced that Mokey was coming, and everyone stood up. He entered the hall in white pants and a suit, approached the podium, and began his speech in Russian, finishing in Ukrainian, addressing the youth. This was your choon ata Mokey Maksutov. I am grateful that a descendant of this man came into our family," she concluded.
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