Otto Barch was born into a family of Russian Germans and became an outstanding representative of both Soviet and Kyrgyz athletics, competing for the Kyrgyz SSR on the international stage.
The athlete achieved significant heights under the guidance of his coach Nikolai Zhilov:
- three-time champion of the USSR — in the 50 km (1973, 1978) and 20 km (1975) distances;
- participated in three Olympic Games — in Mexico City (1968), Munich (1972), and Montreal (1976), where he ranked among the top ten athletes in the world;
- won silver at the World Cup in 1973 and became a medalist at the European Championship in 1974 in the 50 km distance.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Barch moved to Germany, but continued to maintain ties with the Kyrgyz sports community and showed interest in events in domestic sports.
A documentary film about his life and career was made in 1974, directed by Karel Abdykulov.
