The unknown pages of Kozhomkul's life
This year will be the 50th anniversary of the death of the famous Kyrgyz
sportsman, Kaba uulu Kozhomkul. He died at the age of 67 and his sporting
achievements and noble deeds made him famous for ages. ?Those who do not
know the past will not see the future?, - says the ancient Kyrgyz proverb
and that is why we decided to tell our readers about this national hero. Roza
Moldalieva, the great-niece of Kozhomkul, became a teacher on his advice.
Here is what she told us about him.
The shining lion
Kozhomkul began gaining his strength. A tall strong youngster easily beat
strong men in wrestling competitions and once he received an invitation from
the Toktogul area. A local bai (one of the richest and noblest people in
the area) was organizing a grand celebration. At that time wrestling competitions
were an integral part of any celebration. Participation in that competition
made Kozhomkul more famous: he beat several well-known wrestlers and got
a prize from the bai - 50 sheep and several mares. The young fighter distributed
the animals among poor residents of Toktogul.
Single combat
By the end of the 1920s there were no rivals to Kozhomkul in Kyrgyzstan.
He fought many bouts but one of them - with the Kazakh wrestler, Cholok Balaban,
takes a special place on the list. By that time Kozhomkul was the Chairman
of the District Council and thought he had no right to participate in such
competitions. Higher-ranking authorities persuaded him he should compete
for the Republic. He won in the 23rd minute..
Much was said about the strength of Kozhomkul. In 1930s residents of Suusamyr
were going to the Chui Valley on horseback. At the Teo-Ashuu mountain pass
huge boulder, as big as a yurta, had fallen down and blocked the way. People
asked Kozhomkul for help and started digging a big pit near the boulder,
as he told them to do. Digging the pit took a long time and when the pit was
ready, Kozhomkul sat down on the ground, pressed his back to the mountain
and began pushing the boulder into the pit. The huge boulder slowly moved
and finally fell into the pit.
The first Chairman
Kozhomkul eagerly adopted the Soviet ways - he had worked as a labourer
for bais. He was Chairman of the collective farm in the Suusamyr Valley for
20 years. In 1937 he was imprisoned for a year for refusing to write information
against the Chairman of the neighbouring collective farm. In prison he was
an authoritative person for both prisoners and guards.
In the war years he saved the poorest villagers from hunger. He was an
excellent hunter and every day his wife, Akmadai, prepared food for needy
villagers.
Love
The people of Suusamyr loved Kozhomkul. Once they decided to find him a
second wife! His wife, Akmadai, was a fragile and graceful woman and people
wanted Kozhomkul to have strong sons. They found a tall strong girl for him
in the neighbouring village, a daughter of a well-known strong man, Tooke.
Several times they invited him to marry the girl and finally understood that
their idol would never betray his first and only love.
He loved children and knew them all in the village. He made those children
who studied well at school go to Institutes.
There are many versions about the death of Kozhomkul. Old people say that
an insect got into his food and Kozhomkul became ill and doctors in the capital
could not cure him and Kozhomkul died soon afterwards?
VB-25.02.2005
Named after a giant of a man, (he was 2,3 meters tall), who
died in 1955. The village has a small museum where you can see photographs
of him, some of his clothes and you can see huge stones which he
is reputed to have lifted onto his shoulders. A little out of town
you can another weighing almost 700kg which he is supposed to have
lifted and placed on the grave of a local official. He is also reputed
to have carried a horse for over 100 meters.
The Sports Palace in Bishkek (on Togolok
Moldo) is also named in his honour.