Askar Akayev

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Askar Akayev

Role / Field:

Former President of Kyrgyzstan, who served from 1990 until the Tulip Revolution in 2005.

Born:

1944-11-10

Century / Era:

1944s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Askar Akayevich Akayev (Kyrgyz: Аскар Акай уулу Акаев, IPA: [ɑsˈqɑr ɑˌχɑj‿uːˈɫʊ ɑˈχajɪf]; born 10 November 1944) is a Kyrgyz former politician who served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until being overthrown in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution. Akayev became president of Kyrgyzstan in 1990, a year before the Fall of the Soviet Union, and he remained in his post after Kyrgyzstan became independent. Initially a communist, Akayev promoted privatization in Kyrgyzstan during his presidency. While Kyrgyzstan under his rule was less authoritarian than the other Central Asian states, Akayev still ruled an authoritarian regime. He was re-elected twice in elections widely considered rigged, and faced numerous protests against his rule during the early 2000s.

Career & Major Achievements

In 2005, fears Akayev would try staying in power by having a relative or ally be elected in his place led to the Tulip Revolution, culminating in Akayev fleeing to Moscow. Akayev was born in Kyzyl-Bayrak, Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic. He was the eldest of five sons born into a family of collective farm workers. He became a metalworker at a local factory in 1961. He subsequently moved to Leningrad, where he trained as a physicist and graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics in 1967 with an honors degree in mathematics, engineering and computer science.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He stayed at the institute until 1976, working as a senior researcher and teacher. In Leningrad he met, and in 1970, married Mayram Akayeva with whom he now has two sons and two daughters. They returned to their native Kyrgyzstan in 1977, where he became a senior professor at the Frunze Polytechnic Institute. Some of his later cabinet members were former students and friends from his academic years. He obtained a doctorate in 1981 from the Moscow Institute of Engineering and Physics, having written his dissertation on holographic systems of storage and transformation of information.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1944 (1944-11-10): Birth of Askar Akayev — Former President of Kyrgyzstan, who served from 1990 until the Tulip Revolution in 2005.
2. 1961: 1961 Milestone — He became a metalworker at a local factory in 1961.
3. 1967: 1967 Milestone — He subsequently moved to Leningrad, where he trained as a physicist and graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics in 1967 with an honors degree in mathematics, engineering and computer science.
4. 1970: 1970 Milestone — In Leningrad he met, and in 1970, married Mayram Akayeva with whom he now has two sons and two daughters.
5. 1976: 1976 Milestone — He stayed at the institute until 1976, working as a senior researcher and teacher.
6. 1977: 1977 Milestone — They returned to their native Kyrgyzstan in 1977, where he became a senior professor at the Frunze Polytechnic Institute.
7. 1981: 1981 Milestone — He obtained a doctorate in 1981 from the Moscow Institute of Engineering and Physics, having written his dissertation on holographic systems of storage and transformation of information.
8. 1990: 1990 Milestone — Akayev became president of Kyrgyzstan in 1990, a year before the Fall of the Soviet Union, and he remained in his post after Kyrgyzstan became independent.
9. 2005: 2005 Milestone — In 2005, fears Akayev would try staying in power by having a relative or ally be elected in his place led to the Tulip Revolution, culminating in Akayev fleeing to Moscow.

Notable Quotes by Askar Akayev

“Although I am a Communist, my basic attitude toward private property is favorable. I believe that the revolution in the sphere of economics was not made by Karl Marx but by Adam Smith.” (1991)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Askar Akayev

True or False: “Did Askar Akayev initially support a purely socialist economic model throughout his entire political career?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Although he was initially associated with the Communist Party, Akayev publicly stated in 1991 that his attitude toward private property was favorable, citing Adam Smith over Karl Marx.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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Frequently Asked Questions about Askar Akayev