Editing History of Kyrgyzstan (section)

==The Soviet Era: 1917–1991==
Soviet power was initially established in the region in 1918, and in 1924, the [[Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast]] was created within the [[Russian SFSR]]. (The term Kara-Kyrgyz was used until the mid-1920s by the Russians to distinguish them from the Kazakhs, who were also referred to as Kyrgyz.) In 1926, it became the [[Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1926–1936)|Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]. On December 5, 1936, the [[Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic]] (SSR) was established as a Union Republic of the [[USSR]].

[[File:Flag of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (1952–1991); Flag of Kyrgyzstan (1991–1992).svg|thumb|Flag of Kyrgyz SSR]]

During the 1920s, Kyrgyzstan saw considerable cultural, educational, and social change. Economic and social development also was notable. [[Literacy]] increased, and a standard literary language was introduced. The [[Kyrgyz language]] belongs to the Kipchak Turkic group of languages. In 1924, an [[Arabic alphabet|Arabic]]-based [[Kyrgyz alphabet]] was introduced, which was replaced by [[Latin script]] in 1928. In 1941 [[Cyrillic]] script was adopted. Many aspects of the Kyrgyz national culture were retained despite suppression of nationalist activity under [[Joseph Stalin]], who controlled the Soviet Union from the late 1920s until 1953.

Modern Kyrgyz religious affiliation is eclectically Muslim for a majority of the population. Typical Kyrgyz families vary in their devotion to Islam.

Russian and Kyrgyz cultures differ about family, religious identity, and social structure. Kyrgyzstan is a country in transition. The current social dilemma is one that has emerged from the controlling body mainly relying on classic Russian ethnicities, to Kyrgyz or Turkic ethnic groups shaping and forming the infrastructure of Kyrgyzstan. This has resulted in a measurable degree of instability and chaos associated with a social transition.

The ancestral Kyrgyz social structure was dominated by nomadic traditions, governing political philosophies, and socialization. As classical Russian ethnic groups were injected into the Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the urbanization process began and was mainly authored by the Russian communities placed within the Soviet Republic, mostly by policies created by the communist party. It is unclear why these policies were created; it is only clear that they forced Russians of certain descent to populate the Republic.

===Perestroika and Glasnost. Towards independence: 1985–1991===
{{Main|History of the Soviet Union (1982–1991)|Perestroika|Glasnost}}
On 11 March 1985 [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] was chosen by the [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] as the new [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]. Gorbachev immediately launched his new liberalizing policies of [[glasnost]] and [[perestroika]], although they had little immediate impact on the political climate in Kyrgyzstan. On 2 November 1985 Gorbachev replaced [[Turdakun Usubaliyev]] the First Secretary of the [[Communist Party of Kirghizia]], who had been in power for 24 years, with [[Absamat Masaliyev]]. The republic's press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, ''Literaturny Kyrgyzstan'', by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with an acute housing crisis were permitted to function.

Gorbachev's policy of separating Party and State began to impact at the Soviet Republic level in early 1991 when each [[Republics of the Soviet Union|SSR]] held competitive elections to their respective legislative Supreme Soviets, shortly after the CPSU had given up its 'leading role'. This meant that real local power moved from the position of Communist Party Leader to that of Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, the official Head of State of the SSR. Between January and April 1990, each of the Communist Party leaders of the five states of [[Soviet Central Asia]] assumed the position of Chairman of the Supreme Soviet in their respective SSRs without any difficulty from the still weak opposition forces in the region.

In Kirghizia the [[1990 Kyrgyzstan parliamentary election|1990 elections]] were held on 25 February, with a second round on 7 April. As the Communists were the only political party contesting the elections it is not surprising that they received 90% of the vote. [[Absamat Masaliyev]] the Communist leader was voted by the new Parliament as [[Leadership of Communist Kyrgyzstan|Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Kirghizia]] on 10 April 1990.

However events quickly began to slip from the Communists control. On 1 May 1990 the opposition groups held their first big demonstration in Frunze in competition with the officially sanctioned May Day celebrations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/off_mic_kyrgyz_may_day_protest/2035589.html|title=RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service Director Recalls May Day Protest|website=rferl.org|access-date=3 April 2018|archive-date=20 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140120001749/http://www.rferl.org/content/off_mic_kyrgyz_may_day_protest/2035589.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and on 25–26 May 1990 the opposition groups formed the [[Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement]] as a bloc of several anti-Communist political parties, movements and nongovernment organizations. Then on 4 June 1990, ethnic tensions between [[Uzbeks]] and Kyrgyz surfaced in an area of the [[Osh Region]] where Uzbeks form a majority of the population. [[Osh riots (1990)|Violent confrontations]] ensued, and a state of emergency and curfew were introduced.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/07/world/evolution-in-europe-40-reported-dead-in-soviet-clashes.html?scp=7&sq=Kirghizia&st=nyt | work=The New York Times | first=Francis X. | last=Clines | title=Evolution in Europe; 40 REPORTED DEAD IN SOVIET CLASHES | date=7 June 1990 | access-date=8 February 2017 | archive-date=24 July 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724000345/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/07/world/evolution-in-europe-40-reported-dead-in-soviet-clashes.html?scp=7&sq=Kirghizia&st=nyt | url-status=live }}</ref> Order was not restored until August 1990.

The [[Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement]] swiftly developed into a significant political force with growing support in parliament. On 27 October 1990 in an upset victory, [[Askar Akayev]], the president of the Kyrgyz [[Academy of Sciences]] and reformist Communist Party member, was elected to the newly created presidency defeating Communist Party leader [[Absamat Masaliyev]]. Kirghizia was the only one of the five states of [[Soviet Central Asia]] that voted their established Communist leadership out of power in 1990.

===Priority over Soviet Union laws and negotiations on a new Treaty===
{{Main|Parade of sovereignties|War of Laws|New Union Treaty}}
On 15 December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic's name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. In January 1991, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed a government consisting mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. On 5 February 1991, the capital's name, Frunze, was changed to [[Bishkek]].

Despite these moves toward independence, economic realities seemed to work against secession from the [[Soviet Union]] In a referendum on the preservation of the USSR, in March 1991, 88.7% of the voters approved a proposal to remain part of the union as a "renewed federation."

=== Soviet coup attempt, the Transition Period and the end of the Soviet Union ===
{{Main|1991 Soviet coup attempt|Dissolution of the Soviet Union|Transition period and cessation of the existence of the Soviet Union|Succession, continuity and legacy of the Soviet Union}}
On August 19, 1991, when the [[State Emergency Committee]] assumed power in [[Moscow]], there was an attempt to depose Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the [[1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt|coup]] collapsed the following week, Akayev and Vice President [[German Kuznetsov]] announced their resignations from the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] (CPSU), and the entire politburo and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the [[Supreme Soviet]] vote declaring independence from the Soviet Union on 31 August 1991, becoming the first of the five Republics of [[Soviet Central Asia]] to break away.