Culture

The Kyrgyz were traditionally nomads, who originally came from Siberia and then moved to what today is Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz culture has been greatly influenced by their nomadic heritage. It is reflected in the way a household was run, in customs and rites. People decorated their homes with items that were both beautiful and practical. The masterpiece of folk creation is the Kyrgyz yurt (yourt, yurta, tent), which was easy to assemble and transport from place to place.

Horse-back riding is one of the most important parts of Kyrgyz culture, and a Kyrgyz saying even says: "If you would have only one day to live, you should spend at least half of it in the saddle." An abundance of horse-back riding games exist, which are often presented with festivals or shows, and the perfection of the Kyrgyz in their saddle.

Traditionally, children used to learn how to ride a horse when they just start walking. Girls, on the other hand, learned traditional handicraft, creating beautiful carpets. The most famous carpets are shyrdak and ala-kiyiz, which are both made from sheep’s felt and shows geometric patterns seen in nature.
The symbol of the Kyrgyz life is the yurt. Until the country’s industrialization in 1920s a yurt was the home of choice for many Kyrgyz. The top of the yurt has an opening for smoke and fresh air, and is represented in the country’s flag. The Kyrgyz flag is red and round in the centre, symbolically showing the tyunduk - the central part of the yurts roof.

The yurt is a multifunctional, portable home, consisting of a wooden construction and the felt covers. The whole structure is fixed with short leather-ribbons (instead of nails) and ropes made from animals hair.

Besides the yurt, another very important part of Kyrgyz culture and pride is national folk hero Manas. The epos that has been named after him and consists of three parts, tells the story of the hero Manas and his son and grandson, in the 10 th century. He has been born in the region of Talas, in the north-west of the country, and it is said that at the age of 9, he already defeated the snake with wings - the scene can be watched in Bishkek in form of a statue at the place in front of the Philharmonia.

The epos, which is longer than the Odyssey and Iliad together, has been passed on orally from generation to generation over millennia, and the first written version appeared only in 1920s.

The storytellers and -singers who were able to sing this important masterpiece were highly honored and respected, they were called "Manaschi".

Kyrgyz instruments

Komuz - crafted from a single piece of wood, with three strings. The modern komuz is about 85-90 cm long with strings made of kapron. To play the komuz, the performer holds it in a horizontal position while seated or rarely standing. Numerous playing techniques are possible and mastery of the right (plucking) hand technique especially allows for playing of a variety of difficult and complex compositions. The komuz is a standard member of any Kyrgyz folk music group.

Kyyak - a string and bow instrument 60-70 cm in length. The traditional kyyak is made from the wood of an apricot tree and has two strings of untwisted horse hair. Horse hair is also used for bow. The kyyak is played by a master performer (kyyakchi) in a seated position with the instrument held vertically, while the stretched hair on the bow is drawn gently across the strings. The fingers of the left hand do not press the strings to the fingerboard; they gently touch it, producing colorful, harmonic tones similar to certain techniques used in violin playing. Given two options for tuning, the upper string is melodious while the lower string is resonant. The traditional kyyak is an instrument transposing one octave down. The majority of the traditional compositions for the kyyak are very lyrical and heartfelt, which is completely in accordance with the musical nature of the instrument.