Kyrgyzstan has launched development of the Togolok gold deposit, in what officials describe as the first large-scale mining project since independence to be implemented entirely using domestic resources.
Kumtor Gold Company said its subsidiary, Kumtor Operating Company, has begun work on the deposit, located in the remote, high-altitude Jeti-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul Region.
The Togolok deposit was first discovered in 1978. It lies in a mountainous area with harsh weather conditions and steep terrain. The nearest settlement, Ak-Shyirak village, is located nearly 3,200 meters above sea level and about 35 kilometers from the site. The deposit is approximately 560 kilometers from Bishkek.
Kumtor Operating Company received a license to develop Togolok in August 2023, and a feasibility study completed a year later confirmed the project’s commercial viability.
Preparatory work has included expanding narrow access roads to accommodate heavy trucks, building a new bridge over the Kaichy River, and constructing housing facilities for 85 workers.
Kanimet Toktosunov, chairman of the board of Kumtor Operating Company, said mining operations began this spring.
“Stripping operations are currently underway, and first ore extraction will begin in the coming months,” Toktosunov said. “Eight large mining trucks, two excavators, a loader and a grader for road maintenance have already been delivered to the site.”
To support construction of the mining complex, Kumtor held an international tender and selected China Nerin Engineering Co., Ltd. as the contractor. The parties signed an agreement in April 2026 for the construction of industrial facilities needed to launch production.
The company said the project is expected to become a milestone for Kyrgyzstan’s mining sector and add to the country’s industrial capacity.
Kumtor Gold Company, fully owned by state-owned Kyrgyzaltyn, operates the Kumtor mine, Kyrgyzstan’s largest gold deposit, located in the Issyk-Kul Region at an altitude of around 4,000 meters. One of the world’s largest high-altitude gold mines, Kumtor was nationalized in 2021 after previously being operated by Canada’s Centerra Gold.
According to Kyrgyzaltyn, the company produced 12,081 kilograms of gold in 2025, generating revenue of $1.434 billion and net profit of more than $706 million, while paying $246.5 million in taxes and other payments.
Gold remains Kyrgyzstan’s main export commodity. In 2025, the country exported 6.2 tons of gold worth $682.8 million, accounting for nearly 24% of total exports, according to official data and previous reporting by The Times of Central Asia.
