In the summer, she hosts tourists at the pasture Kök-Jaiyk and sells her works there. A correspondent from Turmush spoke with her.
Ümüt Asanalieva was born on September 3, 1963, in the village of Tilekmat. She is the fourth of nine children in her family. “My mother was very hardworking. She made shyrdaks and ala kiyiz for all nine children — all by hand. I helped her from childhood, was always around, so I probably learned everything from her. She also made all the accessories for the yurt. Thanks to my mother, I learned to create all the home decor,” she shares.
After finishing school, like many young people, she went to the city to pursue higher education. “I didn’t get in the first year. My mother worked as a milkmaid on a collective farm, but she was already of age. Then the chairman, Turatbek Kasymov, offered me to take her place: ‘Work as a milkmaid, and we will send you to study later.’ I joined a Komsomol brigade and stayed in the village, working as a milkmaid for three years. Then I became a deputy — first of the village council, then the district council, and later the regional council,” says Asanalieva.
During this time, in 1980, she married a fellow villager and became the mother of two sons. Later, at one of the sessions of the regional council, she was sent to study in the city of Tashkent. “At the regional council meeting, they said that the party school accepts people with secondary education. I immediately wrote an application. The leaders even came to my house: they asked if I could study in Tashkent since I had two small sons. When I got married, my mother-in-law promised that ‘we will help you study,’ and she kept her word — my mother also said: ‘I will take care of the children, let her study.’ My husband supported me, and I was sent. I first went to Rybachye (now Balykchy), passed the exams, and enrolled. I studied at the party school in Tashkent for four years: I enrolled in 1989 and graduated in 1993. But by then, the party had already ceased to exist,” she recalls.
After the party's dissolution, there were no jobs in her specialty. District leaders offered her a position as a history teacher, but she chose a different path. For the last 12 years, she has been working with tourists coming to the region.
“We decided to rent land and host guests at the pasture Kök-Jaiyk. My husband’s aunt had a yurt. We asked her: ‘Let us start working with it.’ She agreed and gave us the yurt. That’s how our business began, and today we already have five yurts. Some we bought already furnished, while I made the interior decor of some with my own hands,” says Ümüt Asanalieva.
From May, she starts welcoming guests and tourists at the pasture. “Tourists really appreciate Kyrgyz yurts. Recently, many specifically look for whether there is a ‘real’ yurt. Some believe that yurts made of black wool look more authentic. Guests also love Kyrgyz cuisine. They especially enjoy beshbarmak, kuurdak, and dry noodles,” she says.
There are also those who highly value Kyrgyz tea. “Once, we had some French tourists. I prepared ‘kuurma chai’ [a traditional Kyrgyz nutritious drink that is closer in consistency to soup. It is made from strong black tea with the addition of milk/cream, flour roasted in melted butter, and salt. This is a hot, calorie-rich warming drink often used as an energy booster]. At first sip, it seems a bit greasy, and they initially said: ‘No, we won’t drink it.’ But then they started trying more, felt the real taste, and ended up drinking all the tea, saying it was very tasty. The next year, the same French tourists came back specifically for this tea. The translator later told me that they praised it so much that they decided to definitely return in a year. We had a warm conversation with them and prepared this tea for them again,” the craftswoman recounts.
According to her, many tourists also love tea from a samovar and often request it to be served that way. Ümüt Asanalieva hosts guests together with her daughters-in-law, sons, and grandchildren. She and her husband are now the parents of three sons. “Although I don’t have a daughter, there are many girls among my grandchildren. In the summer, they come to me, help receive tourists, and support me,” she says.
Ümüt dedicates her summer to hosting guests, while in the other seasons, she engages in her craft. She is part of a group of local craftswomen, with whom she sews shyrdaks and makes felt products — panels, souvenirs, and other items. “When I started hosting tourists, I met the craftswomen of the region and began working with them. As I said, I really love making shyrdaks. We sew shyrdaks, make souvenirs, panels, seat cushions, and home slippers. Tourists coming to Kök-Jaiyk also buy my products,” she says.
Once, tourists were interested in the panels and asked how they are made. Then Asanalieva offered to show the process and even create a product together. “We decided to depict the mountain ‘Jarylgyn zhurok’ [Broken Heart]. So, together with the guests, we made a panel with this theme. They liked it very much, and they took it with them. Generally, tourists often buy lightweight items that are easy to take away,” she notes.
The prices of the items she makes with other craftswomen range from 800 to 25,000 soms. “Thanks to our craft, we traveled to Turkey. There, we wore Kyrgyz national clothing, and people welcomed us very warmly. Many asked to take pictures with us. Once, while we were walking in another part of the city, a woman showed a photo of us on her phone and said that her daughter, who lives in that area, sent it to her. It turned out that her daughter took a photo with us and sent it to her mom,” she recounts.
In addition, Ümüt Asanalieva continues to engage in dairy farming: she used to work as a milkmaid on a collective farm, and now she milks cows herself — she has six cows. “I milk the cows, skim the cream. From the milk, I make ayran, and from ayran — ‘süzmö’. Dairy products are a waste-free production. Sometimes people even ask for the whey from ‘süzmö’ — they say it’s good for health. From ‘süzmö’, I make kurut. Each dairy product has its buyer: some love kaymak, some prefer kurut, and some — ayran,” she says.
In the winter months, Asanalieva studies the English language. “In winter, I study, and in summer, I practice by communicating with foreign guests. I try to learn English well. I studied it in school and educational institutions, so it’s a bit easier for me now,” she added.
