Kyrgyzstan weighs relocating its capital
Kyrgyzstan wants to eliminate the infamous traffic jams in Bishkek once and for all by moving the capital to another city. On Jan. 22, MP Bakytbek Maripov proposed this bold decision. As he explained to his fellow MPs during a parliament meeting, this move is necessary to free Bishkek, the current capital city of Kyrgyzstan, from heavy smog and terrible traffic.
He recalled the Asman project («asman» means «sky» in Kyrgyz), which is estimated at approximately $10 billion. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov spoke about the city of the future in 2021 right after he entered office. Two years later, in June 2023, Japarov even embedded a capsule with a message for future generations into the foundations of Asman. The country’s authorities have already allocated 3,143 hectares of land for the project, which is expected to be implemented within seven to ten years.
According to Maripov, moving railways from Bishkek and constructing a belt route may require about $1 billion.
«As a result, moving the capital and withdrawing public agencies from Bishkek may be a very effective decision,» said Maripov, referring to Asman as a new capital city that has yet to be built.
The idea of moving the capital of Kyrgyzstan to another area has been discussed in one way or another over the past several months. In September 2024, someone proposed building a new capital in the Jumgal valley in the Naryn region, citing the fact that this is literally the center of the country. The valley is located at the crossroads of many key routes such as the North to South highway and a future railway. Furthermore, this area is known for its clean air and water as well as rich resources. For instance, there are reserves of coal that might be used to provide a city with heat and power.
Another potential site for construction is the Kochkor valley. This option was revealed during a December parliament meeting on the potential move of a thermal power plant (TPP) outside of Bishkek. At the time, prominent energy expert Ernest Karybekov emphasized that Bishkek’s problems with smog and traffic jams require a more comprehensive and systematic approach.
«Kazakhstan has already done this by moving the capital from Almaty to Astana,» he said, explaining the benefits of moving the capital to the Kochkor valley. «There is space for five Bishkeks with airports along the new road from North to South. This is the center of Kyrgyzstan; there is some necessary infrastructure in place. We can build a new TPP in Karakeche, a coal mining area in the Jumgal district. We can build it pretty fast if needed. There is the 500-kilowatt Datka-Kemin Power Transmission Line along the automobile road. Furthermore, there are so many beautiful mountain valleys and lakes in the region such as Issyk-Kul, Song-Kul and Chatyr-Kul, among others,» the expert said.
Key arguments of those who advocate for moving the capital are intentions to improve infrastructure, create more comfortable living conditions for residents and free Bishkek from traffic jams and air pollution. However, not everyone in Kyrgyzstan supports this idea, with some claiming the move won’t solve any existing problems but instead add more of them.
According to Sergey Krivoruchko, an environmental activist and specialist in environmental security, the issue of moving the capital goes beyond the environmental theme and touches on deeper, systematic problems.
«This is like we have spoiled one place and now want to spoil another. If this decision is made, it will mean only one thing: all the existing problems of Bishkek won’t go anywhere but will be inherited by future generations. Don’t forget the root of the current problems is a wrong urban policy in the city that started from the very beginning of its history. If we abandon the city it won’t solve any of our problems,» the expert underlined.
He also pointed to the fact that the idea of Asman, not to mention turning it into the capital, wasn’t supported by the expert community.
«If you want to build a city of this size in that place, you have to remember that you will critically reduce all natural resources out there. Environmentalists have been saying this from the very beginning – the idea of the construction of Asman is a bad idea,» he said.
In addition, preliminary estimates show that the future city may consume about one terawatt of electricity. This may create new problems as the country already has a big power deficit along with a regional deficit of land and water resources. «If we’re talking about moving the capital because its environment is unfit for people and there is no solid solution to the problem, it would probably be wise to simply destroy the city. After all, for those who would stay there after moving the capital away, there will be no reason to continue to live there,» Krivoruchko stated.
In 2008, the Kyrgyz government already proposed moving the capital to Osh to enhance the socio-economic development of southern regions of the country. In 2010, after the April revolution in Kyrgyzstan, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was later overthrown by the opposition, also came up with the idea of moving the capital to Jalal Abad or Osh in the southern part of the country. Many believe he wanted this to sustain his power as he had strong support in those areas. In 2018, Osh was proposed to become the capital once again. Local businessman Daniar Amanaliyev and former MP Iskhak Masaliev supported this idea, citing the necessity to mitigate the tensions on the border with Tajikistan.
