Ata Beyit Memorial
Ata Beyit Memorial
Ata Beyit is translated from Kyrgyz as “The Grave of our Fathers”. It is a memorial to the 137 Kyrgyz people who were murdered during the Stalinist repressions of 1937-1940. In addition to the prominent figures of the Kyrgyz Soviet Republic such as Yusup Abdrakhmanov, Bayaly Isakeev, Kasym Tynystanov, the father of the world-famous writer Chingiz Aitmatov’s father Torokul Aitmatov and others that were unjustly convicted and shot, are buried here. Moreover, on the territory of the complex, a museum is dedicated to the victims of the country’s history in 1920-1930.
Ata Beyit is also the location of the mausoleum of Chingiz Aitmatov himself, the most famous author of Kyrgyzstan that has written several internationally well-known books and was also a politically active person. The site consists of several separate monuments and is an interesting stop on the way to or back from the the mountains from Bishkek. There several pieces with Kyrgyz type elements including the top of the yurt and also sculptures telling about the tragedies and culture of the Kyrgyz people. Ata Beyit has a small museum but the opening times seem somewhat erratic. Ata Beyit structures also offer a nice view down to the green lowlands farms and villages especially during the lush spring time.
How to get to Ata Beyit
You can get to Ata Beyit by a good asphalt road from Bishkek and it is conveniently almost on the way to Ala Archa national park or Chunkurchak. Unfortunately, public transport does not go directly there. However, you can take minibus 265 from Bishkek to the village of Tash-Dobo (Vorontsovka) and get out when it turns to Voronsovka side and make the rest of the way around 3-4 kilometers on foot (remember it is uphill).
It is also easy to get to Ata-Beyit by bike and this is actually one of the most popular cycling routes in Bishkek. However, note that its located towards the mountainside and while the incline is mostly not steep, it is continuous and the elevation difference is about 500 meters from the city to the memorial complex. Driving a bicycle in Kyrgyzstan is also generally quite dangerous due to the local driving culture largely not taking into account cyclists.