An international underwater archaeological expedition is underway in Issyk-Kul region.Valery Kolchenko, a research fellow at the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, reported.
According to him, the next research season began on June 20, 2026 with the participation of Russian colleagues (the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences).
«This year, the Russian Geographical Society continues to work with us. We continue work in the area of the village of Toru-Aigyr. Step by step, we are exploring the boundaries of the site. It is already clear that the settlement itself and one of the burial grounds were separated by a river. We are trying to take as little material from the lakebed as possible, but the collection is growing,» Valery Kolchenko noted.
Underwater archaeological research focused on the submerged Toru-Aigyr archaeological complex, located in the northwestern part of Issyk-Kul Lake. The complex’s main feature is a large settlement agglomeration that existed at least from the 10th to 13th centuries and sank underwater in the 15th century.
As Valery Kolchenko told 24.kg news agency, the current expedition will also be conducted in two stages: the first will conclude in early July, and the second is planned for September after the World Nomad Games.
