Epic passions on “Manas”

When the modern life develops uneasy, when the problems are more than enough as it called, so willy-nilly pulls to look at native olden time, to look for that “Golden Age” when all was correct and remarkable. It is peculiar to many countries, but the process of answers search to present problems in the past develops differently. Sometimes it accepts grotesque forms. Here is how it occurs in Kirghizia …

“Manas” is the well-known epos of the Kirghiz people about the legendary hero. It is well-known in many countries. At least that it is more than a half-million of poetic lines in its volume and, thus, it is one of the longest eposes in the world. It is not a joke: “Manas” is comparable with a world famous Mahabharata! For example, it is even more quantity of stanzas in the Kirghiz epos. The uniqueness of the Kirghiz national epos is that the Kirghiz people have kept it in the oral form!

The first mentions of “Manas” have appeared in XVI century. Scientific research of the epos has begun in XIX century. The well-known Kazakh scientist and the educator, the general-staff officer of the Russian army Chokan Valikhanov became the pioneer in this noble cause. He has written down and then has translated into Russian separate chapters of the epos. Valikhanov named “Manas” as “steppe Iliada”. The huge work was spent also by outstanding Russian orientalist Vasily Radlov. The known poets Semen Lipkin and Mark Tarlovsky were among the translators of the epos “Manas” on the Russian.

“Manas” for the Kirghiz culture is all the same as “The Word about Igor's Regiment” for the Russian culture! Whether it remembered and honored in Kirghizia? Surely remember! Here are some facts: the Kyrgyz-Turkish University “Manas” works in Bishkek, named, naturally, in honor of the legendary hero. The airport of Bishkek carries the name “Manas” too. And how do you think is called the higher state award of Kirghizia?

This is the award “Manas” founded in 1996 year. The citizens are awarded by it for the outstanding contribution to protection and strengthening of the state and a democratic society, unity of the people, the development of economic, spiritual and mental potential of the country.

The award “Manas” has three degrees. Here is the description of the award of the first degree: “ it consists of two parts — a gold eight-beam star in diameter of 60 mm and the gold unprofitable middle consisting from covered enamel of dark blue color of two intertwining squares, personifying the sky and water as a life symbol and the red color of the central circle covered with enamel — a sun symbol. The gold relief image of Manas skipping on a game with a banner fluttering on a wind is in the circle center”.

It would seem, what questions can be in respect of knowledge and honoring by citizens of republic and the national epos and a figure of hero Manas? It appears, there are the questions – and exclusively the politicians worry in this respect for some reason.


So, the deputy of parliament from party “Republic” Malik Osmonov has called – no less than to expel from the country all those who doesn't know the national epos of “Manas”!
He declared the most important true, having proclaimed to the citizens of Kirghizia and the world that “Manas” is our patriotic spirit and, so, each person is obliged to know it. The deputy by his own words knows the epos by heart. And according to Malik Osmonov, it is impossible to appoint to any positions those who can't brag of it”. Clearly, there is no place in parliament to the marked category of the citizens probably believing that a bit different rules and laws all the same predominate in a civil society. If they have the problem with “spirit”…

The adviser of the president of Kirghizia Topchubek Turgunaliev has urged to go other way – as it appears, it is necessary to pass simply the law which would declare the epos “Manas” as “basis of national ideology of the Kirghiz”. At the same time it is not bad to rename the capital of republic of Kirghizia, namely the city of Bishkek in Manas …

There was a scandal not so long time ago: the representatives of several public associations have accused at once the deputy of the Kirghiz parliament, the deputy Omurbek Abdyrakhmanov of disrespect for the hero Manas. Moreover, they have demanded, that the deputy was deprived by memberships in parliament.

What is the essence? The local press has informed that the deputy Abdyrakhmanov, acting at session of fraction “Ata-Meken” (“Fatherland”) named Manas as “gangster”. The phrase sounded like that: “Who is that Manas? The same gangster as modern Rysbek Akmatbaev”. For the reference: Akmatbaev is the criminal authority killed in 2006.

But deputy Abdyrakhmanov later has declared that this story was invented by his foes and actually there was nothing similar. And here that actually took place was the offer of one more deputy of parliament (from fraction of Social-democratic party of Kirghizia) Irina Karamushkina. She has suggested to make the compulsory reading of the epos in prisons!

According to deputy Karamushkina, the epos renders “magic influence” on the storyteller. Here the surprising thought also has come to her head: “Perhaps, to force all the prisoners, want them or not, to read the epos “Manas” and to make the clarification by such way? Perhaps, it will rescue them?”

As we already could understand, the deputies of the Kirghiz parliament sound not one idea as a rule but several at once. And Irina Karamushkina didn't begin to break tradition. She has suggested to name any star in honor of Manas at the same time. It is quite good idea, but it was possible to take an interest, so to say, in the historical background before the acting from a high tribune. And then the initiative deputy would learn that in 1979 year the Soviet astronomer Nikolay Chernykh has opened an asteroid 3349 and named it as … Manas. Without any obligatory readings and reasoning about spirit – it is simple out of respect for the Kirghiz people, its history and culture.

And, maybe, it is necessary?!