Less Soviet, more inspiring: Kyrgyzstan seeks new anthem

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan is getting rid of its Soviet inspired national anthem and has launched an unprecedented public contest to find an alte...

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan is getting rid of its Soviet-inspired national anthem and has launched an unprecedented public contest to find an alternative.

The mountainous Central Asian country adopted a new anthem in 1992 after independence from the USSR but it is largely based on the Soviet-era one.

The government says the anthem fails to accurately represent the young nation descending from the ancient history of the nomadic Kyrgyz people.

The Kyrgyz were incorporated into first then Tsarist and then the Soviet empires and the country still retains a strong Russian influence.

"Winning this competition would be a huge success," said Balasaguyn Musayev, a 36-year-old composer and one of hundreds who have submitted entries for a new national anthem.