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Bishkek
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Peshagakh, Bishkek, Pishpek, Frunze The city's original Sogdian name meant ‘Place below the Mountains’. The Khan of Kokand built a fortress on the site in 1825 against Russian encroachment and called it Bishkek, probably a corruption of Peshagakh. However, it has been suggested that it might mean ‘Five Knights’ since, according to legend, these knights fought each other to gain control of the Shu River valley in which the city lies. In 1862 the Russians captured the fortress which, by mistake, they called Pishpek. A town slowly developed round it and in 1878–1926 it was called by the same name. It was then renamed Frunze after Mikhail Frunze (1885–1925), a Bolshevik revolutionary who was born in the city in 1885 and had been sent by Lenin† to the region in 1919 to oppose the Basmachi fighting for independence; he was appointed People's Commissar for the Red Army and Navy in 1925. The name reverted to Bishkek in 1991 after a popular referendum. In 1924 it became the capital of the Kyrgyz autonomous province and, since 1991, of Kyrgyzstan.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Bishkek." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Bishkek." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Bishkek.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Bishkek." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Bishkek.html |
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Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Frunze , city (1993 est. pop. 640,700), capital of Kyrgyzstan, on the Chu River and on a branch of the Turkistan-Siberia RR. It is a rail and highway hub and the industrial and cultural center of Kyrgyzstan. Its meatpacking and agricultural machine plants were among the largest in the former USSR. Other industries include metalworking, food processing, and the manufacture of assorted craftworks. Bishkek has a hydroelectric station. The Uzbek khans of Kokand built a fortress on the site in 1846; it was taken by Russian forces in 1862 and became the fort of Pishpek. The city, which grew up around the fort, was chartered in 1878. It was named Frunze from 1926 to 1991. In 1926 the city became the administrative center of the Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was raised to the status of a union republic in 1936. Kyrgyzstan became an independent republic in 1991. Bishkek has a university (est. 1951). |
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"Bishkek." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Bishkek." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Bishkek.html "Bishkek." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Bishkek.html |
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Bishkek
Bishkek (formerly Frunze) Capital of Kyrgyzstan, central Asia, on the River Chu. Founded in 1862 as Pishpek, it was the birthplace of a Soviet general, Mikhail Frunze, after whom it was renamed in 1926 when it became administrative centre of the Kirghiz Soviet Republic. Its name changed to Bishkek in 1991, when Kyrgyzstan declared independence. The city has a university (1951). Industries: textiles, food processing, agricultural machinery. Pop. (1999) 762,308.
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"Bishkek." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Bishkek." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Bishkek.html "Bishkek." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Bishkek.html |
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