The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan, in collaboration with creative unions, is working on crafting a new national anthem. The announcement was made during a press conference in Bishkek by Melis Murataliyev, chairman of the National Commission on the State Language. An interdepartmental commission has been established to evaluate proposed versions of the anthem.

“We have been tasked with conducting a linguistic examination of all selected variants to ensure they align with our culture, traditions, and worldview. We will assess whether the meaning of word combinations remains consistent when pronounced. Three versions will ultimately be submitted to the Jogorku Kenesh for approval, but not before undergoing rigorous linguistic review,” Murataliyev stated.

Parliament Speaker Nurlanbek Shakiyev had first proposed changing the anthem several months ago. He noted that the current anthem was adopted during a challenging period following Kyrgyzstan’s independence.

“Today, we are a stable and developing state. For this reason, the anthem should reflect our progress and be one that everyone can sing with pride,” Shakiyev said. He emphasized that the selection process should involve public participation, allowing citizens to contribute text and melody proposals. The contest criteria stipulate that the anthem should celebrate Kyrgyzstan, inspire its people, and encourage development and progress.

President Sadyr Japarov has also expressed support for the initiative. He believes the current anthem has lost its relevance and sees no issue with updating it.

“The anthem should be the work of creative individuals – composers and poets – and its development should involve public discussion. If the majority supports a new anthem, it would be a positive step forward. Imagine schoolchildren and Aksakals singing it together; that would be truly wonderful,” Japarov remarked.

The new anthem is expected to be adopted by April next year.