Kirgizia wants to rename Russian settlements

BISHKEK (Itar-Tass) - The national presidential
commission in charge of promoting the Kirgiz language offered to President
Roza Otunbayeva and the parliament speaker to rename the settlements that
got Russian names yet in Soviet times, such as Alexeyevka, Konstantinovka,
Vasilyevka, and others.
The Kirgiz 24 news agency said on Thursday the commission offered to
follow suit of neighboring Central Asian countries and "drop the names
that are alien to the Kirgiz people." It said the names of 150 residential
settlements have been "distorted or spoiled" only in Chuisk region of the
country.
"Numerous residential settlements are named after unknown people who
have nothing to do with Kirgizia. It is unclear which exploits those
aliens have done on the soil of Manas and which outstanding deeds they
accomplished to deserve the right to keep their names here forever," the
commission said.
It also said "Kirgizia has forgotten that it has long ceded from
Russian control" and called "to establish historic truth and return
original names to the settlements that have been unfairly Russified."
According to the national constitution, the Kirgiz is the state
language while the Russian is the official language.