Tursunbek Ibraimov, born in 1902 in the village of Jany-Talap, grew up in a family where his father, Maltai uulu Ibraim, was an educated man and served as a mullah, while his mother, Aisha, was known for her knowledge of Kyrgyz folklore and physical strength. After the death of his father when Tursunbek was only 8 years old, he was raised by his mother, received education first in a madrasah and then in a village school, after which he took courses for teachers.
From 1924 to 1930, he worked as a teacher and school principal, and then continued his education at the Higher Party School in Tashkent from 1933 to 1936. After that, his career rapidly developed: he was elected chairman of the Min-Bulak Ayil Council and actively participated in the public life of Kyrgyzstan. As a result of an administrative reform, he became the first deputy chairman of the newly formed Toguz-Torou district, and later the chairman of the district executive committee.
Aisha, Tursunbek's mother, was a well-known figure and participated in traditional Kyrgyz competitions. Once, at a large celebration on Son-Kul, a woman challenged her opponents in "er sayysh," but got scared when Aisha entered the arena.
In 1937, when Tursunbek held the position of chairman of the Toguz-Torou district executive committee, he was arrested by the NKVD after a large meeting in Frunze. In prison, he learned of the loss of two of his daughters. In the early days of his imprisonment, he was held with Jusup Abdrakhmanov and Torokul Aitmatov. In his memoirs, he described the terrible conditions of detention, including dampness and the smell of mold.
After his comrades were transferred to solitary cells, Tursunbek continued to hear their voices and the sounds of gunfire. The charges against them were false, and although many of them were released, Tursunbek was freed only because a lot of snow had fallen in the region, and the interrogations had to be postponed.
Over time, the repressions began to weaken, and after Stalin's decree, many returned to their duties. Tursunbek was appointed first deputy chairman of the Naryn regional executive committee and worked in this position until 1940. From 1941 to 1944, he held leadership positions in collective farms and then continued to work in various state and party structures until 1959.
In 1969, he represented his district at the Second Republican Congress of Collective Farmers and was also the chairman of the council of aksakals from 1970 to 1978. For his contributions to labor, Tursunbek received several awards, including medals for valiant labor and anniversary medals, and raised five children together with his wife Anisa Zholdoshbaeva.
At that time, the well-known Kazibek kazalchy, a descendant of the bai-manaps, was seeking refuge with relatives. Tursunbek provided him shelter, and Kazibek gifted him his works, but was later arrested due to denunciations. In the 1980s, his works were at risk of destruction.
During the "dekulakization," a well-known bai named Balkybay lost all his property, and his wife gave Tursunbek a hand-operated sewing machine, which is now kept in the family of Baktybү Janylyshova.
In 1924, Tursunbek Ibraimov and his comrade Nasyrinbek studied at teacher training courses in the house of Akmat Kypchakov. At that time, among the guests were well-known figures, including Togolok Moldо, who entertained those present with his stories and music.
These memoirs, preserved thanks to Baktybү Janylyshova, tell about the life and activities of Tursunbek Ibraimov, a significant figure in the history of Kyrgyzstan.
