В Бишкеке прошел этнофестиваль «Алай шырдымалы»

In Bishkek the ethnofestival "Alai Shyrdamaly" took place

Over 100 handcrafted shyrdaks were brought to the capital by craftswomen from the Alai district of the Osh region. Felt products occupied two floors of the National Historical Museum and became a harmonious decoration for the improvised stage for performances by distinguished guests. The event was organized at the initiative of the Deputy Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development in the Context of Climate Change under the Torga Housing Association of the Kyrgyz Republic, Deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Dinara Ashimova. In her welcoming speech, she noted that the festival provided an opportunity for Alai women to introduce the capital to their art and draw attention to the use of sheep's wool.

As explained by the head of the "Eco Zaman" association, Chynarkhan Tylenbaeva, in rural areas, raw materials are often burned or left on pastures, which negatively affects the environment and the health of animals. In addition, improper handling of wool can lead to loss of potential income, as farmers do not use raw materials to produce various high-value products through handicrafts. Therefore, another goal of the festival was to support Alai craftswomen in promoting and selling their products. "We would like to receive support in acquiring equipment for wool processing and training our women and girls to provide them with income," Chynarkhan Tylenbaeva said.

The craftswomen presented to the taste of the capital's public shyrdaks of various sizes and colors with images of traditional patterns, motifs of the animal world and nature, headwear, bags, slippers, and felt souvenirs. For the festival guests, government officials, deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, and representatives of international organizations, an excursion to the exhibition and demonstration of master classes on making shyrdaks and manual wool processing were organized. The participation of high-ranking officials in the festival was also not accidental, as it was held on the eve of the celebration of the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alymbek Datka, a prominent political figure.

"Alai Shyrdamaly" was organized with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Kyrgyz Republic and the public foundation "CAMP Alatoo".