Fewer Awards — Greater Value? Why It Is Proposed to Reduce the Number of State Awards

Currently, a draft law concerning "State Awards, Honorary Titles, and State Prizes of the Kyrgyz Republic" is being discussed in the Jogorku Kenesh.
The idea for the document was proposed by the Prime Minister. At a recent meeting of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation, it was reviewed and received approval considering the opinions of the deputies.
The Committee recommended bringing the draft law to a plenary session for further consideration.

The proposal involves reducing the number of state awards from 46 to 20.

Deputy Minister of Justice Kuban Kazakov notes that there are currently 46 different state awards, prizes, and titles in the country.

According to available data, over the past 15 years, 1,034 state awards, 2,837 honorary certificates, and 2,215 honorary titles have been awarded, excluding the "Batyr Ene" order and the "Ene Danky" medal.

Kazakov emphasizes that such a number of awards can lead to a decrease in their value due to the widespread practice of awarding them.

"In this regard, we propose to retain only 20 awards in the new draft law," he added.

The draft law proposes the classification of state awards into several categories:

Highest category of state awards:

• "Hero of the Kyrgyz Republic" — the highest degree of distinction.

Special category awards:

• "Hero of the Fatherland";
• "Hero of Labor".

First category awards:

• Order of "Manas" I degree;
• Order of "Manas" II degree;
• Order of "Manas" III degree;
• Order of "Kurmanjan Datka";
• Order of "Erdik";
• Order of "Dank";
• Order of "Dostuk";
• Order of "Batyr Ene".

Second category awards:

• Medal "Dank";
• Medal "Ene Danky".

Honorary titles of the Kyrgyz Republic:

• "People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic";
• "People's Writer of the Kyrgyz Republic";
• "People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic";
• "Creative Person of the Kyrgyz Republic";
• "Pride of the Kyrgyz Republic".

State prizes of the Kyrgyz Republic:

• State Prize in the field of science and technology;
• State Prize named after Toktogul in the field of literature and art.

According to the draft law, it is proposed to exclude the "Danaker" order, the "Erdik" orders of all three degrees, the Honorary Certificate of the Kyrgyz Republic, the title "People's Poet", as well as honorary titles of the "Deserved" category. The awarding of the Honorary Certificate and "Deserved" titles is proposed to be transferred to the Cabinet of Ministers.

Deputy Marlen Mamataliyev expressed concerns about the possible degradation of the status of the "Deserved" title.

"It would be better if the title 'Deserved' remained among the state awards. Previously, it was awarded only to the most deserving after a strict selection. Now, if this title is assigned by decree, its status will decrease, and the process will become easier. Every specialist strives for this title, enhancing their professionalism. I think this issue should be reconsidered," the deputy noted.

The exclusion of the title "People's Poet" was also criticized. While the titles "People's Writer" and "People's Artist" remain, Deputy Janarbek Akayev emphasized the need to also preserve the title "People's Akin," which should not be abolished.

"The title 'People's Akin of the Kyrgyz Republic' should not be canceled, as awarding the title 'People's Writer' would be inappropriate for akins," he added.

"There are many cultural workers who have dedicated their lives to theaters, philharmonics, and other institutions. They were encouraged with titles, which helped to assess their work. As far as I know, they add about 2,000 soms to the salary. I believe that the title 'People's Poet of the Kyrgyz Republic' should be preserved. It is a separate art," he emphasized.

The People's Poet of Kyrgyzstan, writer, and playwright Mendi Mamazairova, despite her 82 years of age, aims to create a new significant work that surpasses all previous ones to be worthy of awards.

"Upon receiving an award, a person strives for new achievements. Awards, including the Honorary Certificate, serve as a stimulus for raising the professional level. The initiators of the law should take into account the work of people and their social status, so it would be right to preserve the titles 'People's Poet' and 'Deserved'," she added.

In turn, the head of the information policy service of the presidential administration, Daiyrbek Orunbekov, noted that deputies can make changes to the draft law during the discussion.

Additionally, the State Secretary of Kyrgyzstan, Arslan Koychiev, emphasized in a radio broadcast on NTRK that the awarding of prizes should reflect continuity and consistency as symbols of the continuation of the nation and statehood.
He also noted that the current award system requires changes and should be elevated to a new qualitative level.

"There is criticism regarding the fact that undeserving individuals receive awards. The selection criteria need to be reviewed, and I support this position as one of the initiators of the reform of the award system. If changes do not occur, dissatisfaction among the population will grow. We must create a system with high requirements," Koychiev added.

The State Secretary agreed with the opinions that the names of outstanding poets, such as Aaly Tokombaev and Suyunbai Eraliyev, should be preserved in history, and the disappearance of their honorary titles would be inappropriate. He pointed out the need to raise the requirements for receiving such titles.

We remind you that the draft law "On State Awards, Honorary Titles, and State Prizes of the Kyrgyz Republic" was submitted to the Jogorku Kenesh on December 17, 2025.