Esen Tolenovich Topoev ( ky, Эсен Толенович Топоев) is a Kyrgyz general and the former
Minister of Defense of Kyrgyzstan.
Career
Soviet Army service
He was born on 28 February 1952 in the city of Kyzyl-Kiya. He joined the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
in 1969 and studied at the
Tashkent Higher All-Arms Command School
The Tashkent Higher All-Arms Command School () was a military academy of the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan. It was previously known as the Tashkent Higher Combined Arms Command School named after Vladimir Lenin (). It was one of the oldest mi ...
before graduating in 1973. He was immediately sent to the
Hungarian People's Republic
The Hungarian People's Republic ( hu, Magyar Népköztársaság) was a one-party socialist state from 20 August 1949
to 23 October 1989.
It was governed by the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, which was under the influence of the Soviet Uni ...
where he commander a motorized rifle platoon in the
Southern Group of Forces
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, ...
. He was recalled three years later to serve in the
North Caucasus Military District
The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.
It comprised the Republic of Adygeya, ...
in southern
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
as a regimental commander. He graduated from the
Frunze Military Academy
The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...
(now the
) in 1985. From then on until the
fall of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, he served in various units in eastern Russia including a rifle unit in
Blagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благове́щенск, p=bləgɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, meaning ''City of the Annunciation'') is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur and the Zeya Rivers, opp ...
.
Studies and service in Russia
In the early and mid 1990s, he was an officer in the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
during which he also continued his studies. From 1992-93, he was the Deputy Commander of the 8th Motor Rifle Division in the
Far Eastern Military District
The Far Eastern Military District (russian: Дальневосточный военный округ; Dalʹnevostochnyĭ voennyĭ okrug) was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific ...
. He graduated from the
.
Return to Kyrgyzstan
He returned in 1995 and immediately became the Chief of the
General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic, a position he would stay in until 1999. The year he was dismissed was also the year in which he briefly served as the Head of the State Security Service and concurrently as the Secretary of the
Security Council of Kyrgyzstan
The Security Council of Kyrgyzstan (, ) is a political/constitutional body in the Office of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. Its tasks are to consider internal and external threats to Kyrgyzstan and maintaining its security and defense. Being ...
. Soon after the start of the
Batken Conflict
The Batken Conflict (, ) was a period of armed clashes between militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan, with support to the latter being provided by the Uzbek Ground Forces. It was caused by incursi ...
, he was deployed into the war zone. On 29 August 1999, Topoev, a Major General at the time, was appointed Minister of Defense to replace General
Myrzakan Subanov
Myrzakan Usurkanovich Subanov ( ky, Мырзакан Усурканович (Усуркан уулу) Субанов, translit=Myrzaqan Usurqanovich (Usurqan uulu) Subanov; born 15 October 1944) is a Soviet- Kyrgyz military commander who served a ...
after what the government called a failure to "stabilize the situation" by Subanov.
["Kyrgyz Troops Kill 10 Gunmen in Hostage Crisis"](_blank)
(25 August 1999). Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''. Retrieved 1 January 2012. As a result of his appointment, he led all of the military operations in the subsequent stages of the operation.
He presided over the opening of the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
Kant Air Base in October 2003. During a meeting with a visiting an American delegation, Topoev criticized at the US's role in the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international Counterterrorism, counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campa ...
by quipping, "Tell your President in America that he should be careful who he sells arms to. This happened to you because America gave weapons to Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight the Soviets." Having become one of the closest officials to President
Askar Akayev
Askar Akayevich Akayev ( ky, Аскар Акаевич (Акай уулу) Акаев, translit=Askar Akayevich (Akay Uulu) Akayev ; ; born 10 November 1944) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until being ov ...
, Topoev rapidly rose in military ranks, becoming a
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
two months after his appointment before becoming a
Colonel General
Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...
in 2002 and a
General of the Army in August 2004 (the only such person with this military rank in independent Kyrgyzstan). During the 2005
Tulip Revolution
The Tulip Revolution or First Kyrgyz Revolution (russian: Тюльпановая революция; ky, Жоогазын революциясы) led to President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akayev's fall from power. The revolution began after parliame ...
, he tendered his
letter of resignation
A letter of resignation is written to announce the author's intent to leave a position currently held, such as an office, employment or commission.
Historical
A formal letter with minimal expression of courtesy is then-President Richard Nixon' ...
to
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Bakiyev and immediately left the country. According to media reports, Topoev currently lives in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
where he is in exile as an adviser to general director of "Rosoboronexport".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Topoev, Esen
1952 births
Living people
Kyrgyzstani military personnel
Ministers of Defence of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstani generals
Chiefs of the General Staff (Kyrgyzstan)
Tashkent Higher All-Arms Command School alumni