📰 Last week, 100 years after the first issue of the newspaper Erkin-Too, the Aigine Cultural Research Center began digitizing its early editions. This process has been both exciting and challenging: on one hand, there was the fear of damaging the fragile, well-worn pages; on the other, we could feel the spirit of that era when our ancestors dreamed of freedom and Kyrgyzstan’s independence. The Aigine team will continue digitizing issues of Erkin-Too from 1924 to 1927. We are deeply grateful to Ainura Askarova, director of the National Library named after A. Osmonov, and to Dinara Atabekova, the head librarian, for granting us access to these rare editions. This project is supported by the Pavanka Foundation under the “Cultural Heritage Meets Modern Technology” program.

⚜️ On November 5, we held an important meeting with master artisans Dinara Chochunbaeva, Mirrahim Oposh, Aiday Asangulova, Doolot Rysbaev, and Gulsan Atamkulova. We discussed the details of the new database design for Kyrgyz crafts — what materials to include and how to present them so that each section is engaging and useful to professionals and traditional craft enthusiasts alike. The artisans shared ideas on how to convey the spirit of Kyrgyz art in a way that is easy to perceive. Special attention was given to the design of the main page, which aims to instantly immerse viewers in the world of Kyrgyz craft art.

⛰️ Last week in the Kadamjay District of Batken Province, the results of the project Uluu Toolor (Great Mountains) were announced. The project involved students from three schools in the villages of Kyzyl-Bulak, Okhna, and Uchkun. A month earlier, we held training sessions for these students, explaining the contest conditions and sharing research methods and interview skills. The students gathered information on the following topics: Petroglyphs, Medicinal Herbs, Legends, Successful Women, Indigenous Kyrgyzstan, and the Events of 1916. The jury, consisting of poet Kiyal Tazhiyeva, school director Nurgul Mamyrava, and anthropologist Vladi Vladimirova, highly praised the students’ creative approach. The children presented theatrical performances, video presentations, and animations. Based on the results, 3rd place was awarded to the school in Uchkun, 2nd place to the school in Okhna, and 1st place to the school in Kyzyl-Bulak.