POLITICIANS from Kyrgyzstan

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Kirghiz Politicians of all time. This list of famous Kirghiz Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Kirghiz Politicians.

1. Askar Akayev (1944 - )

With an HPI of 60.50, Askar Akayev is the most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 48 different languages on wikipedia.

Askar Akayevich Akayev (Kyrgyz: Аскар Акаевич (Акай уулу) Акаев, romanized: Askar Akayevich (Akay Uulu) Akayev; [ɑsqɑr ɑqɑjevitʃ ɑqɑjev]; born 10 November 1944) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until being overthrown in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution.

2. Kurmanbek Bakiyev (1949 - )

With an HPI of 59.42, Kurmanbek Bakiyev is the 2nd most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev (Kyrgyz: Курманбек Салиевич (Сали уулу) Бакиев, Kurmanbek Saliyevich (Sali Uulu) Bakiyev; born 1 August 1949) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as the second president of Kyrgyzstan, from 2005 to 2010. Large opposition protests in April 2010 led to the takeover of government offices, forcing Bakiyev to flee the country. Bakiyev was the leader of the People's Movement of Kyrgyzstan before his ascendance to the presidency. He received most of his popular support from the south of the country. The Legislative Assembly of Kyrgyzstan of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan appointed him acting president on 25 March 2005, following the ousting, during the Tulip Revolution, of President Askar Akayev. In October 2007, Bakiyev initiated the creation of Ak Jol party, but could not lead it due to his presidency.

3. Roza Otunbayeva (1950 - )

With an HPI of 58.87, Roza Otunbayeva is the 3rd most famous Kirghiz Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva (Kyrgyz: Роза Исаковна (Исак кызы) Отунбаева, romanized: Roza Isakovna (Isak kyzy) Otunbayeva; born 23 August 1950) is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011, becoming the first female Central Asian head of state. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April Revolution, which led to the ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. She previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as head of the parliamentary caucus for the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan. Since 2022, Otunbayeva has been serving as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

4. Sabuktigin (942 - 997)

With an HPI of 58.60, Sabuktigin is the 4th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Abu Mansur Nasir ad-Din wa'd-Dawla Sabuktigin (Persian: ابو منصور سبکتگین) (c. 940s– August-September 997) was the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, and Emir of Ghazna from 977 to 997. Sabuktigin was a Turkish slave who was bought by Alp-Tegin, the commander of the royal guard of the Samanid dynasty. Alp-Tegin established himself as the governor of Ghazna in 962, and died a year later in 963. Afterwards, Sabuktigin built his prestige among other slave soldiers in Ghazna until he was elected by them as their ruler in 977. Sabuktigin expanded his rule down to south of Afghanistan and north of Balochistan. Through conflicts with the Hindu Shahi dynasty of Kabul, he invaded Indian lands, opening the gates of India for the future monarchs of his dynasty. As a vassal of the Samanid Empire, he answered Nuh II's call to help regarding Abu Ali Simjuri's rebellion, defeating the latter in several battles during 994 to 996. Towards the end of his life, Sabuktigin arranged an agreement with the Kara-Khanid Khanate, Samanids' rivals, to partition Nuh's realm between themselves. However, before he could realize this agreement, he died on his way to Ghazna on August-September 997. As the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, Sabuktigin was later idealized by Ghaznavid historians as a just and forgiving ruler, though these traits may have no basis in reality. He was the image of the "founding monarch" archetype, developed by historians such as Abu'l-Fadl Bayhaqi, who drew a contrast between the humble and just Sabuktigin with his successors. This conclution was shared by later historians such as Nizam al-Mulk and lived all the way to Babur, the founding monarch of the Mughal Empire, who was influenced by Sabuktigin half a millennium later after his death.

5. Kurmanjan Datka (1811 - 1907)

With an HPI of 56.97, Kurmanjan Datka is the 5th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Kurmanjan Datka (Kyrgyz: Курманжан Датка) or Datka Kurmanjan Mamatbay kyzy (22 may, 1811; Orok, Pamir Alai, Osh Region, Khanate of Kokand – 1 February 1907; Mady, Fergana Region, Russian Empire), also known as "The Tsaritsa of Alai" (The Queen of Alai) or "The Queen of the South", was a politician in Kyrgyzstan who acquiesced under duress to the annexation of that region to Russia. She was a female tribal leader and nicknamed Queen.

6. Almazbek Atambayev (1956 - )

With an HPI of 56.66, Almazbek Atambayev is the 6th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 63 different languages.

Almazbek Sharshen uulu Atambayev (Kyrgyz: Алмазбек Шаршен уулу Атамбаев; born 17 September 1956) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 1 December 2011 to 24 November 2017. He was Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 17 December 2010 to 1 December 2011, and from 29 March 2007 to 28 November 2007. He served as Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) from 30 July 1999 to 23 September 2011. Unlike most elected presidents of the Central Asian countries, Almazbek Atambayev did not try to extend his powers after the term specified by the Constitution and peacefully transferred power, marking the first such precedent in the history of modern Central Asia. Under him, the country passed a constitutional reform that strengthened the role of the parliament, and also introduced a biometric election system, carried out with the help of the European Union.

7. Sooronbay Jeenbekov (1958 - )

With an HPI of 56.46, Sooronbay Jeenbekov is the 7th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 53 different languages.

Sooronbay Sharip uulu Jeenbekov ([soːrɔmˈbɑj ɕɑˈrip uːˈɫʊ d͡ʒeːmˈbɛkɤf]; Kyrgyz: Сооронбай Шарип уулу Жээнбеков; born 16 November 1959) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as the 5th President of Kyrgyzstan from 2017 until his resignation in 2020, following a week of protests. Prior to that he served as the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from April 2016 to August 2017. As president, Jeenbekov dealt with issues specifically in foreign policy and corruption in which several juridical reforms were implemented to improve public trust. In spite of that, Kyrgyzstan under Jeenbekov faced a growth of organised crime and government corruption and lack of economic development which was negatively affected upon the COVID-19 pandemic and was accused of downplaying the alleged cases of electoral fraud in the 2020 parliamentary election that resulted in the 2020 Kyrgyz Revolution and his resignation amidst political unrest over the disputed election results. He was succeeded by Sadyr Japarov who would go on to serve as an acting president and prime minister for short period of time before being officially elected in the 2021 presidential elections. Jeenbekov was widely viewed to continue his predecessor Almazbek Atambayev's policies with whom he had held close relations prior before since the 1990s that enabled Jeenbekov to rise in political ranks until two parties faced political fallout just months after he assuming office eventually leading to Atambayev's arrest and an end of his influence in Kyrgyz politics.

8. Sadyr Japarov (1968 - )

With an HPI of 54.48, Sadyr Japarov is the 8th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Sadyr Nurgojo uulu Japarov (also Zhaparov; [sɑ'dɯr nurʁo'd͡ʒo d͡ʒɑ'pɑrof]; Kyrgyz: Садыр Нургожо уулу Жапаров; born 6 December 1968) is a Kyrgyz politician who is currently serving as the president of Kyrgyzstan since 28 January 2021. He had previously served as the acting prime minister of Kyrgyzstan in the 2020 interim government following the resignation of President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Japarov also became acting president of Kyrgyzstan after Jeenbekov's resignation but resigned himself on 14 November 2020 to run for the 2021 presidential election, where he was elected to succeed the acting president Talant Mamytov. Japarov began his political career as a deputy in 2005 after being elected to the Supreme Council and from 2007 served in the presidential administration under Kurmanbek Bakiyev before his overthrow in the 2010 Kyrgyz Revolution. From there, Japarov returned working as a deputy where he raised concerns regarding the nationalization of Kumtor Gold Mine and held popular rallies to overthrow the Kyrgyz government during the attempts of seizing the Bishkek White House and kidnapping an akim, which led for him to flee Kyrgyzstan for exile in 2013 to avoid prosecution. Japarov returned to Kyrgyzstan to take part in the 2017 presidential election, where he was arrested and imprisoned for 11 years due to his prior illegal political activities. His prison sentence time was cut short after eventually being freed by his supporters during the 2020 Kyrgyz Revolution and leading for his rise to power in Kyrgyzstan. Japarov's presidency is viewed to be autocratic and authoritarian, as he implemented populist policies aimed at combating corruption by reintroducing a presidential system via constitutional and government system referendums which increased his executive powers and reduced the parliament's influence, as well as creating the People's Kurultai which resulted in Kyrgyzstan facing a democratic backsliding. Several opposition politicians and activists were arrested, and new laws aimed at suppressing independent media were introduced. Japarov pursued a multi-vector foreign policy with Kyrgyzstan's international partners and was named as one of main figures in allegedly supporting Russia to evade international sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. He also faced the 2021 and 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes where he expressed his intention to solve a border dispute with Tajikistan.

9. Boris Pankin (1931 - )

With an HPI of 51.28, Boris Pankin is the 9th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Boris Dmitriyevich Pankin (Russian: Борис Дмитриевич Панкин; born 20 February 1931) is a former Soviet diplomat who served as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR for a brief period in 1991.

10. Felix Kulov (1948 - )

With an HPI of 45.71, Felix Kulov is the 10th most famous Kirghiz Politician.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Felix Sharshenbayevich Kulov (Russian: Феликс Шаршенбаевич Кулов; Kyrgyz: Феликс Шаршенбаевич (Шаршенбай уулу) Кулов, Feliks Sharshenbayevich (Sharshenbay uulu) Kulov; born 29 October 1948) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as the 9th Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 2005 to 2007, following the Tulip Revolution. He first served from 1 September 2005 until he resigned on 19 December 2006. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reappointed him acting Prime Minister the same day, but parliamentary opposition meant Bakiyev's attempts to renominate Kulov in January 2007 were unsuccessful, and on 29 January the assembly's members approved a replacement. Kulov cofounded and leads Ar-Namys, a political party, and chairs the People's Congress, an electoral alliance to which Ar-Namys belongs.