The head of the library, Mira Emilbakova, shared interesting details about the origins of these photos. “One of them was taken in the 1970s inside a yurt. In the photo, you can see the Hero of Socialist Labor, the chairman of the collective farm 'Kenesh,' Isak Kochkorbaev, as well as famous Kyrgyz writers Aaly Tokombaev and Joomart Bokonbaev. My mother-in-law Tokush Saltykova, who was then managing the House of Culture, and local residents are also captured in the frame. The writers visited the village to meet their readers. At that time, the library was very popular, and the villagers were actively interested in the latest newspapers and magazines.
Another photograph was taken in 1948 when the collective farm 'Kenesh' was renowned for breeding thoroughbred horses and achieving success in agriculture, which allowed it to gain the status of a millionaire collective farm. It was then that Marshal Semyon Budyonny arrived in the village with Iskhak Razzakov. In this picture, my mother-in-law Tokush Saltykova, who was then working as a librarian, stands next to a horse, while my father-in-law Temir Osmonov, who was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor three times, stands to the left behind Iskhak Razzakov — he is the man in the white cap with a mustache.
Since the collective farm was known for its breeding work, a gift was prepared for Budyonny — a thoroughbred horse with a silver saddle and harness. However, the marshal refused the horse, saying that such animals were needed by the Red Army, and took only the silver harness. My father-in-law also recalled how they searched for a silk chapan for a long time to present it to the honored guest. He spoke with admiration about Budyonny: 'His boots had spurs that jingled with every step, and he poured vodka into a large glass and drank it in one gulp, in one breath.'
The third image is a painting by artist Dichenko, which captures the moment of Budyonny's meeting with the villagers in 1948 and the scene of the horse being gifted. This work remained unnoticed for some time and gathered dust, but we took it from the ayil okmotu, and now it decorates our library,” she added.
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (1883–1973) is a legendary Soviet military leader, one of the first Marshals of the Soviet Union, and a three-time Hero of the Soviet Union.
The ceremonial portrait of Marshal S. Budyonny / 1950
