CULTURE
Nearly
everyone in Kyrgyzstan is Muslim, but Islam has sat relatively
lightly on the Kyrgyz people. The geographically isolated southern
provinces tend to be more conservative and Islamicised than the
industrialised, Russified north. Ancient but still important tribal
affiliations further reinforce the north-south differences. The
Kyrgyz language has not been imposed on non-speakers in Kyrgyzstan
(as Uzbek has in Uzbekistan), and the use of Russian persists,
especially in the north.
Central
Asian literature has traditionally been popularised in the form
of songs, poems and stories by itinerant minstrels, called akyn.
But the Kyrgyz are also associated with something rather more
complex - an entire cycle of oral legends, 20 times longer than
the Odyssey, about a hero-of-heroes called Manas. The stories
are part of a wider, older tradition, but have come to be associated
with the Kyrgyz people and culture partly because Soviet scholars
'gave' Manas to them in efforts to create separate cultures for
the various Central Asian peoples. Although the oral tradition
is pretty much dead, Manas is still a figure for the Kyrgyz to
hang their dreams on. Kyrgyzstan has two well-known living authors
- Chinghiz Aitmatov and Kazat Akmatov.
Central
Asian food resembles that of the Middle East or the Mediterranean
in its use of rice, savoury seasonings, vegetables and legumes,
yoghurt and grilled meats. The food eaten in Kyrgyzstan has developed
from the subsistence diet of the nomads - mainly meat (including
entrails), milk products and bread. Kyrgyz cuisine is not particularly
subtle - a bland meal of meat and potatoes may be livened up with
a spicy side dish likely to burn a hole in your mouth. Tea is
ubiquitous, usually served without milk. Despite their Muslim
heritage, most Kyrgyz drink alcohol, at least with guests. If
you don't enjoy hard booze (commonly vodka), make your excuses
early. You may come across kumys, fermented mare's milk, a mildly
alcoholic drink available only in spring and summer when mares
are foaling. Bozo, a thick, yeasty concoction made from fermented
millet, is available year-round.
