The nomadic kyrgyz

The Kyrgyz people are one of the nomadic Turkic peoples — that have roamed Central Asia over the centuries.

The nomadic way life was so ingrained into the Kyrgyz psychology that even the communist system, with collectivisation, proved incapable (and eventually unwilling) to break it down. Although grateful to the Bolsheviks, on one hand for rescuing them from the worst excesses of Tsarist colonisation, the Kyrgyz never fully adopted their political philosophy. They remained the least politicised of all the Central Asian peoples. For years the local Russians dominated the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan. Reluctant to give up their lifestyle, the Kyrgyz forfeited the right to take on a major political role in their own republic. Rather than face forced collectivisation, having first slaughtered tens of thousands of animals to avoid their handover to the communists, many Kyrgyz fled across the mountainous border into China where the Kyrgyz Autonomous Region in Xinjiang Province was formed.

The nomadic tradition is so strong that some say that it is only in death, when he is buried, that a Kyrgyz stop wandering. Kyrgyz graveyards are interesting sites, often set on high ground and instead of simple headstones, a small mausoleum is constructed from clay bricks, or a steel frame of a yurt placed over the grave.

Before Independence approximately 85% of the population lived in rural regions. However, with the recent trend of urban drift this proportion has fallen to 61% according to official statistics. The 1999 census figures, when published, are likely to show a further decline in the proportion of rural population compared to the urban one.

Only about 7% of the land is arable (and most of this requires irrigation) for grains, vegetables, fruit cotton and tobacco.

Its livestock has always vastly outnumbered the population of Kyrgyzstan. In fact, the Kyrgyz apparently produced enough buttermilk, yoghurt and cheese to feed the entire Soviet Union.

For centuries, and even today, the backbone of the economy has been animal husbandry — sheep, yak and horse breeding for wool, meat, milk and fat. For centuries horses and sheep were the main currency of exchange to buy goods, a weapon or even a wife. Even today, in everyday talk, many costs are measured as a number of sheep, (for example, the cost of a driving licence is said to be about one and a half sheep!)

The main source of protein for much of the population comes from korut, (small balls of cheese made from sheep milk — especially in the winter) and koumiss or kumys, (fermented mare? s milk — a strong and bitter drink).

The traditional way of making koumiss is for mare? s milk to be stored in animal skins (chinach). One third of yesterday? s milk is mixed with new milk and allowed to ferment in the warmth of the yurt. It is then churned, beaten with a wooden stick (a bishkek) and becomes alcoholic before turning into lactic acid.

In the 1840? s, Russian doctors discovered that koumiss had curative properties and used it for treating tuberculosis, anaemia, chronic lung diseases and gynaecological and skin diseases. Some 16 special sanatoria were established which treated patients with lots of fresh air, exercise and koumiss. They served a number of famous people including members of the imperial family, Leo Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, and even a minor British Member of Parliament who made the journey to Central Asia especially to undergo the treatment.

Unfortunately, traditional koumiss can be stored for only unto three days, so production is limited to the milking period of mares. To solve this problem, a method of producing pasteurised koumiss was developed allowing treatment all year round, and even export. A special facility has recently started for the production of pasteurised koumiss in the Naryn region.

Horses play an important role in the life of nomadic peoples, and Kyrgyz ponies were famous and prized possession because they were strong and sturdy, bred to travel great distances with flocks and herds of animals. Children would be placed in a saddle and learn to ride a horse almost as soon as the learnt to walk. Even today, herds of horses can be seen wandering mountain pastures. Horsemeat is also highly revered food — horses are specially bred, and never ridden to ensure the tenderest meat. For a major celebration or a funeral then horse is the staple meat that is served. A horse is, in fact, a major investment for a Kyrgyz.

In the countryside, nothing is respected more highly than skill with horses. Horse races that test both speed and skill can stretch over 30 kilometres and games played on horseback form the centre of festivals such as the Chanach. One such «game» involves two competitors on horseback whose bodies are covered with sheep fat, who try to wrestle each other to the floor. Another involves two teams trying to score «goals» by carrying or throwing a weighted carcass of a goat across the opposing team? s goal line. Perhaps more «romantic» is Kesh Kumay where a man chases a woman, both on horseback, attempting to kiss her whilst she does her utmost to avoid him. If he fails then she traditionally whips him, but tradition has it that if he is successful she is bound to fall in love with him as he has proved himself to be a truly skillful horseman.

Another activity in which horsemanship plays a major role is hunting, especially with eagles, which is still practiced only in certain regions of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Westerners tend to think of this as falconry — and although hunting with hawks and falcons does take place, it is looked down upon by those who hunt with eagles as a pastime for children and dilettantes. A skilled pair, hunter and bird, can typically catch 50 or 60 foxes a dozen badgers, a couple of lynx and 4 or 5 wolves in a normal 4 month season, which starts in the late autumn. Eagles rarely fail to catch their prey, which it quickly kills, usually by breaking the neck in its powerful claws.

The capture, training and keeping of eagles is a highly ritualised activity. Most of the birds, which can have a life expectancy of 40 years, are caught young, hooded and placed in a cage with a perch that constantly sways while the berkutchi (hunter) sings and chants to it, to impress his personality on the bird. The hunter begins to feed the bird and then train it by dragging a fox fur behind a galloping horse. Not all eagles can be so trained, but those that do show intense loyalty. Although never tethered they always return after killing their prey.

In addition to the sheep, goat and horsemeat, which the Kyrgyz nomad would eat, fish — especially from mountain rivers and Lake Issyk Kul is a highly favoured food. Beef and Chicken are less common elements of the Kyrgyz diet.

The sheep kept by the nomad provide food throughout the year. When important guests arrive, and for certain festivals, a sheep will be slaughtered, butchered and cooked immediately. The most common dish, which is prepared, is beshbarmak, which is eaten in the hands, not using a knife and fork, («besh» means five, and «barmak», finger). This meal consists of noodles, which are mixed with boiled meat cut into tiny pieces and served with a medium spicy sauce. Bouillon is then poured over the mixture. The head of the sheep will be given to the most honoured guest.

The sheep provide not only meat, but also the wool, which is the basis of felt. Felt is the cloth that is most commonly used — for clothes, yurts, rugs and decoration. The traditional method of manufacture is still employed today. A circle of women first thrashes the wool with whips, then it out on two long, thick layers of hesion. This is then rolled into a bolt and soaked in water that has been heated by a fire of dung. To mat the fibres together it is then rolled back and forward, kicked and trodden on — and sometimes dragged by horses galloping across mountain meadows. To make a yurt, between 130 and 170 kilograms of wool are need and a family needs a flock of at least thirty-three sheep a year for basic sustenance.