Tash-Kumyr
Encyclopedia
Tashkömür is one of the five largest towns of Jalal-Abad Province
in Southern Kyrgyzstan
. It is located along the West bank of the Naryn River
, opposite the main Osh
- Bishkek
road. Located at the edge of the Tien Shan Mountains, when heading South from Bishkek, Tashkömür is the gateway to the Fergana valley
.
. It was primarily a mining town, but had a cigarette factory and other industries as well, which complemented the output of the coal mines. A railroad was constructed, and trains transported the coal out of Tashkömür to all corners of the Soviet Union. At its peak, Tashkömür had a population of around 35,000.
Dams constructed along the Naryn river transformed what used to be a stream into a sizable river. Residents will also attest to a change in climate, which they attribute to the dams. Furthermore, the Tashkömür dam
and the Shamaldysay dam raised the water level considerably, causing certain settlements to be submerged by the water. Despite the presence of the dams and hydroelectic
plants, Tashkömür still does not have 100% reliable electricity.
Fossil
s of dinosaur
s and dinosaur eggs have been discovered in the area, and paleontologists have speculated that once the area was used by dinosaurs to lay their eggs. The mountains surrounding the town are rich in minerals, not only in coal, which gave Tashkömür its fame.
The town spans about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north to south, but is less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) across. There is no arable land in Tashkömür, although just a few kilometers south the Fergana Valley
begins, and the cotton
plantations are ubiquitous, alongside the melons and other crops.
Tashkömür is divided into five neighborhoods: Severniy (the North), Bayetova, the Center, Dostuk, and the Mikrorayon. Each neighborhood has its own school, except for the center, where there are 3 schools.
The town of Tashkömür also oversees four villages: Shamaldysay, Kyzyl-Alma, Bazyl-Ata, and Mailisay. Shamaldysay, the largest of these four villages, has three schools (#2, #8, and #10) while the other three villages have only one school each (#11, #6, and #9 respectively).
At the time of its foundation, the population of Tashkömür was mostly Russian
and ethnically non-Kyrgyz. There was no grazable land, so the Kyrgyz had never settled there. After coal was discovered, Kyrgyz families began to move into town. Up until Kyrgyzstan's independence in 1991 the Kyrgyz were not the overwhelming majority. However, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, many Russians and residents of other nationalities began to leave. This was particularly the case up until 1995, when the biggest economic problems affected the town, which continue to this day (2006). Now the Kyrgyz population makes up over 90% of the population.
Although only about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the Uzbek
border, Tashkömür does not have a large Uzbek
population (less than 50 families). The total population of Tashkömür is estimated to be between 20-25,000, however the continuous emigration of its residents makes it hard to know exactly.
, Kazakhstan
, or simply to the capital, Bishkek. Most families claim at least one member working abroad to make ends meet. The men usually work construction jobs, while the women find jobs as saleswomen at the bazaars or stores. These migrant workers are usually seasonal: they leave in the early spring and return in the fall, since the cold in the North makes for hard working conditions. The remittances have allowed Tashkömür residents to retain a decent standard of living. In recent years, many have used the money to renovate their homes, to buy DVD
players and satellite dishes, or to open stores, and try to start a business.
As Uzbekistan has made it more difficult and expensive for goods to be exported south into, and through Uzbekistan, Tashkömür's major opening to the outside world has been severed and in turn, its ability to export any goods it might manufacture has dropped.
While during the Soviet era all apartment buildings had gas and working plumbing, this is no longer the case. Water delivery, especially to the homes on the edge of town, is not reliable. There is no hot water. In 2006 cell phones finally reached Tashkömür, which had been one of the last towns in the country left without them. There is still no public internet
access.
Jalal-Abad Province
Jalal-Abad Province, also known as Jalalabat , is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is the city of the same name, Jalal-Abad. It is surrounded by Talas Province, Chui Province, Naryn Province, Osh Province and Uzbekistan. The Jalal-Abad Province was established on November 21, 1939...
in Southern Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
. It is located along the West bank of the Naryn River
Naryn River
The Naryn River rises in the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, flowing west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Here it merges with the Kara Darya River to form the Syr Darya...
, opposite the main Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
- Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
road. Located at the edge of the Tien Shan Mountains, when heading South from Bishkek, Tashkömür is the gateway to the Fergana valley
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
.
History
Officially founded on December 17, 1943, Tashkömür , meaning stone-coal, grew into one of the largest industrial centers of the Central Asian region of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It was primarily a mining town, but had a cigarette factory and other industries as well, which complemented the output of the coal mines. A railroad was constructed, and trains transported the coal out of Tashkömür to all corners of the Soviet Union. At its peak, Tashkömür had a population of around 35,000.
Dams constructed along the Naryn river transformed what used to be a stream into a sizable river. Residents will also attest to a change in climate, which they attribute to the dams. Furthermore, the Tashkömür dam
Tash-Kumyr Hydro Power Plant
The Tash-Kumyr Hydro Power Plant is an active hydro power project in Tash-Kumyr, Kyrgyzstan. It has 10 individual turbines with a nominal output of around 45 MW which will deliver up to 450 MW of power....
and the Shamaldysay dam raised the water level considerably, causing certain settlements to be submerged by the water. Despite the presence of the dams and hydroelectic
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
plants, Tashkömür still does not have 100% reliable electricity.
The Land and The People
Tashkömür is located in what could be described as a canyon, which the Naryn river runs through.Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s and dinosaur eggs have been discovered in the area, and paleontologists have speculated that once the area was used by dinosaurs to lay their eggs. The mountains surrounding the town are rich in minerals, not only in coal, which gave Tashkömür its fame.
The town spans about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north to south, but is less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) across. There is no arable land in Tashkömür, although just a few kilometers south the Fergana Valley
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
begins, and the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
plantations are ubiquitous, alongside the melons and other crops.
Tashkömür is divided into five neighborhoods: Severniy (the North), Bayetova, the Center, Dostuk, and the Mikrorayon. Each neighborhood has its own school, except for the center, where there are 3 schools.
The town of Tashkömür also oversees four villages: Shamaldysay, Kyzyl-Alma, Bazyl-Ata, and Mailisay. Shamaldysay, the largest of these four villages, has three schools (#2, #8, and #10) while the other three villages have only one school each (#11, #6, and #9 respectively).
At the time of its foundation, the population of Tashkömür was mostly Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and ethnically non-Kyrgyz. There was no grazable land, so the Kyrgyz had never settled there. After coal was discovered, Kyrgyz families began to move into town. Up until Kyrgyzstan's independence in 1991 the Kyrgyz were not the overwhelming majority. However, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, many Russians and residents of other nationalities began to leave. This was particularly the case up until 1995, when the biggest economic problems affected the town, which continue to this day (2006). Now the Kyrgyz population makes up over 90% of the population.
Although only about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the Uzbek
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
border, Tashkömür does not have a large Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
population (less than 50 families). The total population of Tashkömür is estimated to be between 20-25,000, however the continuous emigration of its residents makes it hard to know exactly.
The Local Economy
Ever since the mine was shut down and the factories closed, the town has been struggling to survive. The answer, for many, has been to emigrate to RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, or simply to the capital, Bishkek. Most families claim at least one member working abroad to make ends meet. The men usually work construction jobs, while the women find jobs as saleswomen at the bazaars or stores. These migrant workers are usually seasonal: they leave in the early spring and return in the fall, since the cold in the North makes for hard working conditions. The remittances have allowed Tashkömür residents to retain a decent standard of living. In recent years, many have used the money to renovate their homes, to buy DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
players and satellite dishes, or to open stores, and try to start a business.
As Uzbekistan has made it more difficult and expensive for goods to be exported south into, and through Uzbekistan, Tashkömür's major opening to the outside world has been severed and in turn, its ability to export any goods it might manufacture has dropped.
While during the Soviet era all apartment buildings had gas and working plumbing, this is no longer the case. Water delivery, especially to the homes on the edge of town, is not reliable. There is no hot water. In 2006 cell phones finally reached Tashkömür, which had been one of the last towns in the country left without them. There is still no public internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access.