The more time passes after the Issyk-Kul Forum held in Kyrgyzstan in June, the more I realize that its greatest value was not found in the official sessions or ceremonial speeches. It was found in the people, the ideas, and the honest conversations that continued long after the formal programme had ended.
Chingiz Aitmatov’s legacy feels more relevant today than ever. It continues to bring together people of different generations, cultures, and perspectives. Against this backdrop, the legacy of some other historical figures appeared in a striking contrast. Ideas that once seemed unquestionable have gradually faded under the weight of history, while Aitmatov’s humanistic vision continues to inspire. History has a remarkable way of placing everything in its proper perspective.
“Life is measured not by the years we live, but by what we leave behind,” Chingiz Aitmatov wrote.
Throughout the forum, in public debates and in long conversations that often stretched late into the night, a shared understanding began to emerge: our future can only be built by accepting and understanding the past. Not by denying it or rewriting it, but by engaging with it honestly.
Perhaps this was the forum’s most important message. The future belongs to new writers, thinkers, artists, scientists, and leaders. They will stand on the shoulders of those who came before them, drawing strength from their legacy without becoming prisoners of it. The past should serve as a foundation, never as a burden.
The forum also reminded us of another timeless truth: progress is born through open dialogue. Only where people are free to disagree, to ask difficult questions, to challenge established ideas, and to listen to one another can genuine understanding emerge. Fear and self-censorship have no place in such conversations.
I believe this is one of Chingiz Aitmatov’s greatest legacies. Not only the remarkable books he left behind, but the enduring ability to inspire meaningful dialogue about our common future. Because truth, understanding, and progress are born only through conversation.
Marat Akhmedjanov, the founder of the British publishing house Hertfordshire Press and patron of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London)
