In a conversation with a Turmush correspondent, she shared that she creates various felt products and hosts tourists in the famous summer pasture Kök-Jayyk during the summer.
Süündük, born on September 14, 1968, in the village of Tilekmad, is the seventh child in a family of ten children: 9 girls and 1 boy. She graduated from school and received higher education in the mathematics department of the pedagogical institute in Karakol.
“I worked as a teacher for only one year, then got married, took care of the children, and held other positions,” she recounts.
In 1993, Süündük married Janaly Akmatov in the village of Orgocor, and together they became parents to six children and four grandchildren. In their family, there are 4 daughters and 2 sons growing up: “Thank God, life has been good. My husband is a journalist, and he currently works at the museum of our village, which is the pride of the district and values Kyrgyz traditions. He supports me in my craft, as my products preserve our national values.”
Since childhood, Süündük was fascinated by wool processing and creating shirdaks with her mother, which became her main occupation. When the children grew up and she retired, Süündük participated in a tourism seminar, which inspired her for a new venture: “There was a seminar for artisans in the Ton district. My daughter-in-law signed up but couldn’t go, so I took her place. After the seminar, I was full of ideas: ‘let’s make similar products.’
At the seminar, she met other artisans from the Jeti-Oguz district, leading to the creation of a group engaged in making felt products. They quickly mastered the stitching of shirdaks and felting wool, thanks to their previous experience in this field. One of the daughters-in-law became a sponsor, ordering matching clothing for the group and purchasing the first materials. By participating in trainings and festivals, they accumulated experience.
“Communication with people and new places helps us develop, and our business continues to grow,” she adds.
Today, felt products such as shirdaks and tush-kiyiz are taking on a modern look and are produced as panels and small rugs, which particularly attract tourists.
In the summer, Süündük hosts guests at the summer pasture Kök-Jayyk, where she has three yurts. “When my children grew up, I worked at Gazprom and retired at 50. Inspired by my sister’s example, who hosted tourists in her yurt, I also decided to do this. I rented land from the forestry. We started with one yurt, and now we have three. In the summer, we combine work and rest, and this is our sixth season,” she shares.
At the summer pasture, Süündük welcomes both local and foreign tourists. “People are starting to embrace leisure. In the summer, domestic tourists come from different regions. We are pleased that they appreciate our nature and explore the beauty of our country. Here we celebrate traditional holidays, such as tushoo toi. Our work brings joy, and we become participants in these important events,” she says.
Foreign guests are also interested in Kyrgyz products and dishes. “Tourists really love kuurdak and often order it. We also offer them Kyrgyz ayran and kaymak. After tasting, they highly appreciate our cuisine,” Süündük recounts.
She also notes that to ensure quality products, restrictions on livestock grazing in the Kök-Jayyk summer pasture have been introduced in recent years. “We order milk from the Kochkor district to prepare kumyz. I use a wooden shuttle that I inherited from my mother-in-law. In it, kumyz turns out especially tasty and lasts a long time,” she adds.
Süündük urges guests to treat nature with care. “Once, Arabs came to us, and they decided to cook food themselves. We offered them to try our dishes. After that, they said they would light a fire, but we reminded them of the ban on that,” she shares.
Additionally, Süündük sells her products to foreign tourists, focusing on small souvenirs such as woolen slippers. She believes that engaging in handicrafts in rural areas is not only beneficial but also important. Despite the fact that young people show little interest in the craft, Süündük sees it as not only a source of income but also a means of spiritual development and communication with people.
“Every mother should pass on Kyrgyz art to her daughters and daughters-in-law. I teach my daughter and daughter-in-law to stitch shirdaks and work with felt, and I hope they will continue this tradition,” she concluded.
