The milestones of the transition period following the fall of the USSR, were especially difficult for Kyrgyz women, who had got used to social stability but suddenly found themselves out of work and unclaimed. But the advancing tide of history and the thirst to survive and create were much stronger than admitting defeat and accepting a life of obscurity. The wind of change brought
hardships, but it also gave rise to new creative and entrepreneurial opportunities. Many women found their niche in the women's organisations they formed according to their interests. One such public association is "Kyrgyz Heritage", which has brought a group of talented women together. The sense of a new start, an urgent need to create and fill the gap of uncertainty and despair were especially strong in that crucial turning point in the history of Kyrgyzstan.

We sensed it and longed for it. We knew that the ideological decline would be followed by a rebirth. Our revival was born out of the idea of reviving the ancient kurak (patchwork) and embroidery. Patchwork for Kyrgyz women was perhaps the only means of expressing their individual talents and knowledge of life. Our pursuit led us to realise that the traditionally rich heritage of our grandmothers was fading; the old designs in historic items have mostly been taken out of the country together with their mystical knowledge and ideals. The meanings and rituals for which the patchwork items were made have been lost in the course of time. Unfortunately, it is impossible to restore everything. The nomad dwelling with the kurak suggested a well being, and high tribute was paid to the mistress of the house for her talents. She was cited as an example. In ancient times people believed in the magic of the kurak to ward off the "evil eye". The kurak was a system of self-protection from various misfortunes like disease, fears, the high mortality rate among children in families, and so on. They used to say that the more kurak in the house, the more income was expected. Hence a baby's cradle (beshik) and a bride's attire as well as the horse she was to travel on to her future husband's house, were decorated with well-designed kurak mosaics. A baby for his first forty days after birth was dressed in a special clothing (shirt) decorated with forty pieces of various fabrics gathered from well-to-do families. But the modern kurak has lost much of its original meaning and semantics, and become an object of diicor. Our expertise suggests that it is impossible to lead a traditional way of life and do only traditional things: the way of life, social surrounding, fabrics, the interior and exterior ideals, as well as we ourselves have changed. Our works are highly appreciated by our local and foreign clients, and connoisseurs and are exhibited locally and abroad. Behind all these works there is the labour intensity and creativity of art-loving women. The government's efforts to turn the country into a prospering tourist state imposes a special responsibility on everyone involved in creative applied art, as it is the face and visiting card of any country. The NGO "Kyrgyz Heritage" was registered in 2001 by the Ministry of Justice with the purpose of easing the poverty among women by means of developing educational programs in traditional folk art designing and producing skills. The Kyrgyz Heritage product is widely known not only in the Republic but in other countries as well.
The Kyrgyz Heritage has realized many projects including the last grant activities with the support of Eurasia Foundation funded by USAID. The project aimed at conducting a series of business seminars for unemployed women throughout the Republic. One of the grant components was the publication of the first kurak catalogue devoted to the most popular democratic folk art: quilting and patchwork. The catalogue became a turning point, a great event for quilters, embroiderers, school teachers of labour, designers, students and so on... The interest in the kurak has led to an upsurge of interest in the technique and in the kurak. We are witnessing a growth in the market for quilted and patchworked items including clothing. The Kyrgyz Heritage office is currently frequented by quilters, creative groups, students and so on from every corner of the Republic, who come for excursions to see our product and to obtain the catalogue. There have been several large organised groups of up to 25 - 20 women from the Jalalabat, Osh, Chuy, Talas oblasts.

Mambetova A.A.
Chairman of the Board,
Kyrgyz Heritage