Day of Manas Epic in Kyrgyzstan-photo report

Bishkek, Dec.4, 2019. /Kabar/. Today. Dec. 4, 2019, on the occasion of the Day of Manas Epic, Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov visited the National Academy of “Manas” and Chyngyz Aitmatov.

Jeenbekov toured the building of the Academy and listened to excerpts from the Manas epic. The Academy also served as a platform for communication between the President and representatives of the creative intelligentsia, writers, poets and manaschi (narrators of the Manas epic).

In his speech, the Kyrgyz leader emphasized the Manas epic is an enduring heritage of history, and Chyngyz Aitmatov - an enduring value of the nation's culture.

He noted the special role of Chyngyz Aitmatov in spreading and popularizing the epic, adding the concepts of Kyrgyz - Manas - Chyngyz are inseparable from each other.

Sooronbay Jeenbekov expressed confidence the Academy will be able to widely spread the commandments of Manas the Great, adapt them to new conditions both in the state administration and in the education of young people.

Representatives of the creative intelligentsia, as well as relatives and friends of Chyngyz Aitmatov exchanged views with the President on the development of culture and moral upbringing of the youth, and expressed their wishes for the future activities of the Academy.

They also expressed gratitude for the state support, provided to the sphere of culture, including the assistance to creative unions and the repair of the country's cultural sites.

The National Academy of “Manas” and Chyngyz Aitmatov, established on Jan. 31, 2019 by President Sooronbay Jeenbekov’s Decree, is called upon to promote scientific, technical and art criticism research, dissemination and popularization of everlasting spiritual, moral and ethical values contained in the Manas epic, Kyrgyz folk epic culture and creative heritage of Chyngyz Aitmatov.

The Epic of Manas is a traditional epic poem dating to the 18th century but claimed by the Kyrgyz people to be much older.

In one of its dozens of iterations, the epic poem consists of approximately 500,000 lines.

The Epic of Manas is perhaps the most famous part of Kyrgyz culture, and is (arguably) the longest epic poem in the world. At 20 times longer than the Odyssey, this epic tells the life of Manas, an epic warrior, and his son and grandson.