With the assistance of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Kingdom of Belgium, Brussels-based businessman Jemil Soysal purchased and donated computer equipment worth more than 500 thousand soms to the Abjalbek Cholponkulov middle school in Talas.

According to Mr. Soysal, he was born and raised in Belgium, but he does not forget his Turkic roots. The businessman emphasizes that he is especially inspired by the great epic «Manas» and works by Chyngyz Aitmatov.

That is why the Belgian decided to donate computer equipment to a Kyrgyz secondary school. Also, Mr. Soysal wanted to time his action to the celebration of May 9 - Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, to which many of Chyngyz Aitmatov's iconic works are dedicated.

In this regard, the Belgian businessman chose Abjalbek Cholponkulov school in Talas, a representative of the first generation of Kyrgyz intellectuals. Mr. Soysal does not rule out the possibility of organizing similar events together with the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Brussels in the future.

Reference: A.Cholponkulov, born in a family of biys, in 1896 graduated from the Russian-Tuzem school in Oluya-Ata (now Taraz), then in 1901 - the first higher educational institution in Central Asia - the Teacher's Seminary in Tashkent.

Working in various positions in the system of public education, A.Cholponkulov did much to eliminate illiteracy in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Among his students there were many famous personalities, including Torokul Aitmatov.

Two of Cholponkulov's sons died on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, one of whom Jamil Cholponkulov was the first candidate of science among Kyrgyz. After graduating from Leningrad State University, in 1939 (at the age of 28), Jamil Cholponkulov defended his degree in biology in Moscow. The second son, Kemel Cholponkulov, volunteered for the front in 1942 at the age of 18. He was wounded, but returned to service, died at the end of 1943.

In 1946, A. Cholponkulov was elected a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, but the loss of his eldest sons seriously undermined him. He passed away before he could take up his duties as a deputy to the Union Parliament.