How Aitmatov Gathered the Elite of the USSR and the USA on the Shores of the Lake During the Cold War
In October 1986, outstanding writers, scientists, and thinkers from countries in opposition gathered on the picturesque shores of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. This event became a unique experiment in cultural dialogue against the backdrop of the Cold War.
The global situation at that time was defined by the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The nuclear arsenals of both countries continued to grow, while ideological differences dominated international politics. President Ronald Reagan in the USA contributed to the intensification of strategic competition, while in the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, initiated in 1985, opened a new era focused on reducing tensions and establishing trust.
A significant step was the statement published on January 15, 1986, in all Soviet publications, calling for the complete destruction of nuclear weapons by the year 2000. In this context, the idea arose to gather representatives of culture and science for a joint discussion of global issues.
The initiator of this forum was Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov, who was an important figure in Eurasian culture. He served as an advisor to Gorbachev during the perestroika era and later became the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to UNESCO, the European Union, NATO, and other international organizations. Aitmatov viewed culture as a key tool for establishing dialogue between different civilizations.
Critic Grigory Gachev noted: “Russian literature of Russia, which emerged from the Soviet Union, is alien to him, a foreigner... What remains is the world. And indeed, he accepts!”
The first Issyk-Kul Forum, organized by Aitmatov, brought together prominent figures of world culture, including Peter Ustinov, Alvin and Heidi Toffler, Arthur Miller, James Baldwin, Nobel laureate Claude Simon, Alexander King, and Federico Mayor.
In his memoirs "Life and Reforms," Mikhail Gorbachev emphasized the significance of this event: “My meeting with the forum participants took place on October 20, a week after Reykjavik. We felt mutual goodwill and spent several hours in a relaxed conversation. I reminded my interlocutors of Lenin's idea of 'the priority of the interests of public development over class interests.' In the era of nuclear weapons, this statement is particularly relevant.”
Gorbachev argued that it was in such discussions that a new political mindset was formed: “(...) I speak of the priority of universal human values. This does not mean denying class, group, or national interests. However, they will lose significance if we do not succeed in preventing nuclear war.”
The forum was conceived as an informal platform for discussing global challenges, aimed at preparing for a new millennium filled with peace, humanism, and creativity, which was reflected in the motto: “Survival through Creativity.”
Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO from 1987 to 1999, later recalled: “In one of the first publications about the forum, which appeared in APN, it was stated that the Issyk-Kul Forum is the embryo of new thinking. This is a completely accurate definition. It should not be forgotten that this was the Soviet Union. We were given the opportunity to freely share our ideas and thoughts.”
By the end of the 1980s, it seemed that a time of historical change was approaching.
The fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, and the collapse of the USSR occurred without direct confrontation between the superpowers. Mayor described Gorbachev as an “unusual president.” At the same time, reconciliation processes were taking place in various regions of the world.
However, this “new beginning” did not fully materialize. The European Union became more of a monetary union than a political one; the Charter of Fundamental Rights of 2000 is largely forgotten; various markets began to impose their rules, leading to actual interference in the governments of Italy and Greece.
In the United States, ambitions for dominance and market logic persisted; the influence of oligarchic structures intensified pressure on the UN system.
Manufacturing capacities were relocated to other regions, and some plutocratic interests continued to gain advantages despite the principles of democracy outlined in the UN Charter: “We, the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…” The Issyk-Kul Forum continued its work in subsequent years: from 1987 to 1997, meetings were held in Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, the USA, and France.
Over time, the forum took on the format of an international conference, shifting the focus from new thinking to the “culture of peace,” actively promoted by UNESCO in the 1990s.
After Aitmatov's death, new meetings in 2013 and 2018 once again drew attention to the themes of intercultural dialogue, ecology, and humanistic values.
Moreover, the forum became a tribute to the memory of Chinghiz Aitmatov.
Today, his legacy continues. The President of Kyrgyzstan signed a decree to prepare for the 40th International Issyk-Kul Forum, scheduled for June 2026, aimed at renewing international dialogue on pressing global challenges.
Aitmatov's warning remains relevant: “If humanity does not learn to live in peace, it will perish.”
Photo www
