The grandson of the old man on the donkey depicted in the photo, Anarbek Tyrgoev, shared memories of his grandfather - Eshenaly Omurbekov, who was dressed in a dark chapan.
“Eshenaly Omurbekov was born in the autumn of 1905 in the Ketmen-Tobo valley. His working career began on a livestock farm, and later he became a watchman at a school, where he completed his professional life. During the Great Patriotic War, despite health issues, he did not go to the front, but did a lot for the rear, sending food and clothing collected from local residents to the soldiers. Grandpa was straightforward, hardworking, active, and a believer,” noted Anarbek.
Tursunbek Chyngyshyev, who served as the first secretary of the Komsomol committee and the Kara-Kul city party committee in the 1970s and 1980s, played an important role in this photograph. He asked to photograph the grandfather, as he often brought kumis and milk to the truck drivers. At the time of the shoot, Eshenaly was 69 years old.
In 1992-1993, Tursunbek Chyngyshyev held the position of Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Since 1970, Eshenaly and his wife Oroz lived in Kara-Kul on Ak-Kiya Street until the end of their days. In the 1980s, when I was 4-5 years old, my parents and I lived in the Poima area, and grandpa often came to us on a light gray donkey, bringing candies wrapped in a large handkerchief. He loved us very much and visited us constantly,” Anarbek recounted.
Eshenaly had 14 siblings, and together with his grandmother, they raised a son and a daughter. He passed away in August 1989 at the age of 84,” added the grandson.
