After successfully completing his education at the vocational college, Mambetkalyy continued his studies at the Industrial Pedagogical College in Karaganda (Kazakhstan). He was drafted into the army on April 4, 1981, and soon went to Afghanistan after spending two months in courses in Samarkand (Uzbekistan). His service in Afghanistan lasted 2 years and 1 month. Upon returning, he continued his studies in Karaganda and began his career as a production training master at vocational educational institution No. 27 in Frunze (now Bishkek), later becoming the deputy head of the department at the Frunze factory.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the establishment of farms, Mambetkalyy returned to his native village, where he began working as a labor and pre-military training teacher at the school named after Berdaly Kalenderov. In 1996, he received a land plot in Zherge-Tal and has lived there ever since. Currently, Artykov works as a guard at the "Aruu-Nur" kindergarten, engages in beekeeping, and produces honey. He and his wife have raised six children: three sons and three daughters. For his merits, Mambetkalyy was awarded the title of "Honored Citizen of the village of Zherge-Tal" and "Honored Citizen of the Ak-Talinsky district."
The veteran recalls that their group arrived in Afghanistan on June 5, 1981. "First, we were taken to Kabul, and then sent to the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade in Jalalabad, where I served as a grenade launcher. Due to good service results, I was promoted to junior sergeant and then sergeant. In 1983, I found myself in the province of Asadabad. I served in the very company depicted in the film '9th Company' and participated in organizing ambushes. When we received intelligence about the movement of enemy caravans or concentrations of enemy forces, we would move to positions under the cover of night," shares Mambetkalyy.
His memories of service are filled with bitterness and fear. "When you are only 18 years old and you see your comrades dying, it is impossible to convey in words. We often faced difficulties lowering the bodies of the fallen down the cliffs," he says.
Fifteen days after arriving in Afghanistan, Mambetkalyy was sent on his first assignment. "During the march to the destination, gunfire broke out. It was unexpected for me, a guy who had never faced anything like that. I took cover among the rocks and stayed there for a long time until I calmed down. Later, my comrades said that bullets flew a meter away from me," he recalls.
According to Artykov, they spent most of their time on assignments. "When we returned to the unit, we stayed there for only 4-5 days, and the rest of the time we spent in the mountains and gorges. Once, during a firefight, we found ourselves 20 meters from the enemy and, unfortunately, lost many comrades," he adds.
Comrades greeted them with joy when they returned from assignments. Artykov remembers how the locals welcomed them with joy and set the table to celebrate their return. "This year marks 35 years since the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, as well as 45 years since the start of the war," he emphasizes.
Participation in the war affected Mambetkalyy's health. "After returning, I started having problems with sleep and headaches. I underwent treatment at a veterans' hospital, where I stumbled upon a book about beekeeping. It inspired me to take up this activity," he recounts. After taking beekeeping courses under the guidance of Azim, he acquired 13 hives and has been engaged in this business for 13 years now. He now has 50 hives and has taught his son the craft.
"Now I sleep better and feel significantly better. Additionally, I work in a workshop where I make various items, such as yurts and chessboards," concludes Mambetkalyy Artykov.
