How do the Russians live in Kyrgyzstan today?

The public organization actively acts in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan – the Russian Unifying Union of Compatriots (ROSS). The union always acts from the principled stands. The organization fights against the incessant attempts of some Kyrgyz politicians to deprive the Russian language of the official status.

The head of ROSS Alexander Nikolaevich Ivanov, who is also the vice-chairman of Coordination council of the Russian compatriots in Kyrgyzstan and the chairman of Civil Anti-fascist and Anti-nationalist Committee (GAAK) of the republic, told us about how the Russians live in Kyrgyzstan, what is the situation today.

- How did the Russian Unifying Union of Compatriots appear?

- The idea was appeared in 2003. At that time the Russian community had no strong, active organization. There was a Slavic fund, but it wasn't especially appreciable and isn't active. When there was the first, so-called “tulip” revolution on March 24, 2005 in the republic, so the nationalist attacks, especially against the Russian population sharply became frequent.

It was necessary to resist them and in April, 2005 we held the conference and registered the Russian Unifying Union of Compatriots which began to make the numerous sharp statements at once, involving the public attention in a problem. And here we exist for seven years. The main tasks of the organization have the political character.

− What was the relation to the Russian language at that time?

- In 2005, the Kyrgyz nationalists began to demand to take away even a mention of the Russian from the constitution immediately. Do you understand that the status of the Russian is the main criterion for the Russians living in Kyrgyzstan to remain or go and this is the basic thing that excites the Russians.

Ten years we went to that the status of the Russian language will be fixed in the constitution as official one; at last, in 2001 it occurred. And in 2005 we hear from everywhere: the Russians go to Russia after Akayev; you aren't necessary here… Further – it is more, those politicians who appeared out of work after coming to power of Kurmanbek Bakiyev, decided to find the niche and chose the extreme nationalism. The parties which they created and newspapers which they opened began to play the nationalist card. And we, of course, should react to it!

- How did you begin to act?

- We publicly declared our position: carried out the press conferences, made statements, wrote letters. We said that the Russians are just the same citizens of the republic as Kyrgyz, they have just the same rights! We don't presume, that all that the previous generations created, ruined, especially in such explosive sphere as the international relations. And the reaction to our actions was always somewhere silent, but somewhere loud.

− What is the situation in Kyrgyzstan with nationalism now?

- It became heavier for the last two-three years. The power has changed, the republic became parliamentary from presidential. There were a lot of nationalist adjusted politicians together with these changes, namely their views gained the greatest distribution in the press. By the way, in 2007, 70 % of newspapers were the Russian-speaking and now the ratio became directly to the contrary, but after all the press forms the consciousness and ideology, so no wonder that the household nationalism grew in times... Though, as showed the recent poll, our citizens trust the local newspapers less, than the Russian …

- But there is also a cultural direction in the work of your union, isn't it?

- We initially didn't begin to place the main emphasis on cultural and educational work. The Russian cultural center “Harmony” was engaged and continues to be engaged in it. And here that is interesting –the Russian embassy actively cooperated only with them as though there were no other organizations. There were no contacts with us for the first five and a half years… We worked independently.

- The Russians continue to leave the country?

- According to the census of 2010, which passed just before the second revolution, 410 thousand Russians were fixed in Kyrgyzstan and the total population of the republic is 5,17 million people. That is, the share of the Russians makes 7,2 %. It is more precisely to say it made … The wave of mass departures passed after the revolution and events in Mayovka and Leninsk, after bloody events in Osh. Now the share of the Russians makes about 6 % and it is less than 300 thousand people. About 100 thousand Russians live in Bishkek. Today the Russians live any more in all areas of the republic.

- And how the authorities react to this phenomenon?

- Earlier, as I’ve already told, there was the reaction. The president Bakiyev and the officials of his team urged not to hurry up with departure and to think over… Now there is no reaction simply: if you leave, so well, it is fine … Nobody tries to stop this process.

We wrote the letter to the president of the republic Almazbek Atambayev about it, but there is no reaction while. The absence of authorities’ reaction disturbs the Russians living in the republic very much; and it seems to us that we deal with conscious policy of the management of the republic. They try to inspire us that Atambayev is the pro-Russian politician. Perhaps, but we don't feel it while in any way.

− If it is so unstable, why do 6 % of the Russians remained there?

- All those who remained in Kyrgyzstan are sitting as on a powder keg now! Many of them have the Russian nationality and the majority of the Russians think of moving. “While it is calm – we will live and as soon as something happens – already on suitcases …”

Why not all have left? It is not so simple to leave a native home! There is a responsibility before those who gave the life, who brought up. Here there is big respect for parents in mentality! Someone would leave but how to be with parents, the health of whom is already not good and it will be already difficult to adapt to other climate? For many there is a question with real estate sale: having sold the house or the apartment in Kyrgyzstan, it is almost impossible to acquire the equivalent housing in Russia, unless in a remote place. But after all, if any big center of intensity arises, so, probably, the biggest wave will rise by departure from the republic and nothing will stop it.

- After all the Russians are already not the second people on number in Kyrgyzstan?

- Yes, the Russians always took the second position on number in the country, but now they were replaced by the Uzbeks. This tendency started to develop actively in the mid-nineties, and now the share of the Uzbeks in the population makes not 12, but 16 %. The statistics has changed after the Osh events: some Uzbeks went to Uzbekistan, but the ratio remained former as a whole.

- Are there a lot of the Russians in power structures?

- It is 7 deputies from 120 in Jogorku Kenesh (parliament). And, they are in the fractions of different parties. It is because the norm is put in the constitution of the republic that the share of deputies of one nationality can't exceed 70 % in the Deputy corps.

The representation of the Russians in authorities decreased lately. Two Russian were prime ministers for all independence time and now the government is multinational in fact: there are no Slavs in its structure, but there is one Tajik. There is nobody in the highest judicial authorities, there was one Russian head Oleg Popikov in authorities at local level who heads the Oktyabrsky area in the republic capital.

- How are the things in education?

- The Russian teachers are presented in Bishkek and Chuysk area and they aren't present in the south of the country at all. There is a reduction both the Russian schools, and the Russian classes. Though there are the attempts to return to the Russian studying –the economic factor pushes to it. How to go for work to Russia without knowing the language?! But as of today it is possible to tell that people freely speak the Russian in the republic, at the proper level, only in Chuysky and Issyk-Kul areas …

- Do the Russians, who live here, study the Kyrgyz language?

- Those who would like to remain to live and work in Kyrgyzstan are ready to study the Kyrgyz language. The reasons are obvious: it is the possibility of integration into local society and possibility to have the respect of the Kyrgyz people. When the Russian can correctly tell something in the Kyrgyz language during a public statement, so it is always welcomes very much. Many understand the language, but it is difficult to speak to them. For example, I studied the Kyrgyz language during 3 months on paid courses and should tell that it gave me more than 11 years of training of the Kyrgyz at school!

There was the practice when the Kyrgyz language was taught by native speakers and they sincerely were surprised that the Russians don't start to talk to them at once, without understanding that the good technique is necessary, alas, it wasn’t present while. There is a mechanical learning of texts at schools and higher education institutions, for example, the fragments from the epos “Manas”. But you can’t learn the living language in that way! Even if you can read something, so won’t speak precisely…

Therefore it is very difficult too to be the Russian-speaking schoolboy. Let’s say that the child studies perfectly, but have satisfactory mark on the Kyrgyz language owing to what we spoke about. It sharply reduces all possible prospects at once. And the root of all evil is that to speak about the value and greatness of the Kyrgyz language and really to make something that the Russians could learn it are very different things.

- Where generally speak the Russian?

- Certainly, in the capital, in Chuysk area. There is the corresponding information field, you can’t live without the Russian here in any way. And here, for example, they almost don't speak the Russian language in Naryn area … But I should say that the literary Kyrgyz language is known by the very few in the country. The politicians, as a rule, speak on colloquial Kyrgyz, inserting the Russian words. But they don't notice it …

- I met such phrase in the local press: “the Russian language leaves the country”. Is it so?

---Everyone in the parliament speaks only the Kyrgyz language. The deputy Abdrasakov reprimanded in parliament the Minister of Labor and Social Development Tashpayeva at Bakiyev that she spoke the Russian on a tribune. He declared that for the years of independence, it was possible to teach already a monkey to speak the Kyrgyz language!... But, generally, we have the bilingualism in the country under the constitution – nobody cancel it! The present parliament fights against the Russian language with might and especially with those number of politicians−Kyrgyz who acts from a tribune on it. The Russian language has the status of official one and nobody has the rights this status to change till 2020.

- Why?

- The constitution of the republic adopted on a referendum in 2010. It was established that it is impossible to change it within 10 years. All know about it, but it is more favorable to someone to forget it …

- I’ve read in the same local press that many areas demand that the Russian language would be better taught.

- The number of the Russian-speaking teachers and textbooks sharply decreases. It is connected with that the Russians leave the country and that there is almost no book publishing in the Russian in Kyrgyzstan. Here the House of the Russian book opened in Bishkek a year ago, but, generally, there are very expensive art and journalistic editions there. And the textbooks cost expensive.

Why the Kyrgyz want to learn the Russian? The economy dictates! There are estimates that about one million of our citizens work in Russia. I nevertheless believe that this figure is slightly less, but all the same it is great. And how to work in Russia without the knowledge of the Russian?! More than a half of the budget is formed at the expense of means which are sent home by the citizens of Kyrgyzstan working in Russia. For many people the work in Russia is actually the one and only chance somehow to provide the life to the family.

- It is said that the president Atambayev, unlike his predecessor Rosa Otunbayeva, is the pro-Russian politician. Is it really so?

- I’ve already said that it is tried to be inspired to us and especially to Russia. It is simply the myth which is favorable for supporting by someone. Yes, Otunbayeva was closer to America, but after all she was from the same Social Democratic Party, the native of which is also mister Atambayev who has sharply turned a wheel of the country towards Turkey! I do not think that Otunbayeva and Atambayev somehow differ the political relation to Russia very much.

Do you know that we have such joke about all heads of the state. The sense is that where will they run after the next revolution. Akayev ran away to Russia, Bakiyev – to Belarus, Otunbayeva – if something will happen, so to the USA and Atambayev – to Turkey. He is treated there and has big business interests there.

- I want to ask such question: and whether are there pro-Russian politicians in Kyrgyzstan in general?

- There are no such among those who are in power now. Simply I can name nobody. But there are the Kyrgyz intellectuals which understand the mission and really care of the future of independent Kyrgyzstan. I can name the diplomat, the former Secretary of State Ishenbay Abdurazakov, the former vice speaker of Jogorku Kenesh Kubanychbek Isabekov who always supported the bilingualism and for integration deepening with Russia and the diplomat Mambetzhunus Abylov who opposed the nationalism and objectively estimated the event of 1916. There are the units of such people today, but they are!

But, if we held today in the republic a referendum about the actual entry into structure of the uniform state with Russia, so the answer would be one as though the question wouldn’t be brought: in my opinion, the majority of the people would tell certainly “yes”!

- What can Russia make to change a situation?

- Now the presence of Russia increased a little: the House of the Russian book, the Russian center of a science and culture, branches of “The Russian world” in Bishkek, Osh, Chuysk area were opened.

But work of the following establishments can't really affect a situation. But a lot of things can be done. First of all, it is necessary to organize the surcharges to the teachers who teach in the Russian. It will be very serious incentive at a today's situation in the republic. It is necessary to support officially the really operating organizations of compatriots, to strengthen their financial and material base – to pay the offices, sites, even the minimum staff. It is necessary to open the Russian schools (like uncountable Turkish), to open the human rights centers.

- There are many problems in the life of the Russian community in Kyrgyzstan, but nevertheless, don’t it seems to you, that the Russians live better here than in other republics of Central Asia?

- I will agree with you. Perhaps, we only concede a little to Kazakhstan in this sense, though there are problems there too. I communicated with our compatriots at the most different forums, I happened to be in neighboring states and I can say that there, of course, the freedom is less. So that the representatives from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan are afraid to tell the truth even in a narrow circle – they tell how everything is nice and good. It is difficult at us too, but a situation is another in principle. And our contribution is in it too. But it seems to me, it is necessary to be compared not to those states where it is heavier, but where it is better and more stable for the growth of the country and improvement of a situation. And only Russia can help us.