Silk Road Treasures - The Times Of Central Asia

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Snow Leopards

Kyrgyzstan Adopts Snow Leopard as National Symbol, Unveils Official Logo

On October 23, International Snow Leopard Day, Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers officially designated the snow leopard as the country’s national symbol and approved an official logo along with usage guidelines. The move follows a presidential decree issued in December 2023 recognizing the snow leopard as a national emblem. The Cabinet has tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision with developing an action plan to protect the species and its habitat. Snow leopards are considered a key indicator of ecological health in mountainous regions across 12 Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan. The nation has played a prominent role in global conservation efforts, most notably by spearheading a UN General Assembly initiative that led to the establishment of October 23 as International Snow Leopard Day. Kyrgyzstan has also created the Ak Ilbirs Ecological Corridor in the Issyk-Kul region. Spanning more than 792,000 hectares, the corridor links major protected areas including Khan-Tengri State Nature Park, Sarychat-Eertash Nature Reserve, and Naryn Nature Reserve. The initiative aims to preserve habitats for snow leopards and other endangered species while promoting sustainable resource use. To mark the occasion, Bishkek also hosted the “Business, Ecology, and Sports - Ak-Ilbirs 2025” forum, which convened government officials, business leaders, sports organizations, and civil society representatives. The forum promoted the conservation of high-mountain ecosystems and introduced branding strategies positioning Kyrgyzstan as the “Country of the Snow Leopard.” According to a global assessment conducted from 2020 to 2024 under the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), Kyrgyzstan’s snow leopard population is estimated at 285 individuals.

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...

Culture

Touching Fairy Tales: In Ust-Kamenogorsk, Books Are Knitted, Sewn, and Brought to Life

At the A.S. Pushkin Library in Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan region, reading has become a tactile adventure. Here, books aren’t just read, they’re knitted, sewn, and handcrafted. Librarians have discovered a magical way to ignite children’s interest in reading: through tactile books that can be touched, flipped through, and even assembled. “The main thing is to find an approach to each child. Even if they haven’t been encouraged to read at home, we can change that in the library,” says Dinara Mergenbayeva, head of the Center for Knowledge. The idea was born from a desire to make books more relatable. “Who says children don’t read? They do, and with great curiosity! They just need something new, lively, and emotional,” she explains. Knitted Books and Soft Stories The library’s first knitted book was a Kazakh-language version of the alphabet primer Әліппе, inspired by Kulmay Sembayeva’s Aripler aleminde (“In the World of Letters”). Each letter is paired with a poem and a small, crocheted animal or object, which children can pull from pockets and explore. “For example, the letter A, next to it are an akhu (swan) and an ayu (bear). We knitted and cut out all the figures ourselves. The materials came from our homes. Even the cover was made from my old suede boots, they’ve found a second life now,” one librarian shares. Another handcrafted creation is Pushkin’s The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish. In this interactive version, characters can be moved around, allowing children to change the course of the story. Kids act out scenes, invent new endings, and immerse themselves more deeply in the narrative. [caption id="attachment_37026" align="aligncenter" width="355"] @Yulia Chernyavskaya[/caption] There’s even a trilingual crocheted edition of Abai’s The Seasons, in Kazakh, Russian, and English. Its pages include trees, snowflakes, flowers, and ladybugs, all detachable and fastened with buttons. Children can “switch” winter to spring, collect leaves, or “scatter” snow, transforming play into reading. “This helps develop fine motor skills, imagination, and a love of books. The key is to keep it interesting,” notes Mergenbayeva. Books You Won’t Find Anywhere Else Each tactile book is handmade, with production times ranging from three weeks to six months. The entire library staff is involved, from brainstorming to material selection and testing books with children. Special editions are created for older students, including a large-format album commemorating Abai’s 175th anniversary, with sections titled “Abai the Writer,” “Abai the Philosopher,” and “Abai the Musician.” “If a child remembers even one illustration, that’s a success. A book should leave an impression, visual, emotional, any kind,” says a librarian. Each edition includes a QR code linking to a digital version in the library’s electronic collection. When Children Bring Their Parents At Pushkin Library, reading is a family affair. Every Saturday features shared reading sessions, reinforcing the tradition of reading together. “The youngest children come with their parents, and later they’re the ones dragging them back. Kids literally pull their moms and dads to the library,” Mergenbayeva smiles. For teenagers, there’s the Literary...

Silk Road

Silk Road Shipwrecks: Virtual Museum Opens Maritime Section

One of Central Asia’s most engaging new cultural projects took on a new dimension last month. The Silk Road Virtual Museum, an online collection of over 20 exhibitions of pre-16th-century Eurasian life and art, has recently opened a section for the ancient trade route’s maritime history. An initiative by the Institute of Asian Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, the site allows visitors to move through themed rooms, just as they would wander through a physical museum. Beginning on a map of the world on the museum’s homepage, visitors click on the Silk Road locations that they wish to discover. Each pin on the map takes them to a video replicating a guided tour of art and artefacts from that place at a certain historical era. Just as in a real museum, each exhibit has an information panel explaining what the object is. Life on the Central Asian parts of the Silk Road is shown in exhibitions to Sogdian traders in Samarkand (6th-8th centuries), with camels often featuring in their ceramic art, and a room dedicated to ancient caravanserais (inns that provided lodging for travellers), including at Tash Rabat in Kyrgyzstan. Launched in 2024, the Silk Road Virtual Museum already displays over 1,300 objects in total. Their geographical reach mainly stretches from Venice to China, as the Silk Road is often imagined today – but there are collections from places as unexpected as Sweden and Indonesia. With the launch of the maritime section on 16 September, their scope now spans seas as well as deserts. Virtual visitors can travel along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, where there are already seven shipwreck exhibitions, each with its own unique story. The project is managed by VirtualMuseum360 and supported by an international network of scholars, who aim to make the Silk Road’s many eras and strands accessible to people wherever they are in the world. The web pages have two advantages over traditional museums, in that they are free to access and open 24/7. Leading the Silk Road Virtual Museum (SRVM) is Professor Richard Griffiths, the director of Leiden University’s ‘New Silk Roads’ programme. A distinguished economic historian who has specialised in the history of trade, during a spell teaching in the Chinese city of Chengdu, Griffiths took an interest in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. When he began to trace the policy’s history, he realised that the origins of China’s modern trade with the West can be found in the myths and realities of the ancient Silk Roads. The key to making SRVM work, he says, is collaboration. Griffiths tells The Times of Central Asia: “We’re not replacing real museums – we’re working alongside them. Everything we do depends on the knowledge of academics, archaeologists, and conservators. Together we can make heritage accessible to anyone, anywhere, without losing its depth or integrity.” “Our visitors are a real mix,” he adds. “Often people tell me they use SRVM before a trip, so that when they see objects in a real museum,...

Central Asian Art

From Rare Collectibles to Mainstream Chic: The Suzani’s American Story

At the turn of the century, a suzani, the traditional embroidered textile from Central Asia, was almost impossible to find in the United States. These pieces, once given as dowries in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, were the kind of object you might stumble upon in the back room of a rug gallery or in the private collection of a well-traveled dealer. To collectors, they were mysterious and precious, valued partly for their rarity as much as their beauty. Today, in New York and across the U.S., suzanis are everywhere. They hang in boutique hotel lobbies, appear in glossy interior design magazines, and are sold by the dozen on Etsy and Instagram. The journey from rarity to ubiquity is both cause for celebration and reason for reflection, and reveals how cultural objects travel, are reinterpreted, and can carry heritage into new contexts. Rooted in family life and ritual, suzanis were traditionally embroidered by brides with circular and floral motifs, each stitch carrying symbolic meaning. They were displayed at weddings, passed down through generations, and treasured as heirlooms, remaining within Central Asian households for centuries before appearing on international auction blocks or design blogs. Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, suzanis began appearing in the U.S., arriving primarily through Istanbul’s antique textile markets. These textiles - once private heirlooms - caught the eye of auction houses in London and New York as rare examples of artistry. As design editors and boutique retailers rediscovered their vibrant motifs and handmade quality, suzanis shifted from decorative obscurity to sought-after global accents. Collectors quickly prized their vivid palettes and dense embroidery, and museums displayed them as artifacts of a little-known artistic tradition. At auction houses, the most exceptional pieces commanded astonishing prices. For instance, a Shakhrisabz (Green City) suzani from eighteenth-century Uzbekistan was recently valued at up to £50,000 ($67,000) at Sotheby’s in London. As someone who once ran a family Persian rug gallery in the Midwest, I remember the excitement when a genuine suzani appeared. It was almost mythical, a piece that drew genuine excitement from serious buyers and curiosity from casual visitors. In New York, designers showcase suzanis as bedspreads, wall hangings, and upholstery, while fashion houses borrow their patterns for prints. The mainstream embrace is a sign that a once-overlooked textile is now celebrated as part of the city’s design vocabulary, and that Central Asian culture is being appreciated in new ways. Hand-embroidered suzanis take months of work, with their thread tension, symbolic motifs, and slight irregularities forming part of their beauty. Machine-made copies, now sold widely online, mimic the look but erase the artistry; selling for a fraction of the price, they may look authentic but have no connection to Central Asian makers or traditions. Yet the enduring appeal of hand-stitched suzanis shows that authenticity continues to matter, and that the artistry behind these textiles cannot be replaced by machines. As suzanis find their way into new settings, they show that traditions remain vibrant as they adapt and endure. Their symbols...

History

“A Road Not for the Faint-Hearted”: How Austrian Prisoners of War Built a Tourist Path in East Kazakhstan

A winding mountain road in East Kazakhstan has become a point of fascination not only for tourists but also for historians, filmmakers, and researchers. Known variously as the Old Austrian Road, the Austrian Route, or Irek Zhol (“Winding Road”), this nearly 50-kilometer path connects the Katon-Karagai and Markakol districts, cutting through pristine wilderness in a national park and a state reserve. Today the path is being restored, but the road’s true value lies in a dramatic and little-known past that stretches back over a century. A New Chapter for an Old Road In July 2025, authorities announced the launch of extensive repair work on the Old Austrian Road. With a budget exceeding $1 million from the regional government, the project includes rebuilding a damaged bridge near Katon-Karagai, replacing culverts, reinforcing slopes, and rehabilitating impassable sections. The most challenging terrain lies near Lake Markakol, where the route crosses swampy stretches, sharp switchbacks, and granite outcroppings. Yet these obstacles have not deterred growing numbers of visitors, off-road enthusiasts, cyclists, hikers, and even horse riders, eager to explore the wild beauty of Eastern Kazakhstan. [caption id="attachment_35993" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: TCA/Yulia Chernyavskaya[/caption] The Road’s Origins in War and Captivity Though few know it, this scenic mountain route has deep strategic and historical roots. Long before the 20th century, locals used it as a trail for horses and carts. But by the early 1900s, the Russian Empire decided to formalize the path, partly due to the road’s proximity to the Chinese border. Between 1914 and 1916, the road was reconstructed, largely by Austrian prisoners of war, mainly ethnic Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Galicians, captured during World War I. According to Vienna-based historian Lana Berndl, who has conducted extensive research on the topic, roughly 800 prisoners were transported from Austria via St. Petersburg and Omsk to the Irtysh River and then forced to march to the village of Altai (now Katon-Karagai). Around 600 reached their destination. Construction began simultaneously from Katon-Karagai and Alekseevka. Despite working only in the warmer months, the prisoners built a road whose difficulty rivals Alpine passes. During the harsh winters, many worked on local farms and integrated into village life. Some even married and remained in Kazakhstan permanently. [caption id="attachment_35994" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: TCA/Yulia Chernyavskaya[/caption] Tragically, several were later repressed during Stalin’s purges. Among them was Ludwig Fritzen, a Hungarian prisoner who stayed, married a local woman, and was executed in 1937 after being accused of espionage. Remnants of this history remain: roughly 30 graves with Gothic-scripted crosses can still be found in old cemeteries throughout the region, silent testimonies to those who built the road under extreme duress. Film Rekindles Forgotten History In 2016, Austrian filmmaker Ruslana Berndl released a documentary titled The Austrian Road, which brought global attention to the forgotten story. She first learned about the road from a brief mention in a German travel guide that described it as “not for the faint-hearted” and built by Austrian POWs. Intrigued, Berndl, then a doctoral student at the University of...