Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution / Women's Solidarity Actions

Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution / Women's Solidarity Actions

Sculptor: T. Sadykov
Architects: E. Pisarskoi and G. Kutateladze

Bishkek Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

Monument created: September 2, 1978

Photographer of the monument: Vasco Miguel (Courtesy of Pinterest)
Photographer of Bishkek feminists: Bektour Iskender (Courtesy of Twitter)

Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution was opened on September 2, 1978, as a tribute to the Revolution fighters. On the left of the sculptural group is the "Awakening" which depicts the social forces movements in pre-revolutionary Kyrgyzstan. On the right of the sculptural group is the "Revolution" which depicts the new Kyrgyz. In the middle of the sculptural group, is a central figure who is believed to be Urkuya Saliyeva. Urkuya represents the struggle for liberation and woman's emancipation as she was an activist for women. The other image depicts feminists gathering in Kyrgyzstan to pay tribute to women who have fought for gender equality.

Since 2010, the monument has been appropriated by feminist initiatives of Bishkek as a central location for protest and advocacy. Events have been held there for International Women Human Rights Defenders Day and International Women's Solidarity Day and the Struggle for Equal Rights. During the events, activists hold flash mobs, dances, and rallies. By using this monument as a site for events, the feminist groups pay tribute to the activists who have fought for the expansion of women's rights and opportunities. Along with this, there are not many monuments in Bishkek that are dedicated to public women figures, so it is a way for feminists to make a statement about the lack of representation of women in public spaces.

Women-led Revolution

Pinterest photo
March 8th Feminist March in Bishkek
Bishkek Feminist Initiatives Instagram (@bishkekfeminists)
Feminist March Photo

M2M

Photographer of the monument: Vasco Miguel (Courtesy of Pinterest)
Photographer of Bishkek feminists: Bektour Iskender (Courtesy of Twitter)

M2M_0056