The Afghan war, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, left a deep mark in history. After 35 years, veterans continue to remember their comrades who died in combat. More than 7,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan participated in the conflict, of which 300 lost their lives, 1,500 were wounded, and 4 went missing.
The correspondent of Turmush conducted interviews with veterans living in the Issyk-Kul region.
Batyrbek Elebesov, born in 1961 in the village of Ken-Suu, served in Afghanistan for 1 year and 9 months. He was drafted into the Soviet army in 1980. “At that time, we were sent on orders. I received a summons and underwent two months of training, after which I was sent to Afghanistan. These were the early years of the war, and the place we arrived at was not meant for habitation. We set up tents and lived without electricity, using oil lamps. In the first days of service, many guys were wounded, and some died. I went through these trials and hope that there will be no more wars on our land. May the youth never see what we experienced,” shared the veteran.
Cholpon Ismailov, a native of the village of Boz-Beshik, was drafted into the army in 1980 and was involved in transporting important cargo in Afghanistan. He has four children. He also noted that he served for about a year: “We delivered ammunition and food by truck. The convoy consisted of 50-60 vehicles with military protection. Tanks and armored personnel carriers went ahead of us, and I was in accidents three times during trips. We tried to drive fast to avoid attacks. Fortunately, I survived. May there always be peace,” he said.
Zholdoshbek Kaliev, born in 1959 in the village of Ak-Olon, raised five children. His service coincided with the earliest years of the conflict. In May 1978, he was drafted into the Turkestan Military District and spent 1.5 years in the city of Termez. “We arrived in Afghanistan on December 25, and I returned to Tashkent in April. The first months were tough; we were young and did not understand the seriousness of the situation. I went to serve at 18 and returned at 20. We witnessed combat, lost friends, and it left its mark. Each of us went through many hardships, and at times it felt like a nightmare,” he recalls.
Stalbek Kaziev served as a peacekeeper in Tajikistan during the civil war. “In 1992, we went there to establish peace. We were only 18 years old, and we understood the risks, but we fulfilled our duty. More than 100,000 people died in that war, which lasted 8 years. We endured harsh conditions and lost our health. Thanks to the president's decree, February 25 is now commemorated as the Day of Remembrance for participants in the Tajik-Afghan war,” he reported.
