“Who would dare to obscure historical toponyms with the names of other worthy people from that era?” Batyrbekov questioned. He called for studying the biographies of the repressed and figures who became part of history. “Do you think Aydarbekov would agree to rename the street that the fighters against fascism made their own?” he continued, emphasizing that this is not just a matter of names, but a matter of memory and history.
According to Batyrbekov, modern youth do not have access to important literature and knowledge about past events. “They do not know who the Young Guards are or who Julius Fucik is. These names get mixed up, and young people form distorted ideas about heroism,” the veteran noted. He expressed concern that this could lead to a betrayal of the memory of the generations that built both the Soviet Union and independent Kyrgyzstan.
“Our compatriots fought in the Great Patriotic War, and it was a common victory,” Batyrbekov reminded, emphasizing the importance of examples of heroism for educating the youth. As a veteran, he is proud of the feats of his ancestors and believes it is necessary to pass this knowledge on to new generations.
He stated that veterans continue to share their stories in schools; however, the curriculum does not devote enough time to studying World War II. “Right now, we have only two hours for the entire history of the war throughout the course,” he added, pointing to problems with patriotic education for the youth.
“The Young Guards are part of our common history. Their acts of self-sacrifice fit into the context of the struggle for freedom and independence,” Batyrbekov asserts. He also noted that the initiative to rename streets only fuels contradictions and creates polarization in society.
In conclusion, he proposed an alternative: “Instead of renaming, perhaps it would be worth creating a new microdistrict or planting a boulevard in honor of Imanaly Aydarbekov, rather than destroying historical monuments.”
The draft resolution of the city council proposes numerous changes to street names, including:
• renaming Mikhail Frunze Street (Novopavlovka), the avenues of Deng Xiaoping, Chuy, and Shabdan Baatyr to Chuy Avenue;
• renaming April 7 Street and Kurmandzhan Datka Street to Kurmandzhan Datka Street;
• changing the name of Jayil Baatyr Street, Absemat Masaliev Avenue, Aaly Tokombaev Avenue, and Kayykov Street to Aaly Tokombaev Avenue;
• renaming Anvarbek Chortekov Street and Krivonosov Street to Absemat Masaliev Street;
• and many other changes, including renaming Young Guard Avenue to Imanaly Aydarbekov Street.
