Ala-Too Square
Encyclopedia
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
. The square was built in 1984 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Kyrgyz SSR, at which time a massive statue of Lenin was placed in the square's center. The statue of Lenin was moved in 2003 to a smaller square in the city, and a new statue called Erkindik (Freedom) was installed in its place.
The square serves as a place for state events and celebrations. In 2008, it was the site of a memorial ceremony for world-renowned Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov
Chinghiz Aitmatov
Chyngyz Aitmatov was a Soviet and Kyrgyz author who wrote in both Russian and Kyrgyz. He was the best known figure in Kyrgyzstan's literature.- Life :...
.
On March 24, 2005, the square was the site of the largest anti-government protest of Kyrgyzstan's Tulip Revolution
Tulip Revolution
The Tulip Revolution or First Kyrgyz Revolution refers to the overthrow of President Askar Akayev and his government in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan after the parliamentary elections of February 27 and of March 13, 2005...
. After several weeks of unrest throughout the country, over 15,000 people gathered early in the afternoon to protest the results of the 2005 parliamentary elections. Two people were killed and over 100 wounded when the protesters clashed with government officials. However, the protesters soon took control of the square, and stormed the White House, forcing Askar Akayev
Askar Akayev
Askar Akayevich Akayev served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until his overthrow in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution....
, Kyrgyzstan's first president, to flee the country and later resign from office.