By Karolis Margis ’26
In the US, we are used to hearing awful things about the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), otherwise known as the Soviet Union. It was a totalitarian state, which came to existence after a violent revolution in 1917. It was built with the promise of creating communism – an economic system with no private property or money, where the state would fulfill the needs and wants of its citizens. However, it never achieved this vision of communism – money was never abolished and the lack of essential goods (be it food or toilet paper) was a source of many jokes. Given this, one might be surprised to learn that in Kyrgyzstan there is a general sentiment of nostalgia for the Soviet Union.
This sense of nostalgia was the topic of my research during my journey to Kyrgyzstan in 2023. Throughout the 2 blocks I spent in Kyrgyzstan, I interviewed several Kyrgyz professors and college students about their views on the Soviet Union. The topic also came up during casual conversations with the locals of Bishkek, the capital city of this former Soviet republic. There were notions repeated by many different people – to them it was an era of industrialization, free medicine, affordable housing and good education. To some older people, it was a time of good health, youthful carelessness and optimism. This exemplifies that Soviet nostalgia has two elements – an economic one and a human one. In many ways, one’s life is easier during one’s youth – no chronic illnesses, no debts, no kids to take care of.
There is an economic side to it as well. The Kyrgyz economy has not experienced as much growth since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as many other parts of the socialist bloc. To this day, many Kyrgyz people (especially the young ones) go abroad to work in countries that were once under the Soviet rule – be it Russia or the Baltic States. The economic situation was particularly harsh in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the USSR. Factories were privatized, savings became worthless overnight, the t urmoil led to speculation and record inflation. Yet, what made people even more upset was that some people became millionaires while others were struggling to make ends meet. Now, everyone has become responsible for themselves – bringing individual morale, something historically alien to Kyrgyz society. Before the Soviet Union, many Kyrgyz people lived in pastoral and nomadic communities where collective work and support was the best way for everyone to survive and persevere. Thus, a rapid transition into a capitalist system left a trauma for many Kyrgyz citizens. Compared to this, the Soviet stagnation suddenly became a bright memory rather than a dark past.
That is why many in Bishkek saw nothing wrong with the Statues of Lenin, Marx and other remnants of the Soviet regime being displayed in the squares of the city. This does explain why hammers and sickles still hang on the walls of the theaters and government buildings in this country. Perhaps, the young generation will have a different view of the country’s past, but for now – nostalgia lives on.