Our People Abroad: Nurbakyt Orozbaev Lives in a Country Where Kyrgyzstan is Known for the History of the USSR, Bivol, and Shevchenko
He was born on August 2, 2001, in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan. He was born and completed his primary education there. His parents are from Kyrgyzstan. His father is from the village of Moldo-Asan in the Talas region, and his mother is from the city of Kayindy in the Chuy region.
“Dad is from Talas. Just at the end of the 1990s, he and my mom went to Astana for work and met there, decided to settle down, and bought a house in the Saryarka district. But after about 15 years, my father decided that home in Kyrgyzstan was better, and we moved back for good.
After finishing the 6th grade, we moved to the city of Kayindy in Kyrgyzstan. My parents decided to be closer to my mother's relatives,” he said.
Currently, Nurbakyt is in Poland in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki (an hour's drive from Warsaw). He works as a laborer in an auto parts warehouse.
He graduated from Gymnasium No. 2 in the city of Kayindy, then enrolled on a budget at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University in the humanities faculty, majoring in history and cultural studies. “It's a pity I didn't finish; I dropped out of school by my own choice during the quarantine of 2020 and due to some personal circumstances,” he said.
“I guess I have been drawn to adventures and travel since childhood. I am from that generation that grew up on ‘Orel i Reshka,’ ‘Mir naiznanku’ with Komarov, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ And somehow my mom gave me a book about the history of pirates from ancient times to modern times. From that moment, I started studying general history. I like it as a science, every historical figure. And that’s how the desire to go somewhere awoke. Then after I dropped out of university, my family faced financial difficulties, I went to Moscow for work, and after returning to Bishkek, I met a friend who had been to Europe and told me that there are ways to get to Europe, specifically to Poland, to work in factories, plants, and warehouses without knowing the language. So, in the fall of 2024, I submitted my documents and waited for an invitation from the employer for a year, and by November 5, 2025, I flew to Warsaw.
People here are friendly. By the way, the first country I visited outside the CIS was Turkey, with its sun, sea, beach, and resorts. And Poland will become a springboard for traveling around Europe. It’s cold here, overcast, and you rarely see the sun, but the people here are so friendly and shine with smiles. Warsaw resembles a mix of old St. Petersburg and Moscow, and the transport runs on schedule. The pace of life is different, the rhythm is accelerated, and time is all calculated. That is, as I know, in Bishkek, while working, I wasn't in a hurry to get to work; (“byke, ezhe”) you could solve problems, but it doesn’t work that way here. And by the way, this job is my first experience in a different field; before this, I only worked in the food service industry in Turkey, Moscow, and Bishkek,” Nurbakyt shared.
According to him, the people in Poland are friendly and understanding.
“Due to the fact that the Polish language, like Russian, belongs to the Slavic family, Poles understand a lot of what we say or ask, for example, to ask for directions. But it’s easier to respond in English. Advice to the youth: learn languages.
There is a significant difference from Kyrgyzstan: the lifestyle, the people, the mentality, the pace of Poland, the rhythm of people's lives. You walk through the city and don’t fear going for a walk, that you might be judged or stopped by law enforcement for a document check.
I was surprised by many things. By the way, Poles know our country thanks to the history of the USSR, Bivol, and Shevchenko, respect. Sometimes you stand proudly in dialogue with Poles about our country. I was surprised that there are very few establishments that operate until morning; there are practically no nightclubs. This is still the capital of Poland. And of course, the architecture. Here, the architecture of the Gothic style is mixed with the style of the last century, and it is evident that (if anyone knows history) the influence of communism had a strong impact in Poland. There are many buildings that resemble ours. For instance, the Copernicus Science Center was gifted by the Soviet authorities,” he said.
“At first, it wasn't hard for me. How nice that my childhood friend Nurlan is here. He has been living and working here for almost a year; we have known each other since childhood because our parents were friends and communicated, and he is from the neighboring village of Kaptal-Aryk. I was just lucky to have him. He and his friends are great guys, friends from different regions, as we are all united by one home. Recently, we celebrated the New Year together, having a feast and launching fireworks,” Nurbakyt added.
“There are Kyrgyz here, but if you compare with labor migrants in Russia, there are certainly few, but we see each other and communicate. I live in a hostel with guys from Kochkor and the city of Tokmok.
In my free time, I take on extra work as a bartender for events (English is enough), and if I don't have extra work on my days off, I just read books and watch cult films. I go to Warsaw to visit museums and communicate with relatives from Kyrgyzstan. And if possible, I gather with the guys for a joint dinner.
My near plans are to see all the Schengen countries (even if not all, I must see Paris, Madeira, Amsterdam, and majestic Rome). After seeing everything, I want to save up for a startup and find my niche in Bishkek. I am still searching, but working in the warehouse made me realize that I don’t want to have the status of a labor migrant even in old age. It’s better to work in my homeland, develop, and bring benefits to the country,” he said.
Gallery: Orozbaev Nurbakyt.
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