Tolomushev Tenis Shamyralievich was born in 1946 in Bishkek into a family of journalists. Throughout his career, he worked in various editorial offices of Kyrgyz publications, on the radio, and also headed collective and state farms. Later, his path led him to the tax service, from which he retired.
Now enjoying his well-deserved retirement, he holds the position of chairman of the Council of Elders of the Kemin district. In a conversation with Turmush, he shared his memories of the significant visit of Mikhail Gorbachev to Soviet Kyrgyzstan, which took place at the end of 1991. At that time, Tenis Ata was the chairman of one of the farms in Kemin and was actively preparing for the meeting with the leader of the Soviet Union.
“We contacted Bishkek and began preparations for his visit. Upon Gorbachev's arrival, he was greeted by the first president Askar Akayev, accompanied by scientists and public figures. The first stop was the Frunze Machine Engineering Plant, then they visited one of the markets in Bishkek. Next, the delegation headed to our state farm 'Kyzyl-Suu', located in the Kemin district. Before his arrival, seminars were held for district and regional leaders with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture. The preparations for Gorbachev's visit were organized at a high level. Teachers, students, and ordinary workers actively prepared for the official meeting. He greeted the population with a broad smile. Accompanying him were Akayev, Nasiridin Isanov, Medetkan Sherimkulov, and other prominent figures. A yurt was set up for the guests, and a table was laid with national dishes. The akims ensured Kyrgyz hospitality, while others were kept away from the yurt,” he recalled.
T. Tolomushev also mentioned that after the delegation left the yurt, the akims inquired about how the meeting went and whether the high-ranking guest was satisfied. “They asked about the impressions and the content of the conversation. The akims began to praise Gorbachev, noting his intellect and strength. In fact, he communicated little with those around him, paying more attention to Askar Akayev. They also noted that Gorbachev ate an entire chuchuk [a traditional Kyrgyz dish made from horse meat] and drank local cognac. Some time after this visit, an important historical event occurred for the USSR. We prepared for the meeting as if we were expecting a khan,” the pensioner shared his memories.
He also noted that the first united farm in the USSR was established in the Kemin district at the initiative of A. Akayev, and he was elected as the chairman of this farm. After gaining independence, he continued to work in the tax authorities. According to Tenis Ata, he was the one who translated A. Akayev's tax code from Russian into Kyrgyz.
In addition, he spoke about his father, Shamyrali Tolomushev, who was one of the first journalists in the Kyrgyz SSR. “My father worked for several newspapers, and I grew up with my grandfather in Kemin. In 1969, I graduated from the philological faculty, in 1978 - from the Kyrgyz Agricultural Institute with a specialization in 'animal husbandry', and in 2000 - from the financial and economic faculty of the Academy of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. For many years, I worked on the radio, in newspapers, and was involved in party activities,” he said.
T. Tolomushev was awarded the title of 'Honorary Resident of the Kemin District' and is the author of the encyclopedia of the Kemin district titled “Өмүрү өрнөк инсандар”, which contains information about state figures who were born in Kemin, starting from Atake batyr and up to the post-Akayev period.
Together with his wife, he raised five children and now helps in raising 17 grandchildren.
