As part of the celebration of the eightieth anniversary of FAO’s founding, a group of climbers from Kyrgyzstan ascended Lenin Peak – one of Central Asia’s highest, at 7 134 m – and raised the FAO flag at its summit. This symbolic gesture is designed to draw global attention to the problems of climate change and its consequences for mountain regions and the food security and well-being of their residents.
Lenin Peak is the third-highest summit in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the second-highest in Kyrgyzstan and the Pamir mountain system. It was first conquered in 1934.
The ascent – one of the last in the 2025 season, timed for the FAO anniversary – was a true test of resilience, with the climbers reporting storm-force winds. The assault on the summit was organized as a relay. The flag was carried to an altitude of 6 100 m by Alisa Kuchuko and to 6 350 m by Alexey Ivanov, with the final leg overcome by Roman Kuropyatnikov, who installed the FAO flag at the summit.
This action holds symbolic meaning. As a high-altitude country, Kyrgyzstan has been experiencing the effects of climate change earlier and more acutely than most.
