According to local elder Sherimbek Beyshenov, the population of Köl-Tör is about 5,000 people, and the main occupation of the residents is livestock breeding.
“The name of our village — Köl-Tör — is not accidental. The founders of the settlement settled at the foot of the mountains, and the seventh generation has already lived here. Above rises the mountain range, and below stretches Lake Issyk-Kul. The word ‘köl’ translates to ‘lake,’ and ‘tör’ is an honorary place in front of a yurt. Previously, camels inhabited our village, and chiy (grass) grew so tall that it could hide a person if they got caught in the thicket. To immortalize the memory of those who contributed to the development of the village, we named the streets after their surnames,” he shared.
The elder also noted the climatic features of Köl-Tör: it is hot in summer, cool in winter, but snow falls rarely. Local residents annually prepare dung for heating their homes, as coal is hardly used.
Coach Bakyt Bayymbekov emphasized that local athletes, despite the lack of facilities, achieve significant success.
“We created a gym in a small room three years ago. Kanybek Osmonaliyev gifted us a barbell that he used himself in the past,” he added.
Note:
Kanybek Osmonalievich Osmonaliyev, born on November 19, 1953, in Beishke, Kemin district of the Kyrgyz SSR, became a famous Soviet weightlifter and honored master of sports.
He became the champion at the XXII Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 in the weight category up to 52 kg, as well as a four-time world champion (1978-1981) and a two-time European champion (1978, 1981) in weightlifting.
