Initial reports about the intention to build sports facilities appeared in mid-January. This raised concerns among local residents and ecologists, who believe that such fields are needed in other areas of the city, and the Botanical Garden should remain a place for studying and preserving vegetation. Comparisons were made on social media with the Botanical Garden in Almaty, where the scientific and recreational character of the park was preserved after reconstruction. A petition was initiated in defense of the garden, which collected over 2000 signatures.
“Football fields will not provide us with clean air and coolness on hot days, as the shady alleys of the garden do. This decision could destroy years of efforts by scientists and ecologists to preserve the region's biodiversity,” the petition emphasized.
Reasons for Residents' Discontent
Local residents actively shared their opinions on social media:“The Botanical Garden is not meant for entertainment, but for science and plant preservation. It houses unique plant collections, not just green spaces.”
“Migratory birds choose the Botanical Garden, not ordinary parks. Now there is a risk that they will not be able to return, and insects will fill the area. What is the use of an amphitheater and workout zones without clean air and ecological balance?”
“The Botanical Garden is the lungs of Bishkek. It participates in the natural circulation of air and reduction of smog. Destroying the green zone will worsen air quality for hundreds of thousands of people.”
Deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh Dastan Bekeshev also opposed the construction. In his statements, he emphasized that the garden was created for science and plant preservation, not for football fields.
“In other countries, they focus on the development and preservation of plants. And here, they decided to build football fields! What biodiversity can we talk about when there will be fields in this place? Of course, football fields are needed, but I am sure that no football player has asked for a field in the Botanical Garden. Let’s separate football from the Botanical Garden. It is important not only for Bishkek but for all of Kyrgyzstan. People go there not to play football, but for relaxation and walks. There are other places where fields can be built. I urge the president to pay attention to this. Football is not needed in the Botanical Garden!” he noted on January 14 at a meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh.
Opinion of the Botanical Garden Administration
Deputy Director of the Botanical Garden Nurbek Albanov stated on "Birinchi Radio" that the mini-football fields are being built on a rocky site where it has not been possible to grow plants for 20-30 years due to the large number of stones in the soil.“We are talking about mini-football fields, not the construction of a large arena. The fields will be open, with a fence made of mesh. The total area of the two fields will not exceed 16 hundredths. Scientific work in the garden will continue, and we will fulfill our mission,” he added, specifying that the decision to build was made jointly with the president and the National Academy of Sciences.
Completion Timeline
Dayirbek Orunbekov, head of the president's information policy service, also commented on the situation, noting that the garden was previously neglected: trees were drying up, wild animals roamed the territory, and crimes were recorded in the evenings. Currently, work is underway to improve the territory of the Botanical Garden.“Taking into account the requests of residents, a sports ground is being built on a rocky site where trees do not grow. It will be used by young people for training and games, and the funds raised will go towards maintaining the garden. If everything goes according to plan, we will complete the work by summer, and then we can compare the previous state with the updated result,” he added, emphasizing that criticism at this moment is inappropriate.
Thus, the construction of the mini-football fields continues.
