Kyrgyz

PRONUNCIATION: KIR-ghiz
LOCATION: Kyrgyzstan; China
POPULATION: 5.3 million
LANGUAGES: Kyrgyz; Russian; English
RELIGION: Islam (Sunni Muslim)

INTRODUCTION

Tracing the origins and history of the Kyrgyz people is difficult because, until recently, they used no written language. There-fore, much of what is known about the early Kyrgyz is based on archeological discoveries and oral stories passed down over the generations. The Kyrgyz people were nomads throughout much of their history, initially living in the region of south-central Russia between the Yenesei River and Lake Baikal about 2,000 years ago. The ancestors of the modern Kyrgyz were probably not Turks at all, but either Yeniseyans (ancestors of the modern Kets) or South Samoyedic peoples, and they exhibited European-like features (such as fair skin, green eyes, and red hair). During the 6th through 9th centuries, the Kyrgyz mixed with the various invading Mongol and Turkic tribes. At some time between the 12th and 16th centuries, they settled in the Tien Shan Mountains.

During the era of Mongol rule, the Kyrgyz were loosely governed until the Kokand Khanate lost control in about 1850. At that time, imperial Russia was expanding its control in Central Asia by moving Russian colonists into the area. The Russians finally gained control over the Kyrgyz in 1876. The new Russian settlers staked claims on the most fertile land, and the nomadic Kyrgyz were given minimal attention by the Russian government. In 1916, ethnic Kyrgyz inhabitants revolted against this practice, but the rebellion was crushed by Russian forces.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the area inhabited by the Kyrgyz was made part of Soviet Turkistan. In 1921, its status changed by becoming part of the Turkistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1924, the region was split away from the Turkistan ASSR and assigned as an autonomous area (oblast) within the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR). In 1924, the region became the Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the RSFSR. In 1936, the territory finally became a full-fledged republic of the USSR.

During the Soviet era, from 1917 to 1991, the way of life for the Kyrgyz people as residents of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (KSSR) changed significantly. Forced collectivization of farming quickly ended nomadic life. Mechanization, irrigation, and mining were introduced, but many Kyrgyz wanted to keep farming or raising livestock. As a result, the Kyrgyz became ethnic minorities within the industrial and urban areas of the KSSR. The economic and political restructuring that occurred in the Soviet Union during the late 1980s under Soviet leader Gorbachev never made it to the KSSR. In 1990, ethnic tensions along the border with Uzbekistan resulted in 200-400 deaths. The chaos created by that event caused the ruling Kyrgyz Communist Party (KCP) to lose any credibility that it had with the people. During the attempted Soviet coup of August 1991 in Moscow, there was a similar coup taking place in the KSSR. When the attempted coup failed, the KCP voted itself out of existence. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the KSSR became independent Kyrgyzstan.

Since 1991, Kyrgyzstan has been led by an elected president and parliamentary form of government. The government has concentrated on elevating the status of Kyrgyz culture in Kyrgyzstan without alienating persons of other ethnic backgrounds. Unlike in some of the other former Soviet republics, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan does not need to be Kyrgyz. In 2005 Kyrgyzstan experienced its "Tulip Revolution," which resulted in the mainly peaceful ouster of the former president, Askar Akayev and the parliament elected during his rule. Today it is somewhat politically stable, but faces a very dissatisfied population because of its very poor economy.

LOCATION AND HOMELAND

There are approximately 5.3 million Kyrgyz living throughout the former Soviet Union, with about 88% of them in Kyrgyz-stan. Ethnic Kyrgyz constitute slightly more than half of the population of Kyrgyzstan. There are also about 80,000 Kyrgyz living in the Sinkiang-Uygur Autonomous Region of China and a few tens of thousands in Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan is located in Central Asia along the western range of the Tien Shan Mountains. This area was known as the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic during the Soviet era. The boundaries with neighboring countries (Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) run along mountain ranges, and about 85% of Kyrgyzstan itself is mountainous. In the southwest, the Fergana River Valley is the largest expanse of lowlands in the country. The only other lowland areas are in the north, along the Chu and Talas valleys. Most of the lowland area occupied by Kyrgyz people is arid, receiving less than seven inches of rainfall per year. Although the climate is dry where the land is cultivated, mountain lakes and streams provide ample water through irrigation.

The largest mountain lake, Issyk-Kul, is located high in the mountains of eastern Kyrgyzstan, and many Kyrgyz fishing villages are located around the edge of the lake.

LANGUAGE

Most Kyrgyz people speak the Kyrgyz language, which is a distinct Turkic language with Mongolian influences. The Kyrgyz language is a member of the Nogai group of the Kypchak division of the Turkic branch of Ural-Altaic languages. Until 1926 the Kyrgyz and Kazak languages were considered as one. The Kyrgyz literary language was therefore heavily shaped by Kazak, with some Mongolian influences in the vocabulary. Although the Kyrgyz language is spoken in the home, most Kyrgyz also speak Russian, which is the language of business and commerce. English is the third language of communication. The Kyrgyz government had begun a program to gradually switch over to the Kyrgyz language for all state institutions and educational establishments by 1998, but this has been delayed because of its impracticality. The written language originally used Arabic script, but the Roman alphabet was introduced after World War I. The written Kyrgyz language was formally organized in 1923 and was modeled after the northern dialects. In 1940, Stalin forced all Central Asian republics to switch to the Cyrillic alphabet (which is used by the Russian language). Since independence, there has been discussion of switching back to the Roman alphabet.

The Kyrgyz people have many proverbs and sayings related to horses, such as: "A horse is a man's wind." Some proverbs deal specifically with pacers. Two examples of such are: "Don't let your horse run beside a pacer" and "If you have only one day left to live, you should spend half of it riding a pacer."

FOLKLORE

The telling of traditional oral tales dates back about 1,000 years among the Kyrgyz people. One of the most famous epics tells the saga of Manas, the father of the Kyrgyz people, his son Semetey, and his grandson Seytek. The entire poem is about a million lines long is (twice as long as the Iliad and the Odyssey combined) can take up to three weeks to recite, and went unwritten until the 1920s. Here is a translated example of some of the epic's verse: "The mighty Manas resembles a tower built of silver. His snow-white steed Ak-Kula carries him swiftly over the mountain tops. The horse looks like a bird hovering over the sharp peaks of mountains." In the epic, the 40 Kyrgyz tribes strive for freedom and unity. Under the leadership of Manas, the people, who were the slaves of various tribes, are gathered as a nation. Manas is believed to be interred at a small mausoleum near the town of Talas, in western Kyrgyzstan near the border with Kazakhstan. Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, the Manaschi (reciters of the Manas) have made tours with Central Asian artistic groups all over the world, including many performances in the United States.

RELIGION

Horses figured prominently in the traditional spiritual beliefs of the early Kyrgyz. It was believed that a horse carried the spirit of a dead person to a higher spiritual world. Most Kyrgyz today are Sunni Muslims, but many ancient shamanist and animist traditions persist.

Since the 8th century, Islam has been the dominant religion in the Fergana Valley. By the 10th and 11th centuries, the Kyrgyz had built many beautiful mosques and mausoleums in that region. During the 13th and 14th centuries, however, the development of Islam among the Kyrgyz slowed considerably, due to the conquest by the Mongols. Islam extended to the nomads of the northern regions over the next few centuries at first by force, but later through Islamic missionaries. Therefore, Islam did not gain a strong presence among all the Kyrgyz until the 19th century.

The Kyrgyz are generally more secular in daily life than some of the other Islamic peoples of Central Asia. This is probably because the religion was only firmly established in some areas of the country in the last century. Kyrgyzstan also has a large proportion of non-Muslims, and the government is not oriented toward incorporating any religion into the political structure. Outside Islamic influences from the Middle East and South Asia have featured in the creation of some radical Muslim movements in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the Osh and Jalalabad provinces, located in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan-its Ferghana valley region. Some of these mainly younger people are part of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir radical international movement. They wish to establish a theocratic government throughout the entire Muslim world. Overall, radical or extremist Islam is not a major threat to Kyrgyz sovereignty at the moment.

MAJOR HOLIDAYS

New Year's Day (January 1) and Christmas (January 7) are official holidays in Kyrgyzstan. Holidays with their origins to the Soviet era include Women's Holiday (March 8), International Day of Solidarity Among Workers (May 1), and the Day of Victory over Fascism (May 9). The vernal equinox (around March 21) is called Nooruz and is an important holiday among the Kyrgyz people as it marks the start of the Muslim new year. Kurban Ait (Remembrance Day, June 13) and Independence Day (August 31) are also official Kyrgyzstan holidays. Generally speaking, people do tend to celebrate religious holidays, especially the Muslim days of remembrance more now than during the Soviet period.

RITES OF PASSAGE

Kyrgyz rites of passage are similar to those of other Turkic-influenced peoples of Central Asia. Large birthday parties with many friends and relatives are important social occasions, and these feasts often last five or six hours. Celebrations are held for a birth, for a baby's 40th day of life, for the first day of school, and for graduations. A wedding serves to honor the married couple and assemble together an extended family or clan. In the past, arranged marriages were common, and a dowry payment was expected upon betrothal.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

Kyrgyz people typically greet one another with handshakes or hugs if they are women, and then proceed to ask a series of questions about one another's lives. Male-female relations among the Kyrgyz are far less formal and rigid than, say, among the Uzbeks or Tajiks. Men and women eat together and share many work burdens together. Like many other peoples of Central Asia, the Kyrgyz are very hospitable, although more reserved and low-key than the Uzbeks or Tajiks. If you were invited to have tea in Kyrgyz yurta, you would not feel yourself quite the focus of attention as would be true in the case of an Uzbek village home. Kyrgyz often honor their guests by serving them a cooked sheep's head.

LIVING CONDITIONS

The traditional Kyrgyz home is a yurta-a round, felt-covered structure built upon a collapsible wooden frame. Most Kyrgyz today live in individual permanent homes, but about 40,000 Kyrgyzstani citizens still live in yurtas. The arched opening of a yurta is called the tundruk. The flag of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan features a tundruk.

One legacy of the Soviet era is a chronic lack of urban housing in Kyrgyzstan. In the late 1980s, housing space was equivalent to 12 sq m (129 sq ft) per person.

Irregular service with public transportation occurs frequently. In Bishkek, for example, evening bus service is erratic. There are a sufficient number of taxis in the city, but people looking for a ride will often stop a private car and pay the driver because it is cheaper than using a taxi.

Since the mid- to late-1990s, it has become increasingly common to find shanty-town type dwellings in major cities, such as Bishkek and Osh, because poverty has caused many people to take up urban residence in hopes of making a more prosperous life.

FAMILY LIFE

Women in Kyrgyz society still perform the bulk of household chores, but there is far more egalitarianism practiced between the sexes among the Kyrgyz than among nearby peoples such as the Uzbeks or Tajiks. The Kyrgyz and Kazaks are very similar in this regard. Women hold all manner of professional jobs and are encouraged to be professionals as well as mothers. Both forms of polygamy are legal in Kyrgyzstan, and the custom is not limited to ethnic Kyrgyz but is practiced by ethnic Russians and other residents in Kyrgyzstan. Polygyny (one man having multiple wives) is most common, and a husband must financially provide each wife with her own separate household as well as provide for all the children each wife bears. In order for a woman to have multiple husbands (polyandry), she must have substantial wealth or influence.

Kyrgyz families are large, with an average of four to six children, although they are slightly smaller in the capital city of Bishkek. In the countryside, it is common for three generations to live together in a patrilocal residence, which means that a married woman moves in with her husband's family). Th us, 10 to 12 people may share a home during the cold months and a yurt when the people go to the zhailovs (summer pastures) with their animals in the summer. Genealogical knowledge is very important to the Kyrgyz, and some older people are able to recount their ancestors stretching back as far as seven generations or two centuries.

CLOTHING

One of Kyrgyzstan's oldest cities, Osh, was once an important trading point along the historic Silk Roads-the ancient overland trade route of commerce between China and the Middle East. Osh is the center of Kyrgyzstan's silk industry.

Traditional everyday clothes were made of wool, felt, and fur. Ornate silks were, and still are, used for special occasions and ceremonies. Since the Soviet era, cotton denim and other fabrics have become popular for everyday wear. Headgear figures prominently in Kyrgyz culture, although during the Soviet era women were prohibited from wearing their large traditional hats, which were a symbol of Kyrgyz culture. There is also a traditional hat proudly worn by men as a symbol of Kyrgyz culture, the ak-kalpak ("white hat"). This is a dome-shaped white felt hat with a black brim, black piping, abstract curved stitching, and a black tassel on top. The basic design of the ak-kalpak has been the same for generations.

FOOD

Because many Kyrgyz live in areas with little precipitation, the variety of crops grown depends on irrigation from the mountains. Sugar beets and cereal grains are the main crops. Livestock is an important source of food, with sheep, goats, cattle, and horses most common. Pigs, bees, and rabbits are also raised in the uplands.

Examples of traditional Kyrgyz fare include manti (mutton dumplings), irikat (a type of pasta salad made with noodles, carrots, and radishes), and koumiss (fermented mare's milk). A great Kyrgyz delicacy reserved especially for guests is a combination plate of fresh sliced sheep liver and slices of sheep tail fat. It is often boiled and salted and tastes far more delicious than it sounds. At the breakfast table, one often finds bountiful amounts of yogurt, heavy cream, butter, and wonderful honey along with bread and tea. Dairy products are an essential part of Kyrgyz life.

Along with traditional cooking, the Kyrgyz also enjoy Russian, Korean, Ukrainian, German, and Chinese cuisine. The dishes of both local and European cooking dominate the menus in Bishkek's restaurants and cafés.

EDUCATION

For the most part, Kyrgyz people have poor native language proficiency except in the remote auls (villages). Kyrgyzstan has been heavily Russified, and most high school and university instruction is in Russian. Although this is slowly beginning to change, rural Kyrgyz are often ill-equipped to compete at the national level on university entrance exams. The whole educational system requires overhauling. Parents tend to favor a broad educational development for their children, but it is impossible for many parents to send their children to universities and technical schools because education has become privatized and the costs are prohibitively expensive. Today, along with the Kazakhs, more and more Kyrgyz speak competent English than people in any of the other Central Asian countries. Th is is partly due to American influence and teaching in Kyrgyzstan as well as the people's own desire to add English as a part of their international focus, especially as a means toward increasing one's chances in the professional world.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

The kyiak and komuz are traditional musical instruments used by the Kyrgyz. The kyiak resembles a violin and is played with a bow but has only two strings. The three-stringed komuz is the favorite folk instrument among the Kyrgyz and is played by strumming. The Kyrgyz have several titles of honor that are given to various musical performers. A jïrchiï is a singer-poet, whereas an akin is a professional poet and musician-composer. The jïrchiï is primarily a performer of known music, while the akin is a composer who plays original compositions as well as traditional music. A special performer called a manaschï performs the famous saga of Manas. There are also several types of Kyrgyz songs, such as maktoo (eulogies), sanat and nasiyat (songs with a moral), and kordoo (social protest tunes).

WORK

Work hours vary depending on the type of business and state institution. As a rule, people work between seven and eight hours a day. Most often work runs from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with lunch taken sometime between noon and 2:00 pm. Mills and factories operate on a relay system, with shifts set up by the management. Retail shops are usually open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm, with an afternoon lunch period. Department stores, book stores, and other shops usually open according to state institution hours. Bazaars are open from 6:00 am until 7:00 or 8:00 pm.

SPORTS

Equestrian sports are very popular among the Kyrgyz. Racing and wrestling on horseback are especially enjoyed. Wrestling on horseback for a goat's carcass, called ulak tartysh or kok boru, is a common game among the Kyrgyz. (Kok boru means "gray wolf"). The game may have its origin in ancient times, when herds of cattle grazed in the steppes and mountains and were exposed to the threat of attack by wolves. Shepherds would chase after a wolf on horseback and beat it with sticks and whips and then try to snatch the dead carcass away from each other for fun. Kok boru was later replaced with ulak tartysh, played with a goat's carcass on a field measuring 300 meters by 150 meters (about 328 yards by 164 yards). The opposite ends of the field are the two goals. A goat's carcass, usually weighing 30 to 40 kilograms (66-88 pounds), is placed in the center of the field. Each game lasts 15 minutes, and the object is to seize the goat's carcass while on horseback and get it to the goal of the other team. Players are allowed to pick up the carcass from any place within the limits of the field, take it from opponents, pass or toss it to teammates, carry it on the horse's side, or suspend it between the horse's legs. Players are not allowed to ram other horses, take an opponent's horse by the bridle or remove its reins, whip another's horse, or talk with the opponent.

Falconry (the sport of hunting with trained falcons) while on horseback is another part of Kyrgyz culture that has been practiced for centuries. In addition to falcons, sakers and golden eagles are also trained for the sport. Jumby atmai is a game that involves shooting at a target while galloping on horseback. Tyin enmei is a contest to pick up coins from the ground while riding at full speed on horseback.

ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION

Bishkek has large parks, public gardens, shady avenues, and botanical gardens enjoyed by people traveling on foot. Opera, ballet, and national folklore groups are also popular forms of entertainment. The most popular form of relaxation for city dwellers is to spend a weekend in a country cottage. Tens of thousands of these cottages are located on the outskirts of Bishkek, the capital. In recent years, Bishkek and other cities have added many taverns, restaurants, and casinos, so city life has become nocturnally raucous, and part of these businesses cater to the tastes of expatriates from China, Europe, and the United States.

FOLK ART, CRAFTS, AND HOBBIES

The Kyrgyz are best known for crafting utensils, clothes, equipment and other items used in everyday life and making them beautiful. Many articles are made of felt: carpets (shirdak and alakiyiz), bags for keeping dishes (alk-kup), and woven patterned strips of carpet sewn together into bags or rugs (bashtyk). Ornate leather dishes called keter are also made.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

After years of life under the Soviet system of central planning and socialism, the transition to a market-oriented economy is a difficult undertaking for the Kyrgyz. The poor service and uninspired work ethic that were results of the Soviet era will take a long time to change. Alcoholism and public drunkenness are now a visible social problem, partly because of rising unemployment. Even though Kyrgyzstan was supposed to have developed a large tourism industry, its development has been slow and not very lucrative; getting to Kyrgyzstan remains difficult and expensive.

From 2000-2005, Kyrgyzstan's economy stagnated and allegations of sizable political corruption brought down the government that had been in power since 1991. The much heralded "Tulip Revolution" did little to improve the politics or economics of the country, and since then the population has only become more disgruntled as most people become more impoverished. This has raised crime rate in urban areas and led to a more oppressive political environment than was true of the 1990s. The new government is perceived to be weak in the face of more powerful Central Asian states, such as Kazakh-stan and Uzbekistan. Close to one million Kyrgyz now seek at least temporary housing and employment abroad to help bolster their household budgets, and this has led to very trying conditions for many families. With the exception of Kazakh-stan, labor migration is the social problem as well as "social solution" story to emerge from contemporary Central Asia.

GENDER ISSUES

Along with the Kazakhs, the Kyrgyz long have featured a high degree of gender equity. Many scholars attribute this to their pastoral nomadic heritage. While there naturally is a division of labor between the sexes, many men and women do many things together, such as yurt erection and packing up as well as cooperative milking and food production activities. Men consider women to be their literal fellow travelers (yoldash) rather than simply the "wife" or the "mother of their kids." When it comes to education, Kyrgyz girls long have been seen almost as the equal of boys, but again with the exception that boys will be seen favorably to pursue higher education and advanced professional degrees. However, this is definitely not the rule in all families.

Since the early 2000s, gender issues have changed because of the increase in bride kidnapping, which is more and more common among the Kyrgyz, Karakalpaks, and Kazakhs. Th is relieves pressures on young men to make a bride wealth payment or qalym, just as it obviates the need for in-law arrangements in the first place, but it puts young women in a terrible position because they rarely can exercise their own free will once kidnapped. However, divorces often ensue shortly after these unhappy marriages take place. Still, it is a kind of traditional social institution that shows up as one very unfair aspect of gender relations.

Moreover, labor migration is changing the nature of gender relations as many men and women now work abroad to try and increase family wealth. While it provides young women with opportunities and a kind of freedom, it puts great pressure on mothers and wives who sometimes go abroad despite the disapproval they face from other family members, including husbands. Labor migration, generally speaking, puts huge pressure and stress on people willing to take what they consider to be a crucial step in making a better life for themselves and their families.

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—by R. Zanca