She was born on February 1, 1995, in the village of Koo-Chaty, located in the Alayku Valley of the Kara-Kulja district in the Osh region. In her family, there are three older brothers and one sister.
“I was the beloved and spoiled daughter, the youngest among four children. My childhood was spent in this picturesque village. I studied at the Aydyn-Köl secondary school and was one of the most active students. After finishing the 9th grade, with big dreams, I went to Bishkek. I dreamed of becoming a journalist, but I found out that I couldn’t enroll in journalism with a 9th-grade certificate. But I didn’t go back,” Kyzhibek shares her memories.
She enrolled in the Bishkek Humanities University in the economics faculty, choosing the specialty of marketing, and successfully completed her studies. However, the dream of journalism continued to haunt her, and she transferred to the journalism faculty, starting her studies from the third year. Unfortunately, due to illness, she had to take an academic leave and was unable to return to her studies, remaining with the profession of a marketer.
After college, Kyzhibek found herself at home due to illness.
“One day, a friend invited me to a meeting. After talking with her, on my way home, I met my future husband. This happened on October 13, 2014, on his birthday, when he turned 19 years old. He turned out to be a friend of my friend,” she recounts.
The next day, he asked her friend for her number and began calling her. Soon, he invited her out, and upon learning that he was from At-Bashy, Kyzhibek said, “It’s too far, I won’t communicate.” But he replied, “You will fall in love with me, you’ll see.” Thus began their daily correspondence and rare meetings. At that time, he was studying in his second year at university and working as a security guard.
As time passed, their affection grew stronger, but after two years, they began to argue frequently. One day he said, “I will do ‘söykö saluu’ (engagement by putting on earrings) for you,” and that’s exactly what happened.
After four years of relationship, he proposed to her. She thought for a long time but eventually agreed. The couple decided not to hold a “kalyna” (bride price) and to do without “sepa” (dowry). On her side, there were bride send-offs, while the groom's family organized a big wedding in Bishkek.
The day after the wedding, they moved to At-Bashy. Her mother-in-law came with them but soon left for work in Turkey. Kyzhibek recalls how much she cried when her mother-in-law left.
She discovered that local customs were very different from hers. Even the boorsoks here are made in a different shape. Taking on household responsibilities, she began a new life, sometimes thinking about giving everything up and leaving, but she continued to try because she loved her husband.
Kyzhibek mentioned that in At-Bashy, even if you don’t know a person, it is customary to greet the elders on the street with the words “Jashsynar.” This was taught to her by her husband’s younger brother, who is in the second grade.
Gallery: Kyzhibek Kurmanakun kyzy.
“Getting used to life in my husband’s village, I sometimes played with his younger brother and rode a donkey. One day, I sat on a stubborn horse, which turned out to be very fast. It galloped through the village, and I found it hard to stop it. Now I recall this with some embarrassment,” she laughs.
When she first moved, she milked 6-7 cows, strained the milk, made butter, süzmö, and kaymak.
In the house, she is the eldest daughter-in-law. Her husband, Uluk Jyrgalbek uulu, was born on October 13, 1995, and is the eldest son in the family, where he has two younger sisters and a brother.
The first year, the newlyweds spent in the village, and then they moved to Istanbul, where they lived and worked near Uluk's mother. In 2020, during the quarantine, when their eldest daughter was born, they returned to the village and have lived in At-Bashy ever since.
In 2021, the couple had a son. Soon their eldest daughter will turn 6, and their son will be 4 years old.
“Because of the children, it was hard to find work. But I don’t stay idle: I cook and supply mini-pizzas, homemade sandwiches, and corn dogs to stores. My husband deals in livestock resale, and the children go to kindergarten,” she shares.
Kyzhibek sometimes thinks that, like other daughters-in-law, she could move to the city, and her husband wouldn’t mind. But she decided to stay close to him and support him.
“Thank God, we have been together for 8 years. The thought of separation has never crossed our minds. We always say: ‘If we work together, we will achieve everything,’” she assures.
Two years ago, they started a new life by buying land and raising livestock. This spring, they plan to pour the foundation for their house.
Kyzhibek dreams of working in her specialty and has already sent out her resume. “If I can get a job, I am ready to work,” she says.
In her free time, she wants to open a social media page and run a blog dedicated to the traditions of Osh and Naryn, as well as interesting stories from the life of a young daughter-in-law.
Her main goal is to provide her children with a decent upbringing and fulfill her dream of having her own little bakery.
