During an interview with a Turmush correspondent, Aigerim shared that her homeland is the city of Jalal-Abad, where she was born in 1986: "My childhood was spent in Batken, where I also completed the first grade. Later, because my father was from Osh, I spent 12 years in that city. My first marriage lasted 8 years, during which I lived in Tokmok, but we parted ways."
From a young age, I often visited Issyk-Kul, where I have relatives, and I also spent two winters in Karakol. Now, looking back, I can say that I was fortunate to see the diversity of life in different corners of Kyrgyzstan.
My father, Kaparov Suynbai, who has passed away, worked as an editor for the newspaper "Bilim Bulagy" for over 40 years. My mother, who is now retired and 72 years old, has always excelled in the Kyrgyz language and literature.
My husband, Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Salmanov, was born on September 9, 1990. Since his father served in the army, he was born in Cuba. Vyacheslav is a Muscovite who worked as a captain and a police officer, and he graduated from the Ministry of Internal Affairs University. I graduated from Osh Technological University, choosing a specialty in municipal management.
We met in one of the cafes in Moscow, where Vyacheslav, just two hours later, told me: "I will marry you." The next day he introduced me to his parents and immediately informed his friends of his intention to marry. He even asked Kyrgyz people how to say "I love you" in Kyrgyz, and when he approached me, he said: "men seni süyöm" — this moment still makes me laugh.
When Vyacheslav came to meet my parents, we invited a mullah, and he converted to Islam, receiving the name Salman. We held a small nikah ceremony, and our marriage was registered three years ago at the Civil Registry Office in Cholpon-Ata. We have been together for 7 years now, and this is the second marriage for both of us. Vyacheslav has a 15-year-old daughter, and I have a 19-year-old son, whom he has accepted as his own. He actively supports him in his studies at the "Sapat" lyceum. Currently, my son is studying on a scholarship at a university in Malaysia, and Vyacheslav's daughter often comes to visit us during holidays, and we have a great relationship. I also have excellent mutual understanding with my mother-in-law."
According to Aigerim, her mother was initially worried: "However, after talking to Vyacheslav's father, when she learned about his Bashkir-Tatar heritage, she calmed down. Both sides were positively inclined. Moreover, Vyacheslav turned out to be very close to our traditions. When he came to Kyrgyzstan, relatives greeted him with jokes, calling him "küyöö bala" (son-in-law), which pleasantly surprised him: "Now I have a big family!"
“In 2022, we thought about the future. I worked as a permanent makeup artist in Moscow, while Vyacheslav was a police officer. He retired with the rank of captain after studying at the police school since he was 14. I even joked: "Maybe after retirement, you could work as a security guard?"
We used to come to Kyrgyzstan for vacation every year, to Issyk-Kul, and Vyacheslav really liked the local climate. Then my sister suggested we buy a guest house and get into this business, and that's how we ended up here. We live in Cholpon-Ata and manage the guest house. After retiring, we thought for a long time about what to do and decided to try our hand at tourism. Now things are going well, thank God.
Previously, Vyacheslav did not pay much attention to religion or traditions, but now he respects Kyrgyz customs and lives in accordance with them.
In our free time, we love to walk by the lake. I have also started to take an interest in painting.
If we stay healthy, we want to continue serving the Kyrgyz people and our land through tourism. When there is love, respect, and understanding, differences in nationality and distance do not become obstacles. I think our destiny is a confirmation of that,” she concluded.
Gallery: The love story of Aigerim and Vyacheslav Salmanov.
