Kyrgyz culture. Kyrgyz yurts. Arts and crafts. Epos Manas. Kyrgyz cuisine. Cultural events. Folklore

There are not many cultural events in Kyrgyzstan, but Kyrgyz culture has been greatly influenced by their nomadic heritage. It is reflected in the way a household was run, in customs and rites. People decorated their homes with items that were both beautiful and practical. This way of living appeared out of need to shepherd numerous flocks of sheep on seasonal pastures at different heights. Such lifestyle led to the isolation of families, who had to go up to high mountains to find enough grass for the cattle. That is the reason fir unique Kyrgyz hospitality. Guests were always welcomed because they brought news and were new people, with whom one could talk about anything. Guests were offered only the best and they were most long-awaited people in Kyrgyz families.

The Kyrgyz Yurt holds a tender place in Kyrgyzstan hearts and shepherds still set up yurts in the mountains in summer. The Yurt is a small dwelling, decorated with hand-made felt carpets and strips. Having its roots in ancient Turkic tribes, the yurt took all the best from many centuries' experience of nomadic people. Kyrgyz tribes, occupied with nomadic cattle-breeding in the mountains, worked out the best type of transportable dwelling that is easily dismantled, moved on pack animals and again set up. Cultural events were brought but strangers as well. The yurt consists of a wooden carcass and felt. It is easily dismantled and transported from one place to another. During its assembly, first, a door is hung on it. After that, wooden trellis (kerege) which serve as wall are set in place. Tunduk (a wooden circle in the upper part of the yurt) is connected to kerege by long bent poles.Then the kerege are tightly fitted with mats, covered with ornamented felt pieces of different forms and sizes and tied around with narrow embroidered stripes and laces. All in all, yurt seting takes about one hour.The inside of the yurt divided into several parts. At the center, under tunduk is a hearth, on which food is usually cooked. To the right of the entrance is a female half, where cooking utensils and food are kept. To the left of the entrance is a male half, where men keep a horse harness.In the yurt, people are always surrounded by comfortable carpets, woven and embroidered covers, blankets and pillows and other items often made by the mistress herself. Materials that she uses include felt, fleecy cloth, furs, textiles, and cheegrass; the main decorations are bright colors and ornamentation.

Arts and crafts. The nomadic tenor of life put limits on Kyrgyz craftsmen. Nevertheless, any articles handled by them were sealed with the marks of creative work. The exterior and interior decoration of the yurt, the clothing and furnishings, women's adornments, and equestrian trappings bear the signs of a nomadic culture and of high aesthetic values - Kyrgyz utensils convert into pieces of art and serve to integrate life. The main motifs, themes and designs of Kyrgyz ornaments arc in direct correlation lo the world of spirits, objects and folklore motifs - animals, plants, natural and spiritual phenomena that surround and inspire a human being. Inside the national consciousness applied arts are inseparable from daily rhythms of beauty and usefulness. Kyrgyz carpets - "kiyiz" and "shyrdak" - are made of warm felt and are always richly decorated. Shyrdak is made with the help of a mosaic technique of application, based on a patchwork of felt pieces with multicolored threads. Ala-kiyiz is made by ramming and rolling multi-colored fur into a friable felt base. It is famous for its cleanness of line and its fuzziness. Mats and screens, as a rule, are a whole art composition, made by braiding cheegrass stalks with multicolored fur. On homemade machines, women wove from thick threads the braid (boo) for various ornaments. They embroidered with fur and gold thread on leather, felt, chamois and canvas. Most of the materials used are natural.

Manas epos. A folklore historical epos “Manas” dedicated to a courageous national hero Manas, who defended people and land in ancient times.  It is an epic that describes lifestyle of the Kyrgyz, their customs, traditions, moral, religious rites, geographic and medical knowledge, diplomatic relations with other countries and nations.The great epic poem “Manas” contains more then a million lines and is 20 times as long as the Odyssey and Iliad together and 2.5 times longer than the Mahabharata. Taking as its subject the entire history of the Kyrgyz people starting in about the 10th century, the epic is a description of valorous feats of the central hero Manas, battling the barbarian hordes to create a homeland for his people. Before being slain in the triumphant final battle, he marries the wise Kanykei, daughter of a Samarkand khan. Sequels tell of the exploits of their son, Semetei, and his son Seitek. Along the way, the epic detours through colorful descriptions of everyday life with its traditions, customs, feasts and funerals. The manaschy is the traditional professional Manas storyteller. An esteemed bard was always welcome in any house. Many of Kyrgyzstan’s most respected historical figures, like Toktogul (of city, reservoir, and street-in-Bishkek fame), were manaschy. Singing Manas was ideally suited to the different situations and is the core of the Kyrgyz self-image.

Music. The Kyrgyz value music highly. From ancient times Kyrgyz people have been using available natural materials to make musical instruments, whose usage allow to preserve and express the sound of the nation, singing folklore songs. Most feasts have a singing break between courses, when guests take turns belting out traditional melodies.  Instrumental accompaniment has a strong tradition, too. Riddles, proverbs, and tongue twisters also have important places in the hearts of the people. There are many Kyrgyz instruments that differ by their sound range. The most important Kyrgyz instrument is the komuz, a three-stringed pear-shaped object made of apricot wood, usually. The strings were historically made of sheep intestine. The komuz has a quiet, amiable sound, though strange, electrified versions have begun to appear - that is not a folklore instruments already. The ability to play the komuz is widely respected, though the importance of tuning before playing seems to be less widely acknowledged.

The choor (‘pipe’) is a wind instrument, from 40-100 cm long with 0 to 4 holes. It can be made of cane, honeysuckle wood, copper, or other materials, and has a nasal, buzzing tone. A clay ocarina shaped like a ball with three holes is also widespread, called the chopo choor (‘clay pipe’).

The ooz komuz (‘mouth komuz’) is a small mouth harp, made of iron, brass, bronze, or copper. The sound comes from the twanging of a small metal tine, with overtones produced by positioning the player’s lips, mouth, and teeth.

Kyrgyz cuisine. Kyrgyzstan has a very varied cuisine, as might be expected for a country that hosts over 80 distinct cultures and nationalities. Unsurprisingly, its diverse multiethnic environment has influenced a variety of national cuisines and beverages particularly from Kyrgyz, Russian, Dungan, Uzbek, and Korean traditions. Kyrgyz food is heavy on meat, dairy, and bread, and light on spices.

For Kyrgyz people, Besh Barmak isn't just an ordinary meal - it is a ceremony complete with its own traditions and customs. The term Besh barmak means "five fingers", because the dish is eaten with one's hands. Besh barmak consists of boiled horse or mutton  meat with small pieces of pastry boiled in broth and sprinkled with parsley  and  coriander. The meat is usually diced with knives and often mixed with boiled noodles. It is usually served in a big oval dish. Treating to besbarmak is accompanied with an original ritual. The meat itself is served in large pieces. Besbarmak is usually served with ak-nan –special bread  baked with onion, and  sorpa–mutton broth in bowls called kese. ‘Amen’ is always said at the end of the meal to give thanks to God. Plov is generally served as an enormous mound of rice with onions and carrots, and pieces of boiled meat on top. Among other main dishes there are also manty (fist-sized steamed dumplings filled with mutton and onions), lagman (a Dungan dish of thick home-made noodles in a relatively spicy sauce, with cabbage, onions, and tomatoes), chuchvara or pelmeni (smaller dumplings filled with onions, mutton and fat, and served in a soup), kuurdak (slices of fried mutton beef, with onions and spices, served on a plate garnisned with herbs), shorpo (soup with potatoes, vegetables, and a big hunk of mutton on the bone).

The guests are also offered the different snacks as kuiruk-boor (a slice of sheep's tail fat and a slice of that sheep's liver, served together with spices or shashlyk - smoked kebabs of mutton (or beef, chicken, liver, or various fishes), served with onions in vinegar.Among a variety of drinks one should be mentioned separately. Kymyz is the most popular drink on the jailoo, made from fermented mare's milk. Bozo is a thick fermented millet drink, slightly carbonated and drunk mostly in the winter.

Traditionally the Kyrgyz are very hospitable people. It a Kyrgyz family invites you for a meal then you should take a small gift, for example fruit, cake or flowers. Take your shoes off when entering the house. handle the food only with your right hand. At the end of the meal bring your two hands up to the face and drag them down as if washing the face and recite the word "Omin".