Kemel Tokayev School in Bishkek preserves the shared history of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

School-Gymnasium No. 33 named after Kemel Tokayev operates in Bishkek. Its history is closely associated with Kazakhstan and the events of the Great Patriotic War. Against the backdrop of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s current visit to Kyrgyzstan, the school once again serves as a reminder of the shared historical heritage of the two countries, El.kz reports.

The school is regarded as one of the oldest educational institutions in the Kyrgyz capital. During the Great Patriotic War, the building housed the Frunze Infantry School, which trained commanders for the active army.

The school was established in the summer of 1941. Cadets underwent several months of training, after which graduates were deployed to the front. The institution continued to train military personnel until the end of the war.

One of the cadets was Kemel Tokayev. Following his training, he was sent to the front, where he took part in combat operations. He was awarded two Medals “For Courage”, as well as the Order of the Patriotic War, First and Second Class.

Following the war, Kemel Tokayev devoted his career to journalism and literature. He became known as one of the founders of the detective genre in Kazakh literature.

The school building is also associated with other prominent participants in the war. Among the graduates of the Frunze Infantry School was Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev, a People’s Hero of Kazakhstan, who took part in raising the Victory Banner over the Reichstag.

Today, the school itself preserves the memory of this period. A dedicated patriotic exhibition area has been established, featuring materials on the school’s graduates, their military service, awards and personal histories. The building is also included among Bishkek’s historical heritage sites and is under state protection.

In 2025, School-Gymnasium No. 33 was named after Kemel Tokayev. The initiative had previously been put forward by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov. In August of the same year, the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan visited the school together.

During the visit, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Sadyr Zhaparov met with teachers and students. The school’s ties with Kazakhstan have also acquired a contemporary dimension: the educational institution had previously received a bus donated on behalf of the President of Kazakhstan.

Today, School No. 33 continues to serve both as an educational institution and as a site of historical remembrance. Its history connects Bishkek with the stories of Kazakh veterans of the war, while the naming of the school after Kemel Tokayev has further institutionalised this historical connection in the contemporary history of relations between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.