The ruins of socialism in Bishkek: industrial cooperative Interhelpo
Interhelpo is an exciting part of Bishkek city history that almost forgotten today but had made such a huge impact and influenced on lives of many people.
Interhelpo means “Support” in Esperanto (constructed international auxiliary language). A cooperative of workers formed back in 1923 in Czechoslovakia. It created as the response on the call of Vladimir Lenin to the international proletariat for assistance to the developing Soviet republics.
In 1925 to strengthen socialism, about 300 people with families from Czechoslovakia, Hungaria, Ruthenians, Russia, took the train to Kyrgyzstan. They carried with themself equipment and machinery. In 10 years, Interhelpo raised to around 2000 people of 14 nationalities.
The industrialization period started in Kyrgyzstan since the 1925 year. Cooperative made a research on the natural resources of the country and actively used those building factories. Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country with such resources as hydropower, gold, rare earth metals, coal, petroleum, gas, forests, and pastures. Interhelpo established the first power station, sawmill, and tannery. Agricultural production created. In 1927 was built a textile factory that still functions but in a different capacity. Between 1927–1930 opened: melting house opened in a year for metals minting and melting; furniture factory; meatpacking factory; mechanical plant; brickworks and many others. Based on them, some of the plants still operate in Kyrgyzstan, for example, such as the Kant sugar factory, Kyrgyzmebel — furniture, but others are abandoned and in a deplorable situation.
Fun fact: the first machines were new and curious for local people, and they gave them fun nicknames, for example, tractor called “shaitan araba” that translates as “devil’s carriage.”
That is how from 230 hectares in a steppe cooperative build a city with homes, schools, industrial factories, hospitals, parks, cultural places (club, dance pool, bowling). It has actively promoted a healthy lifestyle and opened a sports club with different directions starting from gymnastics to alpinism. Volunteer work and help to others was also a part of the lifestyle. Interhelpo members were involved in social events as cleaning the streets, roof fixing in neighboring villages, building the boulevards, or Big Chui canal.
After the Second World War, cooperative workers helped in the city reconstructions. One of the parks in Bishkek (Frunze city at that time) named in honor of the Czechoslovak journalist Julius Fučík, later one of the streets named after him and a statute placed. His personality used as the ideological symbol of communism.
In the history of the Soviet Union, Interhelpo was one of the most successful industrial cooperatives. However, the union collapsed and liquidated in 1943 due to the activities that were hindered by many factors.
Today only destroyed buildings could remind of the famous cooperative. They located in the southwest of the city at the so-called “Working camp.” That has a radial-ring structure with several closed and 24 radial streets forming a system of small fan-shaped quarters. Rumors have it was the attempt to realize the idea of a garden city, but we don’t know the exact answer. You can have a walk on the Interhelpo street and have a rest near the statue of Julius Fučík in the park named after him.
