As a result, it was decided to hold a new competition, postponing the deadlines to the fall. Ultimately, five texts were selected, and options for musical accompaniment were determined after the new competition.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the commission's work was completed in September of last year, and the materials were submitted to parliament. The press service of the Jogorku Kenesh confirmed receipt of these documents; however, members of the relevant committee have not yet reviewed the drafts of the new anthem.
We decided to investigate why such an important initiative faced difficulties. What were the authorities' goals, and what lies at the heart of this process? Details can be found in the article 24.kg.
Deadlines Passed, Yet No New Anthem
In 2024, the speaker of parliament, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, stated that Kyrgyzstan needs a new anthem.
“We adopted the current anthem when we had just emerged from the USSR. Now we are an independent state that is developing, and we need an anthem that the entire nation will sing,” he noted.
President Sadyr Japarov supported this initiative, pointing out that the anthem is outdated and does not reflect the country's identity more than 30 years after gaining independence.
What is wrong with updating the anthem? It was written 33 years ago when we became independent. It should reflect our modernity and achievements, not remain stuck in the past.
Sadyr Japarov
From that moment, the issue of changing the anthem transformed from a cultural initiative into an official project.
Initially, the authorities planned to approve a new anthem by April 2025; however, the text competition only began in January of last year. A total of 703 applications were submitted, but only 285 were registered for evaluation. Ultimately, no text was suitable, and the process was restarted with adjusted timelines.
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“Murmuring, not a song.” Edil Baisalov on the anthem of Kyrgyzstan
The selection was decided to be divided into two stages: the first — a text competition, the second — the selection of music. Deadlines for each stage were set: texts by July 7 and melodies by September 8. The commission was to select the five best texts for the final version of the anthem.
The authorities promised significant prizes for the winners, with funding to come from the presidential fund.
However, the anthem projects with music that received high ratings were sent for consideration to the Jogorku Kenesh. But on September 30, 2025, the VII convocation was dissolved, and the discussion of the anthem never took place. The “new” anthem remained pending in the relevant committee.
Goals and Reasons
Looking at the situation, it can be observed that the desire to update the anthem has not only a cultural but also a political subtext. This is confirmed by the statements of the speaker of parliament and the president. The main idea of their remarks is that the current anthem was adopted at the moment of gaining independence, and now Kyrgyzstan is a completely different state by all parameters.
The anthem serves as a symbol of the break from the post-Soviet past and an attempt to solidify the new identity of the country that has formed over more than three decades of independence.
Thus, changing the anthem, flag, and coat of arms is part of a strategy to adapt state symbols, emphasizing sovereignty and traditional values.
Moreover, changing the anthem can bring three key political benefits: first, it solidifies the era of Sadyr Japarov's rule; second, it helps distance from the elites of the 90s; and third, it creates a narrative of unity and renewal.
Thus, this is not just about music and text, but about creating a new state ideology, where the focus is on stability, unity, and continuity of power.
What Went Wrong
The competition for the new anthem of Kyrgyzstan, despite its formal success, faced numerous problems. After the failure of the first stage, the process was restarted, and the best options are now awaiting parliamentary discussion. However, the delay in the process and uncertainty regarding the dates of the final decision highlight the issues with this initiative.
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We will hold an open competition for the anthem text — Nurlanbek Shakiev
The attempt to change the anthem was presented as a large-scale ideological project; however, there was no clear public and institutional framework. The Jogorku Kenesh cannot even name a tentative date for the discussion, and the new anthem remains an unfinished administrative procedure rather than a result of national consensus.
The question of why the anthem could not be changed on the first attempt raises another: how ready is society to accept an updated symbol if the path to it has proven to be more technocratic than popular?
