The Kyrgyz population is 5.2 million people. 65% are rural, 31% are aged less than 15 years and 6% are aged over 65 years. About 70% of the population is ethnic Kyrgyz, while 14% are Uzbeks and a further 14% are Russians. Rural villagers in mountainous regions are very poor, relying on livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, horses and poultry) for their livelihoods. The Kyrgyz are some of the best horsemen in the world. Games on horseback are a major cultural event, involving great feats of horsemanship. Kyrgyz men play “ulak tartysh” which uses a headless goat as the ball. It is basically rugby on horseback; fiercely competitive and exciting to watch.
A typical livestock farm family has 5 cattle, 10 milking mares, and 10-15 sheep. In summer when the family will be camped out in the alpine pastures, the woman will rise an hour before her husband at 5am to milk the mares. She will then cook breakfast, look after her children’s needs, then again milk the mares. Read more…