Shopokov


Shopokov is a town in the Chuy Region of Kyrgyzstan. Its population was 8,749 in 2009. Although geographically located within Sokuluk District of that region and being the de facto economic and cultural center of the district, Shopokov is administered separately from the district.
According to a report by the local authorities, the town's population was 9,150. Major ethnic groups were Russians, Kyrgyz, Ukrainians, and Germans.

History

The predecessor of today's Shopokov City was an urban-type settlement named Krasnooktyabrsky, established in 1939 along with the construction of a sugar mill.
Shopokov was incorporated as a town and received its present name on February 25, 1985.
The town is named after Duyshenkul Shopokov, one of the 28 soldiers of Ivan Panfilov's Division who were reported to die heroically on November 16, 1941 while defending Moscow.

Economy

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the sugar mill has been privatized, and is still in operation. Local industries also manufacture a variety of equipment for food-processing industry.