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Creative Industries

Kyrgyzstan’s Creative Industries Park: Inside the Country’s Latest Artistic “Miracle”

Kyrgyz cinema in the 1960s to 1970s was sometimes referred to as the ‘Kyrgyz Miracle’, for the number of great pieces that were made during this time. This is still symbolic today, as the country is now in another ‘miracle’ era for the creative industries, which is setting an example not just for the Central Asia region, but globally. In 2023 Daniyar Amanaliev, Co-Founder of an art studio named Ololo and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Creative Industries Park, told Deutsche Welle: “We have a very small country. When you start a business here, it's very difficult to start making money because the market is so small. And our innovators are people who are involved in creative businesses. Almost all of these companies have intangible products that cannot be stopped at customs or sealed in a warehouse. Everything is in people's heads, on computers, in the cloud, and this is exactly the kind of business model that can thrive in the Kyrgyz Republic”. This story starts with Ololo, a small art studio in Bishkek founded in 2016 by Daniar Amanaliev, Ainura Amanalieva, Atai Sadybakasov, and Victoria Yurtaeva. The initial idea was to change the lifestyle of Kyrgyz citizens, enriching their lives with different forms of art, and let them pursue the dreams of their youth. The studio provided a wide range of art classes with no age restrictions. The company soon switched its business model to operating creative hubs. Yurtaeva soon left the project. Fast forward nine years and in 2025 Ololo is the largest chain of creative hubs in Central Asia, with nine locations in Kyrgyzstan and an upcoming launch of their tenth location in Kazakhstan. In October 2021 Ololo was crucial to the launch of the Association of Creative Industries of the Kyrgyz Republic, together with eight other companies from the creative industries. Starting as a modest group, the association is now among the most active associations in the country, with over 50 member companies representing over 20 creative industries. In April 2022 the country’s President Sadyr Japarov signed an Order on the development of the creative industries. He even visited the very first Create4 creative industries festival later that year. Kyrgyzstan’s Creative Industries Park (CIP) came into being in summer 2022. Almost a year later, the relevant amendments to the national Tax Code were approved. In June 2023 a government order regulating the operations of the Creative Industries Park was adopted. And, finally, the register of industries exempt from taxes under the Creative Industries Park were defined in December of 2023. While it may seem easy from the outside, the Association of Creative Industries had to deal with significant pushback from various government agencies and officials, who did not believe in the potential of the creative industries. It took almost three years to complete the process and only in 2024, three years after the association was founded, did the Creative Industries Park become operational. In February 2024 a Supervisory Board was appointed. CIP’s Management...

TCA Interviews

TCA Interview: Director Yernar Nurgaliyev: “It’s Time for Kazakh Cinema to Make Its Mark on the World”

Yernar Nurgaliyev still describes painting as his first love. Only now, instead of a brush, he uses a camera, and instead of a canvas, a screen. Today he shoots comedies, and dreams of a Kazakh multiverse where heroes never die. He is certain of one thing: Kazakh culture will be eternal, and he is doing everything possible to make it so. The Times of Central Asia spoke with the director about how he entered film, what he plans to shoot next, and why he believes it is time for Kazakhstan to make itself known to the world. TCA: Your films are always visually striking. Is this because you were originally trained as an artist? Nurgaliyev: Yes. I graduated from art college, then enrolled at the Zhurgenov Academy of Arts to study set design. I thought I would deepen my craft, but the first courses turned out to be a repeat of the college programme. I was very bored, so I decided to go to work. I didn’t start with music videos, but as an assistant propmaster. At that time, senior students recruited assistants from among firstyear students. An energetic girl, a production designer, asked me to help her with her diploma. Before that, I wasn’t interested in cinema at all, I lived for painting: I painted from life and did portraits. But when I saw the filmset, it was “wow.” I realised I wanted to work there. And I stopped going to the academy. I wanted to quit, but they wouldn’t let me. TCA: But you still got your diploma? Nurgaliyev: Yes, although it was difficult. I had nothing to do at the academy, still life, portraits, I had already done all that in college. There, they didn’t break us but helped us find our own style. At the academy, it was the opposite: the teacher said, “Draw like me.” But I can’t draw like someone else. I can only draw in my own way. TCA: Do you paint now? Nurgaliyev: I hardly have any time, but I recently picked up a brush again, and my hand remembers everything. Oil, watercolour, gouache, it’s as if there was no break. I am grateful to my hand; it remembers everything it was taught. TCA: Which is more important, talent or perseverance? Nurgaliyev: There are people who are gifted by God. But a gift is only the beginning. If you slack off and don’t develop, nothing will come of it. The worst thing is when a person is gifted but does nothing with it. I don’t sit still. If I have one day without work, it feels like I haven’t filmed for a year. I always need to be on the move. If the pause drags on, I start calling my friends myself: “Let’s come up with something.” [caption id="attachment_39639" align="aligncenter" width="300"] @Galiya Baizhanova[/caption] TCA: This year, you turned down many projects, choosing instead to focus on another film. Is this a new stage? Nurgaliyev: I’ve matured. Next year, I plan to shoot three of...

Literature

TCA Interview: Author Judith Lindbergh on Her Novel “Akmaral”, Set on the Kazakh Steppe

In recent years, many international writers have written books about Kazakhstan. One of these is the American author Judith Lindbergh, whose latest historical novel, Akmaral, is set on the Kazakh steppe. TCA: The story of Akmaral is related to Central Asia, and particularly, Kazakhstan... JL: Absolutely correct. Akmaral is about a nomadic woman warrior on the Central Asian steppes in the 5th century BCE. It’s based on archaeology that many of your readers are likely familiar with: the Siberian Ice Maiden discovered in Tuva and the Issyk Golden Warrior of Kazakhstan. These two burials were just the beginning of my research, which also included the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus about the Amazon warrior women who fought in the Trojan War. I delved deeply into the history, landscape, and cultures of Central Asia, both ancient and modern. In writing my novel, I worked hard to understand how people lived, and still live, on the steppes: their traditional nomadic ways of herding and hunting, and especially how this ancient, often-forgotten culture fits into the broader story of human civilization. [caption id="attachment_38735" align="aligncenter" width="349"] Judith Lindbergh[/caption] TCA: How did the idea to write such a novel come about? JL: It all started with a documentary about the Siberian Ice Maiden. I love ancient history and archaeology, especially when they reveal truths about women’s lives. The Ice Maiden burial was fascinating. Her body was so well preserved that I could almost imagine her standing before me. I wanted to understand how she might have lived, and to uncover the mystery of why she was buried in such an isolated place. As I continued my research, I realized that she was not the only important female burial from that era in Central Asia. There were, in fact, countless others. Many women who had died of war wounds were buried with weapons. I began combining these burials in my imagination to create my main character, Akmaral, which I learned means “White Deer.” The name felt connected to the Siberian Ice Maiden’s famous tattoo, which became an important spiritual symbol in my novel. I used extensive research to try to accurately represent what life might have been like for these ancient women. In historical fiction, as in history itself, women rarely play significant roles in public life. Yet these artifacts and burials show us that many nomadic women once held important military and spiritual positions. There are almost no works written in English about nomadic peoples, including the real life and history of the Kazakhs. In fact, nomads were people who lived freely and truly in their time. And now we are not able to glorify their values, their way of life. What do you think about this? You’re right that there’s very little written in the West about the Sarmatians, or really much about Central Asia at all. I wanted to bring my fascination with this vital, “forgotten” part of history to new readers. In many ways, it can be hard for modern...

Literature

Kazakhstan Highlights Its Literary Heritage at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair

From October 15 to 19, Kazakhstan took part in the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse in Germany – one of the world’s most prominent and influential international book fairs. At its national stand, the country presented a diverse selection of new publications from leading Kazakh publishers to a global readership. Celebrating its 77th edition, this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair featured more than 30 delegates from Kazakhstan, from major publishing houses such as Mektep, Almatykitap, Atamura, ARMAN-PV, Steppe & World Publishing, Evero, Kazformoms, and AmalBooks. [caption id="attachment_38141" align="aligncenter" width="351"] @TCA[/caption] The national pavilion became an important hub for expanding international publishing partnerships. Approximately 350 Kazakh titles were showcased, spanning a wide range of genres from literary fiction and scholarly works to educational and children’s books. Book Presentations and Highlights Several notable book launches took place during the fair. Of particular interest was the multilingual edition Abai’s “Words of Wisdom: Legacy for Generations”, translated into seven languages and presented with the participation of German writer Anja Tuckermann. Another major highlight was a creative presentation of Mirzhakyp Dulatov’s timeless novel “Unfortunate Jamal”, regarded as one of the classics of Kazakh literature. [caption id="attachment_38142" align="aligncenter" width="224"] @TCA[/caption] The Consul General of Kazakhstan in Frankfurt am Main, Tauboldy Umbetbayev, visited the national pavilion to show support for the Kazakh delegation and to emphasize literature’s vital role in promoting cultural diplomacy. Throughout the fair, publishers from Canada, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Germany, Singapore, and several other countries met with Kazakh representatives to discuss potential collaborations.

Sports

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina Qualifies for WTA Finals with Japan Win

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has secured the last available spot in the WTA Tour Finals after a win over Victoria Mboko in Tokyo. Rybakina defeated the Canadian 6-3, 7-6 (4) with big serves and powerful groundstrokes on Friday, reaching the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open and qualifying for the elite yearend event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eight singles players as well as doubles teams will compete in the November 1-8 WTA finals. Russia-born Rybakina, 26, has won two tournaments this season and will appear in the WTA finals for the third year in a row. She was Wimbledon champion in 2022. “She has such easy power and she moves well. The serve is a killer. She has all the shots and she’s proven she can win on any surface,” Martina Navratilova, who won the tour championships eight times, said in comments posted on the WTA website. “If I were her, I’d work on the slice more, just to change things up. Mix in more drop shots off both wings so she can knife the ball and keep opponents guessing. It’s hard to tell sometimes what she’s thinking on court -- she has a serious game face -- but with the way she’s been playing in Asia, you can’t count her out. She’s playing as well as she has all season.” Rybakina, ranked seventh in the world, now has a 2-1 record against 19-year-old Mboko. She beat the Canadian in the round of 16 in Washington, D.C. in July but lost to her in a third-set tiebreaker in the Montreal semifinals in August. “She was serving so well that it was very difficult,” Rybakina said in an on-court interview after the Tokyo match. The Kazakhstani player saved a set point in the tight second set. The other players who have qualified for the WTA finals are world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini. Gauff won the event last year.

Culture

East Kazakhstan Falconry Festival Brings Together Guardians of Steppe Traditions

The fifth International Falconry Festival was held this month in East Kazakhstan, bringing together falconry masters and custodians of ancient culture from seven countries. A Festival That Brings the Steppe to Life Traditionally held in Ulan district near the village of Bozanbay, the event, also known as Shygys Salburyny, drew more than 100 participants, including falconers and cultural figures from Kazakhstan, as well as guests from Spain, Hungary, Russia, Mongolia, China, and Kyrgyzstan. [caption id="attachment_37948" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] @TCA[/caption] Shygys Salburyny is a celebration of nomadic civilization, where customs and crafts are revived, ancestral songs are sung, ancient rituals performed, and golden eagles once again soar over the steppe. Every gesture of the participants reflects respect for the past, for the harmony between humans and nature, and for the spirit that nurtures strength and nobility. 'Berkutchi' and Golden Eagles: Guardians of the Sky and Steppe For as long as the Kazakh steppe has existed, golden eagles have ruled its skies. Revered for their strength and freedom, their cries louder than the wind, their flight graceful over mountains and rivers, the birds inspired the development of sayat, the art of hunting with birds of prey. From this tradition emerged the berkutchi, a unique brotherhood of falconers. A berkutchi is more than a hunter. He understands nature’s rhythm, reads the wind’s breath, and senses his bird’s mood. The bond between falconer and eagle cannot be imposed; it must be earned. Historically, hunting with golden eagles was a matter of survival, especially in the harsh winter months when eagles provided both meat and feathers for warmth. Over time, sayat evolved into a symbol of spiritual strength, courage, and reverence for nature. A true berkutchi was revered like a batyr, a warrior, respected for his calm, fairness, and poise. [caption id="attachment_37950" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] @TCA[/caption] Training a young eagle is an intricate art, requiring patience and reverence. Eaglets are taken from the nest and slowly trained to accept the falconer’s hand and voice. Trust is built gradually, as the bird learns to recognize and respond to its handler. Every detail is vital from hand movements to shadows on the ground. Before a hunt, the falconer dons an iyanga (sturdy glove) and fits a tomaga (leather hood) on the bird’s head to block light until the moment of release. A whispered prayer to the spirits of the steppe precedes the flight, reminding all that hunting is not conquest, but a respectful exchange with nature. Sayat Today The sayat tradition endures in many parts of Kazakhstan, but East Kazakhstan remains its heartland. “Not every bird flies in immediately,” said Daniyar Nurbek, chief judge of the festival, speaking to The Times of Central Asia. “What matters isn’t force, but mutual understanding. There must be a deep, almost spiritual bond between hunter and eagle, it cannot be commanded, only nurtured.” [caption id="attachment_37951" align="aligncenter" width="600"] @TCA[/caption] Youngsters and Masters The festival welcomed both seasoned falconers and novices. Among them, seven-year-old Abdurashid Mamyrkhan drew particular attention. His father, Mamyrkhan Manayuly, explained that...