As part of the "Taryh insany" ("Person in History") project, we will tell you about Telegey Alambetovna Sagymbaeva, a Hero of Socialist Labor and an outstanding figure in collective farm construction.
Telegey was born on June 8, 1902, in the village of Akjar, located in the Kochkor district of Naryn region, in a family of simple peasants. Her childhood was filled with constant relocations, yet she always longed to return to her homeland.
In her memoirs, she shared: "Do not say how we hated this barren rocky land, but also do not forget how, finding ourselves far from it, we yearned and cried. In one of the drought years, locusts covered our land like a black cloud, and the sun disappeared from our sight.
This locust swarm devoured all the grass, leaving even the thorny plants lifeless. As a result, we, as a whole village, decided to set off on a journey. My father drove the sheep of a local wealthy man into foreign lands, and we followed him, making our way through narrow gorges and over passes. On the way, a snowstorm began, and we found ourselves under a blanket of snow. The horsemen galloped ahead, while we, barely moving, walked on foot, sinking into the snow. When I lost my strength, my father carried me in his arms.
Eventually, we found ourselves on a scorched steppe, herding someone else's livestock. My mother and I gathered dry branches for a fire. In the evenings, sitting by the fire, we mourned for our native land. My father often said: 'If it weren't for the debts, I would take you back.' I remained silent, understanding that even there it would not be easier for us. He comforted me: 'Do you think the land is bad? No, my daughter, it is not to blame for our poverty. If you work hard, the land will reward your labor.' Thus, she recalled the years of 1916 spent in China.
Telegey recounted that upon hearing about the overthrow of the tsar in Russia [Emperor Nicholas II was overthrown in February 1917], they decided to return to their homeland – to Alatoo. With the arrival of spring, when the passes opened, they set off on their journey. On foot, with supplies on their backs and staffs in hand, they crossed the icy passes. Many remained in a foreign steppe, unable to overcome the hardships.
At the top of the pass, Telegey's father, Alambet, passed away. His body was covered with stones at the foot of a cliff. A few days later, as they descended, her mother also died. Telegey, sitting beside her, cried, but despite the biting cold and the snowstorm, she gathered her last strength and continued onward.
Exhausted, she told her companions: 'Leave me, go without me.' But her fellow villagers did not abandon her and carried her to their homeland.
Upon returning to Kyrgyzstan, Telegey married Duyshonaly [Düyшөнаалы] Sagymbaev, and they started a family.
In 1927, when the first sheep-breeding farm "Kochkor" was established in the Tian Shan mountains, Telegey and her husband became among the first workers of this enterprise. Duyshonaly became the first Kyrgyz mechanizer in the Kochkor valley and operated a tractor.
In those years, when the state farm was being created, the sheep had coarse wool, suitable only for felt. When the "Kochkor" state farm received breeding sheep, Telegey was only 26 years old. Thanks to the work of scientists led by Academician M.N. Lushchikhin, and shepherds like Telegey, the Kyrgyz fine-wool ram was bred, whose wool was highly valued.
Kyrgyzstan was then famous for its fine-wool sheep, ranking third in the USSR.
The flock owned by Telegey produced enough wool to make five thousand suits. She worked tirelessly, raising children and achieving outstanding results.
Telegey became one of the first Kyrgyz women who boldly took on hard work, which was considered a male domain. Enduring harsh winter snowstorms and heavy spring rains, she did not retreat and continued to pave the way to success.
Contemporaries noted that thanks to her diligence and passion for her profession, she significantly contributed to the development of sheep breeding. Without knowing rest, she shared her experience with young shepherds, mentoring and assisting them in their work.
From each sheep she raised, she managed to shear 6 kg of wool, and the following year this figure increased to 7.2 kg. The live weight of the sheep reached 75 kg, and such animals she passed on to the state.
According to reference books, 1957 was a landmark year for Telegey Sagymbaeva. For her achievements, she was awarded the honorary title of "Hero of Socialist Labor."
In addition, she received the title of "Master of Socialist Animal Husbandry of the Kyrgyz SSR" and was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR for the 4th, 5th, and 6th convocations.
Telegey was awarded the Order of Lenin and the gold medal "Sickle and Hammer."
She was not only a Hero of Labor but also a Heroine Mother, having raised many children. Her heart was filled not only with hard work but also with maternal love.
One hand held the whip, while the other cradled the cradle where her ten children grew.
Telegey, being a distinguished shepherd and a pensioner of union significance, passed away in 1980.
