republic · Central Asia and the Steppe

Kirghiz SSR

1936 CE – 1991 CE · capital Frunze

The Soviet republic of the Kyrgyz in the Tian Shan, the direct forerunner of today's Kyrgyzstan.

Origins

Under the Soviet constitution of December 1936 the Kirghiz ASSR was made a union republic, the Kirghiz SSR, with its capital at Frunze, the former Pishpek and today's Bishkek.

Rule and society

The republic was a land of mountain pastures, livestock farming, mining and some industry, with a large Russian population in Frunze and the north and Uzbeks in the south around Osh. Kyrgyz culture was promoted in Soviet form, including the epic of Manas and the novels of Chingiz Aitmatov. Turdakun Usubaliyev led the party from 1961 to 1985. Ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Osh in 1990 killed hundreds.

Decline and legacy

The physicist Askar Akayev became president in 1990. After the failed Moscow coup, the republic declared independence on 31 August 1991 as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.

Lineage

Kirghiz ASSR 1924 CE – 1936 CEKirghiz SSRKyrgyzstan 1991 CE – present

Connections (1)

Kirghiz SSR was part of Soviet Union1936 CE – 1991 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kirghiz SSR. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kirghiz-ssr
MLA: “Kirghiz SSR.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kirghiz-ssr. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Kirghiz SSR.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kirghiz-ssr.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kirghiz SSR’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kirghiz-ssr (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻