Research of Traditional Crafts: Fieldwork in Issyk-Kul and Batken Regions Nears Completion: This week, Aigine CRC has reached an important milestone in its ongoing project to document traditional crafts across Kyrgyzstan — the completion of fieldwork in Issyk-Kul and Batken regions. In Issyk-Kul region, researcher Akylbek Kanybek uulu conducted interviews with artisans in Ton and Tyup districts, documenting their stories, craft-making techniques, and local particularities of traditional craftsmanship. In Batken region, researchers Mirlan Zholdosbaev and Ruslan Zhunusov travelled through all districts of the region. They collected oral histories from artisans, recorded detailed methods of production, and explored how local practices are adapting to modern realities. This work is part of a broader project aimed at creating the first national database of traditional crafts in Kyrgyzstan — a digital resource that will serve to preserve and promote the country’s rich artisanal heritage.

Cultural Dialogue: Finnish Students Visit Aigine CRC: Aigine hosted a meeting with a group of master’s students from Finland studying at the University of Eastern Finland, University of Tampere, and University of Helsinki. Their academic backgrounds include cultural studies, sociology, geography, political science, Russian language, and modern history. The meeting offered the students a glimpse into Kyrgyz cultural heritage. Students from the Kyrgyz State University of Culture and Arts performed classical komuz pieces. Famous manaschy (epic storyteller) Doolot Sydykov performed an excerpt from the Kyrgyz epic Manas, which sparked a great deal of curiosity and questions from the Finnish students about the role of manaschy, the structure of the epic, and its symbolic universe.Such meetings create meaningful cultural bridges, allowing people from different countries to connect through shared experiences and dialogue.

Artisans in Border Areas of Batken: Navigating Survival and Adaptation in Times of Conflict: On April 7, 2025, Aigine CRC’s team — Gulnara Aitpaeva, Aiza Abdyrahmanova, Mirlan Zholdosbaev, and Ruslan Zhunusov — participated in an international webinar hosted by the #HeritageAlive initiative under the ICH NGO Forum, focusing on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Armed Conflicts. Aigine’s presentation, titled “Artisans Living on the Border: Between Survival and Adaptation”, was based on field research conducted in the border villages of Batken region, an area deeply affected by recent armed conflicts. In 2024, a Carpet Weaving Centre was established in Aksay village, providing employment to over 40 women — a successful example of how safeguarding heritage can support post-conflict recovery. Aigine’s presentation emphasized the need for adaptive approaches to safeguarding crafts in crisis situations, supporting displaced artisans, and ensuring the transmission of traditional knowledge even in the most difficult circumstances.