Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BISHKEK614
2008-06-17 03:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:  

KYRGYZSTAN HONORS AUTHOR CHINGIZ AITMATOV WITH

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINR KG 
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INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2550
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RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0936
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2945
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2330
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 000614 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZSTAN HONORS AUTHOR CHINGIZ AITMATOV WITH
STATE FUNERAL

BISHKEK 00000614 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 000614

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZSTAN HONORS AUTHOR CHINGIZ AITMATOV WITH
STATE FUNERAL

BISHKEK 00000614 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Kyrgyzstan held its first-ever state
funeral on June 14 in honor of author and statesman Chingiz
Aitmatov, who died in Germany on June 11 at age 79.
Aitmatov's fame extended across the then-Soviet space and the
Turkic world, and delegations representing both regions
eulogized the author. In Kyrgyzstan, Aitmatov was revered
for bringing Kyrgyz culture to the world stage. Charge
attended the day-long ceremonies, which reflected Kyrgyz
nomadic tradition, Muslim custom, and post-Soviet statism in
the unique mixture that defines current Kyrgyz identity. End
Summary.

A Soviet and Central Asian Icon
--------------


2. (C) In keeping with Kyrgyz nomadic custom, the burial
took place three days after death, instead of within 24 hours
as is customary in most Muslim countries. The additional
time, the tradition goes, allows family members who may be in
distant pastures to travel and gather for the event. The
June 14 ceremonies began at the National Philharmonic Center
in downtown Bishkek, where Aitmatov lay in state. Among the
VIP mourners were special delegations from Russia (Minister
of Culture Avdeev),Turkey (State Secretary Essen),
Kazakhstan (State Secretary Saudabayev and writer Mukhtar
Shakhanov),Azerbaijan (Minister of Culture Garayev),
Tajikistan (Minister of Culture Asori) and Tatarstan (State
Advisor to the President -- Aitmatov's mother was Tatar),as
well as the diplomatic corps.

Why can't women attend the funeral?
--------------


3. (C) On arrival at the Philharmonia, Charge and
diplomatic colleagues were escorted through the throng of
thousands of Kyrgyz citizens waiting outside to pay their
respects and into a holding room inside. It was explained
that they would be invited to view the open coffin at some
point later in the morning; the total time spent at the
Philharmonia would depend on how many Kyrgyz citizens showed
up. Inside the waiting room were many ministers, including
the Foreign Minister and all three of his deputies, a handful
of parliamentarians, and other prominent Kyrgyz. After

conveying condolences, Charge was able to chat usefully with
many of them, all of whom noted that there had never been an
event such as this since Kyrgyz independence 16 years ago.
MP and former FM Rosa Otunbayeva, dressed in traditional
Kyrgyz costume, was particularly distraught. Having worked
with Aitmatov from the time he was Soviet Ambassador to
Luxembourg, she clearly felt a deep loss at his passing. She
also complained bitterly to the Charge that, as a woman, she
would not be allowed to attend the funeral later in the day.


4. (C) In due time, the diplomatic corps was called up to
pay respects to Aitmatov and his family. Protocol staff
allowed groups of five to ten VIPs at a time go forward,
alternating them with groups of Kyrgyz citizens who had been
standing in line. Following a brief moment in front of the
open casket, and an opportunity to express condolences to
Aitmatov's oldest son, diplomats were ushered back into the
holding room. After approximately three hours in the waiting
area, the group proceeded to the next step: the public
eulogies out in front of the Philharmonic building.

Pomp and Ceremony
--------------


5. (C) Before thousands of assembled Kyrgyz, under special
tents for Kyrgyz President Bakiyev, the visiting delegations
and Aitmatov's family, Bakiyev and the heads of each visiting
delegation addressed the crowd in Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkish,

BISHKEK 00000614 002.6 OF 003


and Kazakh. Aitmatov's now closed and flag-draped coffin
rested on a platform on stage; an honor guard of Kyrgyz
soldiers in dress uniform stood at attention in front. The
Russian Minister of Culture recalled when, in Soviet times,
"we were all one people;" the Turkish State Secretary
announced that a university in Turkey would be named after
Aitmatov. For the diplomatic corps, who were directed just
outside the building, but behind the speakers area, it was
difficult to see the stage, and after the first few speeches
the group broke into small groups to talk. At one point, the
Charge was approached by a Kyrgyz man who proceeded to
explain the symbolism associated with the shape and design of
the tall white kolpaks, or traditional Kyrgyz hat, that were
ubiquitous in the crowd as a sign of respect for the
deceased.

Soviet School Uniforms
--------------


6. (C) After the eulogizing, military pallbearers carried
Aitmatov's body down the main street, Chui prospect, to the
central Ala Too square. The diplomatic corps, however, was
herded into minivans for the 25 kilometer drive to the
Ata-Beyit (Father's Graveyard) burial site south of town, in
the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains that dominate
Bishkek's southern skyline. Along the entire route, police
were posted every 50 meters, and as the motorcade passed
through the villages near the burial site, the streets were
lined with high school students decked out in old Soviet
school uniforms of black pants and skirts and white shirts.

In Stalin's Shadow
--------------


7. (C) The Ait Beyit burial site is host to a moving
monument to some 150 Kyrgyz intellectuals and leaders who
were shot in 1938 during a Stalinist purge. Among the
martyred was Chingiz Aitmatov's father, who was executed for
being an enemy of the state and a pan-Turkist. Aitmatov had
asked to be buried next to his father. The site has a
commanding view of the Chui valley. While waiting for the
motorcade with the casket to arrive, and in part to escape
the blistering sun and 100 degree temperatures, the Charge,
most other western diplomats, and several of the MFA protocol
staff toured the small but stirring museum. The Russian
delegation stayed far away.

The Burial
--------------


7. (C) At one edge of the monument grounds, a large grave
had been dug, with dirt mounded around it. Nearby was a
ceremonial yurt for Aitmatov's male relatives, and an awning
for President Bakiyev and the visiting delegations. Further
off on the grass (and in the sun) were chairs for the
diplomatic corps. While there were a handful of women
present, the growing Kyrgyz crowd was virtually all male.
Shortly before the motorcade with the casket arrived,
President Bakiyev, his staff, the Governors of Chui and
Issyk-Kul oblasts, the Minister of Interior and other
dignitaries arrived, along with some two dozen members of
parliament. When the casket arrived, an honor guard carried
it to the grave and set it down. The mufti, who was standing
among some two dozen men who had assembled around the grave,
bent over and opened the coffin. Consistent with Muslim
tradition, the body was to be buried wrapped only in a white
sheet.

A Quintessential Kyrgyz Moment
--------------


8. (C) At this point, the relatively high degree of
organization that had marked the day's ceremonies dissolved

BISHKEK 00000614 003.2 OF 003


into mild pandemonium. It was clear no one had rehearsed, or
considered, how to remove the body in a dignified manner,
lower it into the trench and place it in the burial chamber
hollowed out to one side. Other onlookers pushed forward and
onto the mound of dirt surrounding the grave and people were
rushing back and forth. The mufti and others tugged at the
body and struggled to pass it down to a man in the trench.
People began shouting ideas and commands to each other, and
at one point the mufti stood on the mound like a general
before his troops and directed the operation with
gesticulations and prodding. In a few minutes, calm was
restored and the body presumably was safely placed in the
side chamber, which was then bricked up in short order. At
this point, the assembled Kyrgyz government officials and the
diplomatic corps were allowed to approach the grave and throw
a symbolic fistful of dirt into buckets borne by militia
troops. As buckets were filled, they were emptied into the
grave. A few hundred other relatives and onlookers followed,
and then a dozen or so workmen, spelled by militia troops,
used shovels to fill in the rest. At one point, and on no
particular cue, the assembled crowd was startled by gunshots
-- a twenty one gun salute from the militia. The mufti read
from the Koran and said prayers. Militia troops then filed
by, stacking hundreds of wreaths around and on top of the
mound. The funeral was over.

And now for the meal(
--------------


9. (C) Next stop for the VIP group was the President's Ala
Archa compound, for lunch. The fact that it was nearly 5:00
p.m. before the group arrived at the compound was irrelevant.
Everyone was fatigued from the sun and heat (the VIP
minivans were not air conditioned),and the cool basement
room selected for the luncheon was a welcome haven. Seating
at the two dozen round tables was designated for the visiting
delegations, President Bakiyev and his cabinet only. The
rest was a free for all. The Charge (along with the Chinese
Ambassador) secured a seat at the table with all three Deputy
Foreign Ministers; the Russian Ambassador (who was oddly not
included with the Minister of Culture) jockeyed for the same
table but just missed the last seat, and was relegated to a
table without any Kyrgyz officials.


10. (C) The meal began with Russian salads, then soup and
ended with traditional Kyrgyz horse. As this was a VIP
event, each plate received a large 4-5 pound chunk of meat,
bone and prized fat, along with a hearty helping of horsemeat
and noodle casserole. The Charge, seated next to Deputy
Minister Beshimov (responsible for CIS and International
Organizations),engaged in a discussion of Russia's role in
the region, which Beshimov described as "the 'Post-Soviet'
Syndrome." He expressed relief that the day had gone without
incident, and was especially pleased that the MFA had
successfully shepherded the diplomatic corps and VIP
delegations throughout the day. "We were really afraid we
would lose someone," he shared. With a prayer from the
mufti, the lunch-cum-dinner was over, ending the day's
ceremonies. Kyrgyzstan had said farewell to its most famous
son.

LITZENBERGER