Kırgızistan’da Ulus İnşası Sürecinde Heykeller: Bişkek ve Isıkgöl Bölgesi Örnekleri
Erecting Monuments in the Process of Nationbuilding in Kyrgyzstan: The Case of Bishkek and Issıkkol Region

Summary/Abstract: This research focuses on the significance of sculptures and monuments created during the nationbuilding process in the case studies of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and the Issyk-Kul region. After the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, the Kyrgyz state not only changed the names of streets and avenues from their Soviet era names to those of Kyrgyz national heroes, but also, to transform the public sphere, set about constructing new statues and monuments to replace the old ones, within the limits of its available material resources. The aim of this study is not so much to reveal all aspects of the nation-building process carried out in the public sphere during the transition period, but rather to examine the statues and monuments in the Bishkek and Issyk-Kul regions. Essentially, this research argues that the reconstruction of the public sphere through the construction of statues and monuments was doomed to failure due to political instability, insufficient material resources, and a weak national consciousness. The information gathered in this study, which utilises qualitative data analysis, was collected during the author's fieldwork in the Bishkek and Issyk-Kul regions (Karakol, Bekenbayev and Haji Say) of Kyrgyzstan between 26 October and 2 November 2023. The roadmap of this study consists of the following stages: First, the theoretical framework focuses on the importance of statues and monuments in transforming public space in nation building. Subsequently, following an examination of the monuments in Bishkek, the study examines the Lenin statues, busts, and panels located in different settlements (Karakol, Bekenbaev, and Haji Say) in the Issyk-Kul region. The next stage of the study examines the factors that disrupted nation-building in Kyrgyzstan.

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