History
Although Jengish Chokusu is over 400 metres higher, Khan Tengri was believed to be the highest peak in the range until Jengish Chokusu's survey in 1946. A Russian expedition mounted in 1938 to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth movement Komsomol claimed to have climbed the highest peak in the area, the summit being reached on September 19 by L.Gutman, E.Ivanov and A.Sidorenko. They measured the altitude as 6900 meters, and named the peak Pik 20-ti letiya Komsomola (Peak of the 20th Anniversary of Komsomol). Survey by another team in 1943 found the peak to be no less than 7439 meters high. The peak was renamed as Pik Pobedy (Victory's Peak) in 1946 to commemorate the Russian victory in World War II. The tremendous difference in altitude naturally led to the 1938 ascent being called into question, although the official Soviet stand is to uphold the 1938 ascent. Jengish Chokusu's first indisputably verified ascent was in 1956 by Vitaly Abalakov's party. A Chinese expedition climbed the peak from the Chinese side in 1977: the expedition book makes no mention of the Russian first ascent and gives the impression that the Chinese ascent was the first climb. The first winter ascent of the peak was made by Valery Khrichtchatyi in February 1990.
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