“Who measured the love of the people?”
At the ceremony dedicated to the completion of the renovation of Satiev Street in Osh, a local resident dedicated a poem to Mayor Jenishbek Toktorbaev, expressing her gratitude for his efforts and the significant changes that have taken place in the city.
This is not the first instance of poets praising the mayor. Previously, the people's poet of Kyrgyzstan, holder of the "Manas" order, Mendi Mamazaïrova also recited a poem in his honor titled “Ak-Buura arulandy,” which translates to “Ak-Buura has been purified.”
Additionally, bags with the mayor's quotes have become widespread in Bishkek and Osh, which has also attracted public attention.
However, whether this is a true manifestation of popular love or part of a well-thought-out PR campaign is discussed by sociologist and writer Alexander Katsev in an interview for Vesti.kg.
“This can be both a sincere acknowledgment from the people and a political order. It all depends on the quality of the poems. Poets, knowing how to use form, imbue their works with unique content. But who has counted this love? Five thousand or five million — and what do they want? How does love for the people manifest? If someone says they don’t like the boss, what will you respond to that?” he commented.
Determining the motivations of creative individuals can be difficult, and it does not always seem necessary to “uncover” their inner world.
“If a person has created a work talentfully, then why not? If not — that’s their mistake. And the mayor, even if he is not an admirer of poetry, is unlikely to understand this. There are cases when well-known poets have faced criticism. Everything is individual. And rhyming ‘blood-love’ after Lermontov is no longer original,” the literary scholar added.
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