Days of History and Commemoration of Ancestors

Since 2016, 7–8 November have been marked in Kyrgyzstan as the Days of History and Commemoration of Ancestors. The people remember their history, the path of their forebears and the compatriots who perished in different eras.

The days are especially linked to the 1916 tragedy known as Urkun: after an uprising against tsarist rule tens of thousands of Kyrgyz died and many were forced to flee across the Tian Shan passes to China. The Ata-Beyit memorial complex near Bishkek preserves the memory both of the 1916 victims and of the intellectuals shot in the repressions of 1938.

How the days are marked

A state ceremony is held at Ata-Beyit, flowers are laid at the memorials and the Quran is recited. Families hold memorial meals for their ancestors, and schools run history lessons and events where young people learn their family trees.