Space Brotherhood
In 1964, the Special Design Bureau of the Institute of Space Research (OKB IKI) of the USSR Academy of Sciences was established in Frunze. This was a time when the Soviet Union actively shared knowledge and technology, and Russian experts, representing the engineering elite, came to the Kyrgyz SSR not only for work but also to create new industries. They became not only mentors but also close friends to local specialists.
- We, the youth, built the OKB building on Toktogul–Shopokov ourselves, - recalls Kasiyet Mukambetova, a two-time labor veteran. - The team was extraordinary; the best minds from all over the Soviet Union gathered here. Most of them were Russian engineers, but among them worked Koreans, Kyrgyz, Ukrainians, and Uzbeks. We were one big family. I, a young Kyrgyz woman, came to the department as a technician, and I was accepted as one of their own.
With warmth, Kasiyet recalls her colleagues.
- In our department, there was only one oscilloscope and two drawing boards. But what enthusiasm we had! The tasks from Moscow were challenging, and the discipline was strict. We had to be at the checkpoint by 7:50; being late even by a minute was considered an emergency. But no one complained. We had a goal, a great dream. We understood that what we were drawing now would soon fly to the stars.
From "Venus" to Microchips
During its thirty years of existence, the bureau created more than 200 unique instruments. Kyrgyzstan became the first place in the USSR to implement laser technologies and integrated circuits. Frunze instruments studied the Moon, Mars, and even Halley's Comet.
- I came in 1979 and worked with classified documents, - says OKB veteran Olga Shcherbatskikh. - I remember how we prepared for the "Venus-Halley" mission. My task was to oversee. Errors in the drawings could lead to catastrophic consequences millions of kilometers from Earth. We were involved in everything: from the first line on paper to the final tests of the finished product.
Hope for the Revival of Space Research
The collapse of the Soviet Union dealt a heavy blow to the space industry. The OKB was closed, equipment was removed, and the unique personnel that had been formed over the years were left idle or left. The premises were rented out, and the space where instruments for studying Mars were created fell silent.
However, on the eve of the 65th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, the situation began to change. Thanks to the efforts of the Veterans Council and the support of the Russian embassy, the contributions of those who helped build the space legacy were finally remembered.
- This year, events dedicated to Cosmonautics Day will be organized in Bishkek, thanks to the support of the Veterans Council. The Russian ambassador to Kyrgyzstan also assisted in this, and the arrival of one of the former OKB employees, who continues to work in this field, is expected. There is hope that with Russia's support, a similar enterprise will emerge again in Kyrgyzstan, - shares Olga Fyodorovna.
The veterans of OKB IKI look at the sky with hope. For them, Cosmonautics Day is not just a date on the calendar, but a reminder of a time when the borders between the republics were conditional and dreams were limitless. They believe that the combination of the experience of the older generation with modern technologies from Russia can once again lead Kyrgyz instruments to distant planets.
