A History of Violence
The country Kyrgyzstan is historically wrought with conflicts and control from larger military and economic powers across Asia, but from this can be seen an impeccable cultural resilience to commanding and corrupt elite. In 850 AD, long before the major military and economic powers of Asia, the Kyrgyz rose to control a vast portion of Central Asia after the defeat of the Uyghur-Khaganate for 200 years. Yet as the 12th century approached, an ominous storm churned in the Mongolian steppe. Ghenghis Khan united the Mongol tribes and shook the Earth itself with the hooves of a thousand horses and the feet of 80,000 men. This unrelenting militant monstrosity swept across the Central Asia landscape, forcing the Kyrgyz to cooperate peacefully to the horde lest they be massacred.
Genghis Khan - painted by bashibozuk of deviantART |
21 years later, the conquest of the King of Kings and his Mongol hoard ended far beyond the miniscule 77,000 square miles the Kyrgyz called home, a sliver of the 8,000,000 he left behind. Several successors battled relentlessly in their greed for greater power, and the Empire bulged to a monstrous 12,000,000 square miles. Yet none would see the relentless rule that Ghengis Khan had once borne. Weakening power brought dissipation of the Empire's unity, and Mongol leaders of the Golden Horde, the Chagatai Khanate, the Oirats, and the Dzungars fought over the land left by their great warlords. It was not until the 1500s that the Kyrgyz regained their freedom from bickering tyrants. However, liberation did not last long. Over the following 300 years, the Kalmyks, Manchus, and Uzbeks exchanged power over the Kyrgyz landscape. And though all of these exchangers of power occurred over a period of 900 years, the worst was yet to come.
In the early 1800s, Peter the Great unified Russia as the first appointed Tzar. The Russians began to fortify their borderlands, especially the Central Asia steppe. Consequently the area of Bishkek was founded, the greatest of these fortifications. But the nomadic Kyrgyz saw no reason to unify under a larger community. There was the land and themselves, and that was all they needed. It was when the Russians started making demands that the Kyrgyz had seen enough. Why would they hand over livestock that they had nurtured themselves on unclaimed land, while the Russian elite staked claims for land and resources from anyone? In protest of this absurdity, the Kyrgyz often slit the throat of every living animal they owned.
In the early 1900s the Kyrgyz witnessed the rise of the Bolsheviks and deep wounds to the Russian army from casualties in World War I. Demands were made for infantry, but the Kyrgyz fled into the mountains of Afghanistan and the steppes of China. This was just another battle of higher powers in lands far away, and another international conflict that only meant pointless involvement. War did not last long in the grand scheme of their troubles, and soon enough the Kyrgyz saw a brighter horizon.
Several areas of the USSR experienced countrywide starvation and economic collapse throughout communist governance, but for Kyrgyzstan this time was one of development and prosperity. A standard literacy language for Kyrgyz was introduced, which significantly increased literacy nationwide. The Kyrgyzstan as a whole gained greater economic power and even saw considerable social development. Recognition broadened as citizens of communist Russia began to praise the beautiful mountains, flowering meadows, and lakeshores of the Kyrgyz countryside among their greatest vacation getaways.
This was nothing new for the Kyrgyz. It was a natural recurrence to have waves of newcomers take advantage of their majestic natural beauties, a simple change of seasons amongst the 1000 years of other stampedes. Their spirits, strengthened by the nomads of old, had become as resilient as the mountains, meadows and lakes. It would be no different when Russians mass immigrated into the republic by the thousands, populating what had once been fortifications of the Russian Empire (primarily Bishkek). Indeed, significant benefit was seen by this development to the Republic's education and economy, but the Kyrgyz way would stand a stone through the seasons, through turns of centuries.
It was during the governance of the USSR that the Kyrgyz began to feel a stronger sense of identity. People began to question the values of the USSR over the idea of succession, of independence from all. And with these thoughts, movements for change began. Political decisions from Gorbachev brought a weakening Soviet grasp over the republic. During this time, the Supreme Soviet of Kyrgyzstan began to favor motives of secession. Yet there are times when even political favor cannot help those people amidst a greater power. Even without the support of many Kyrgyz, over 88% of Kyrgyzstan still favored their comrades in Moscow.
Over the span of Soviet governance, strong economic inequalities came between the north and south of Kyrgyzstan. Yet an ancient flame had been burning long before Soviet days, and the crumbling distribution of wealth in changing times simply refueled a long-stifled resentment between the Kyrgyz in the north and Uzbeks in the south. Political demands were made from both ethnic groups, only causing further rise of temperature. In June of 1991 boiling points were met on a national scale; the Osh Riots began. Terrorizing of property and heartless acts of murder and rape trickled across southern Kyrgyzstan, catching the attention of Gorbachev within two days. Conflict became so intense that the Red Army was called to quench the rage between both ethnic groups that caused the death of 171 people. And though the quarrel seemed transient, embers still burned in the ashes of the aftermath.
Photographer - A. Wooden |
Just after the Osh Riots the recently formed Republic of Kyrgyzstan appointed the first President, Askay Akayev. He was a man of early potential for the new parliamentary representative democratic framework. Yet this hope soon faded in the many years to follow, a whole 15 years of rigged re-elections and terrible leadership. By 2005, the Kyrgyz had seen enough injustice. Protestors across Osh and Jalal-Abad stormed the buildings of their leaders amongst collisions with riot police, gunfire, that ended in several deaths. Refusal to negotiate with Akayev eventually pressured the president out of the country, inevitably ending in his resignation and stripping of his title.
After issues with Akayev settled, President Bakiyev was appointed the following day. Though hope seemed to have come for the Kyrgyz people, they slowly watched as Bakiyev followed in Akayev’s footsteps. Failed reforms were matched by consolidated power. Bakiyev relished his position with incredible political immorality, tipping off political perks to his family and cronies while the economy slumped. With expensive energy prices, the common citizen languished from burdens of a corrupt elite. But even in the event of financial weariness, horrendous political moves reinvigorated deep seeded anger still growing in the Kyrgyz heart.
On April 6, 2010 there came the boiling point. A thousand protesters seized government offices in Talas. Encouraged by their comrades, hundreds of Kyrgyz left their doorsteps en route for the White House of Bishkek. Within hours, riot vehicles and military forces were quickly overwhelmed as numbers grew into the thousands. Security forces witnessed trucks slamming into the iron gates of Bakiyev’s complex, though he was not there to greet the lively crowd. Rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas were disregarded and snipers and armed guard moved in. Even with over 40 protesters and security forces killed, the fate was inevitable for the weakly guarded White House. Thousands stormed into offices across the building, tearing the place to pieces.
Even with such serious events occurring in the North, the great clash came in the south where all had once begun in the 90s. Pitiful political control of Osh by Bakiyev brought immense potential for those still fuming from the violence less two decades prior. The threshold shattered in such times of instability and uprising. 8 cold days of brutal attacks between Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and armed guard displaced 500,000 refugees (100,000 fled to Uzbekistan) and anywhere between 426 and over 2000 dead. Bakiyev had not fled the country from the battles blazing, and instead decided to hold a public rally in his hometown on April 15. Gunshots were heard, though it is uncertain whether these were from the people or Bakiyev's personal security. As a result of this clamor, the president fled the country to Kazakhstan, ultimately resigning from his position in the midst of the chaos.
Only a year after this political pandemonium, I stood upon Kyrgyz soil. Each layer told a different story where countless amounts of feet had trembled the Earth in the age of Asian conquests, the era of government reforms, and the decades of political turmoils. And yet, through it all, I would soon bear witness to a culture preserved today. For almost a thousand years, the Kyrgyz way still sprouted among the acres of agriculture and the thousands of meadow flowers.
Bokonbayevo
The open road had taken Dennis and I far from Bishkek towards the shore of the great Lake Yssyk-Köl. The clean air of Bishkek air was quickly outmatched by mountains, meadows and agriculture that greeted us through the darkness of night with an immaculate coastal breeze. So pure was the smell, yet wonderfully seasoned from salt moisture sprays of Yssyk-Köl and the agrestal aroma of freshly cultivated farm fields. Our communal taxi was sound asleep, save the driver and myself. I gazed into the abyss of the Kyrgyz countryside, awake in thought and wonder. My imagination trailed off into the possible visions I would see tomorrow; no multinational agribusiness or manufacturer had tainted this frontier. Even during the Soviet years Yssyk-Köl was commonly used as a nature retreat (for those that could afford to get there or make the time).
We had saved some money by taking a group taxi. Dennis awoke after the first stop for the young lady that had joined us. We bid her farewell and after dropping off an older man, Dennis directed our driver to a small hotel (the only hotel, actually) in the town of Bokonbayevo ("bo-cun-bye-vo"). He had stayed here before, and so had reserved a room ahead of time. What we thought would be a "room" ended up being a small apartment! Two bedrooms, two baths, living room, entry hall (complete with a chandelier), and a balcony stretching the entire length of the top floor... for $5. This victory of accommodation called for celebration, and after buying a beer from the hotel's tiny shop we sat down on our rocking chairs overlooking Bokonbayevo. The journey had not even begun, yet the first hours left us living large!
Traditions
I exited our front door in the morning for a first view of daylight. My images from the taxi ride came to life: a small town bordered by Yssyk-Köl to the North, open farmland to the East and West, and the Terksey mountain range to the South. Dennis knew this landscape well from several visits, and with a couple suggestions we had made big plans.
I was very hungry that morning, but Dennis had insisted that we first stop by to visit his good friends Ruslan and Talgar. Both were part of the modern lineage of to follow the oldest and arguably most knowledgeable hunter in all of Kyrgyzstan, Sari. Both Ruslan and Talbak had several birds of prey to show to us upon our arrival... after some tea and bread, of course.
This was the beginning of my exposure to Kyrgyz customs, and one that became quite awkward without the acceptance of language barriers. As we entered Ruslan's quaint, two-room home, we met his wife busily preparing tea. After a quick "asalam maleikum," we were immediately directed towards the living room in which a small table was filled with a massive plate of bread. Around this were cups of jam, butter, and sugar. We three men sat and began a discussion of sorts, one I would not be able to understand as Dennis broke into Russian. I patiently waited, wondering for a good while what the talking concerned. Soon enough, I learned from Dennis that he was simply recapping where we had been together, why we were visiting, and where we were going to be in the next few days. On the conversation went, and on I waited for translation. A wonderful distraction presented itself, which was my first encounter with fresh bread and homemade butter in 6 months.
Kyrgyzstan brought one fantastic culinary surprise after the other, and even this simple dish brought equal joy. As I sat in buttery bliss, Dennis chuckled and explained my story and happiness to Ruslan. All the while I loaded on the tea, served in small bowls and heavily sweetened with sugar cubes. I had no control over my portions as Ruslan's wife did all the pouring. As soon as I finished one cup of tea, another was being poured immediately. Never did Ruslan's wife make eye contact with any of us. Never once did she talk amongst our conversation. This brought us to a peculiar parallel; I couldn't speak a word of Russian, so I was equally silent. But this was tradition amongst the Kyrgyz; men would talk and discuss the world around them while the wife ensured our comforts in food and drink. I continued to feel slightly awkward having nothing to contribute. Dennis had prepared me with one word, however, which would end the serving of tea and eating of bread. I was thankful to know it at one point, for the pouring would have never stopped. I held my hand out over the tea bowl: "rakmat, rakmat."
Show and Tell
6 bowls of tea, 8 pieces of bread, and 1 awkward conversation later, I stepped into Ruslan's backyard. He had packed a sizable amount of livestock together in there comfortably, with his most prized possessions waiting for us in the back corner: birds.
The first was a baby raven, whose cries of hunger could be heard all during our conversation indoors. Ruslan had come with a bag of meat. Pale blue eyes examined me from within the wooden cage, all the while cawing for food. Ruslan came and withdrew the bird to offer an afternoon lunch, a bag of meat scraps that immediately silenced his cries.
Dennis and I stood distracted by the raven as Ruslan went to acquire his pride and joy. I heard him approaching from behind me accompanied by the slightest flutter of wings. Another raven? What is the deal with that? Oh, how wrong I was.
Dennis had told me stories and shown pictures of golden eagles several years prior. But nothing, of course, compared to being a few feet from Ruslan's hunting counterpart. The eagle's wingspan was almost 6 feet, sending gusts of wind with every flap as she balanced upon the ultra thick leather glove around Ruslan's hand. Her head was blinded, not for Ruslan's safety as much as ours. While we held her, we should not be seen so as to save ourselves from potential carnage. A terrified/angered/frustrated eagle whose beak could carve through flesh like butter is not my cup of tea.
Though I seem comfortable holding the bird in one hand, I'm actually engaging every single muscle in my body to keep from collapsing. |
I stood for as long as I could bear the burning of my forearm. This was the biggest bird I had ever seen in my life. Indeed, the golden eagle is one of the biggest of its genus. I experienced that first hand with her flapping wings, which could have reached nearly as far as my extended opposite arm.
A beautiful moment came shortly after I handed her back to Ruslan. He removed her headpiece. Once blinded eyes glared quickly in several directions, possibly to ensure the absence of threat. Ruslan stood steadfast, his arm only moving as she settled comfortably upon the leather glove. Her feathers shined a countless shade of gold and brown in blended radiance, with all predatory senses alert in chance of unseen danger.
Sari
Conversation was minimal during our time with Sari. In fact, since he only knew Kyrgyz, both Dennis and I were out of luck this time for saying pretty much anything. Dennis had prepared for this, bringing several pictures he had taken of Sari and his family on his previous visit. This gift giving would only span a short 10 minute period, involving the muttering of several Kyrgyz phrases and words that could only be met with nodding heads. Then, the silence. Tea and bread was served en masse. Family came and went from the table. The eternal 45 minutes left me observing every single inch of Sari's home from that particular position, that which would give me a dissertation's worth of writing to digress upon. It was a challenge, but connected to a deeper root of my observatory power: when you run out of things to look at, the patterns within them are infinite.
Eventually, another member of the family entered to beckon us for food. We sat together for, yet another, hearty carb-based meal (plus a little fish), and were righteously full within a short while. Keep in mind, we had just sat down for bread and tea only 5 minutes before and once again two hours before that. The cuisine was, of course, completely layered with the silence of language gaps. Dennis and I allowed our stomachs to register just how much we had consumed before taking a walk outside to tour Sari's yard.
The Taigan: another traditional hunting partner of the Kyrgyz |
Baby turkies! :) |
Big booty sheep! :P |
The Shore
Most of the land surrounding Sari's village was barren, reminding me of the rolling hills and jagged mountain spires of Ladakh. Just like that barren mountain valley, life also flourished here at the source of water.
I was immediately taken aback by how many similar shades of blue this low altitude salt water lake had with Pongong in the Himalaya. It mirrored the sky the farther one looked out into its depths. I was standing on holy ground, revered by the Kyrgyz as their second most sacred site in the country. This was their Ganges, a place for the devout to wash away their tainted past and begin anew. And the view to go with that purification! Mountains on a distant northern shore. I couldn't even believe a place like this existed outside of the stampede of tourism that had trampled the shores of so many other lakes across the world. Even in India, 15,000 feet in the air, little glacial lakes like Pongong had been overrun in peak tourist seasons. Setting these thoughts aside, I simply basked in the awe of my isolation. Nothing but the wind, the light clap of chopping waves, the warmth of the sun, and the nourishing silence of nature existed. The mountains... the lake... the world couldn't help but surprise me with the greatness of life itself.
Dennis and I returned to say our farewell to Sari and his family, which was unexpectedly combined with bread and tea. I had not prepared for this by monitoring my eating at the lunch beforehand, so by the time we bid Sari farewell, my body was weighed down a good 5 kilograms in carbs. Sari muttered some things to us in Kyrgyz, which we gladly accepted in poor comprehension. Our taxi rolled off and away from his small village. Dennis told me the village had been there for hundreds of years, long before the days of Bokonbayevo. Sari was getting old, and with no future plans to return to Kyrgyzstan, that may have been the last time I would ever see him. I had connected with a part of an ancient lineage, where each generation had surely mastered the ancient Kyrgyz hunting skills. With that thought, I felt nothing but gratitude.
Horseback
Ala-Archa, one of the many breathtaking valleys of Kyrgyzstan. Photographer - Palmer Keen |
Dennis and I had one last adventure to finish. This, in fact, would be my last great adventure in Asia, as my departure was only a short 3 days away. We couldn't have picked a better activity for this occasion: a horseback ride out and into the mountains of eastern Kyrgyzstan. I had ridden plenty of scooters and motorcycles back in the subcontinent, but this was a moment I had been waiting to experience: a real journey out and away from any form of civilization. Even in India, Ladakh had been scattered with small towns and military bases. This was the beauty of Kyrgyzstan: so much land was untouched by the developed world. Out there in the open, all that might be seen was a lone family herding cattle or sheep over miles of green grass. These massive hills or lush valleys collided with the jagged base of snow-capped mountains. Almost all of Kyrgyzstan's western region is covered by similar landscapes (Dennis' brother Palmer visited Ala-Archa, shown above), and we wished that for ourselves.
Joki and Asylbek were our humble guides, and met us early in the morning at the home of a local friend of Dennis. Unfortunately, we were not in for a wild ride up the mountain, as our horses were packed down quite heavily for the feast of a meal both of our guides had prepared for that evening. We left in a slow walk, strolling past the few dirt roads that made up residential Bokonbayevo. Within less than a half hour, we were out in the surrounding farm fields.
A local cattle driver |
We made it into the hills within the hour, yet so did the low elevation clouds we had seen in the distant not long before. For a short while, we walked through a thick mist. As we gained altitude however, the fog cleared to reveal a coming storm at a higher altitude. The temperature began to drop. Joki and Asylbek thought it best that we set up camp for now and see what the weather was like in the morning. Walking in high altitudes through snow was not the nicest move to pull on our hardworking companions carrying us. Joki and Asylbek tethered the horses and Dennis and I took time to set up the tent. Yet, as soon as all was set and done and the water was boiling for a soup dinner, both Dennis and I predicted what came next.
You bet! Vodka. No occasion of any sort, whether it be mountaineering, horseback riding, or a family dinner, was without it. Our serving sizes were limited to the size of a cup of tea. Wonderful! I had no problem with this, as I knew that I was finally in a country of good liquor. Even the cheapest of vodka in Kyrgyzstan was smoother than some of the finer varieties I had tasted back at home. And no matter what I wanted to do, it was custom that the liquor kept pouring until the bottle was gone.
A pose on a rock was then a balancing act! |
We awoke to find the hills above us frosted over with a heavy blanket of snow. Due to the potential risk of injury to our horses, we decided to back off of the rest of our 3 day trip. We packed up all our things and headed back down towards town. Yet, as we came down from the highlands, I had one last request. I wanted to ride full speed on my horse. I wanted to fly through the open valley and feel the wind on my face as I did in Jaisalmer. My ironclad steed was now living and wild, and memories of galloping through the Greek hills came swarming into my mind. Dennis had Joki and Asylbek load up our packs on their horses so as to lighten our load. Joki said that the horses were a bit temperamental, but I felt foolishly confident in my ability to handle any situation. 3 months of horseback riding experience under my belt? No problem!
In one fell swoop, Dennis whipped the rear of his horse and he exploded off into the meadow. I didn't even have a chance to command, for my horse followed suit in a race to catch his friend. In complete ill control of the galloping horses, we clutched to the reins with our lives. Rocks and ditches were everywhere, but the horses evaded in deft precision. As terrifying as it was, Dennis and I couldn't help but shout, whoop, yell, shudder, and laugh at the fiasco in which we had placed ourselves. Off we rode in a large circle across the valley, eventually gaining hold of our balance and flying alongside each other for a short while. This was, by far, the single greatest feeling I had felt in my trip across Asia. And it couldn't have come at a better time: right at the end! This was what it meant to live, to feel both the risk and exhilaration of life all at once, to be slightly in control and slightly out of control of the moment ahead, and (better yet) to see it all flying by at the speed of a galloping horse.
We returned to Joki and Asylbek and found them laughing so hard they almost fell of their horses. We had been a circus act throughout the trip, making them laugh all throughout the previous day of drinking and finishing off the trip with a clumsily performed gallop across their local valley.
Upon reaching Bokonbayevo, Asylbek invited us over for some more adventures on his family's apple orchard and yet another dinner. Besh parmak. This combination of boiled pork and noodles was an old tradition of the Kyrgyz that was only served for special occasions, so we felt honored to be offered such a meal of greasy noodle delight. We had quite a while until dinner, so we decided to go on a walk out through the orchard towards the shores of Yssyk-Köl.
Clarity
I reached the fence and immediately bounded over its rickety foundation. There I gazed, my vision ending at a grey horizon. The apple orchard was rich with the life of Spring but chilled by the sun blotted from a coming storm, an avalanche across the holy sapphire saltwater. The winds whispered to the trees, unsettling the weakly connected petals of a thousand flowers. Shimmering white shed from every tree, a bright fluttering snowfall across my eyes. And as fast as they pummeled forth, so did clouds begin to clear. There, on Issyk Kul's northern shore stood the frosted spires of Kungey Ala Too towering into the sky. No words or sound of awe were needed. I simply stood, and gazed.
I slowly wandered behind Dennis and the guides. I had found a moment worth wishing that time was still. How could life get any better? And with that thought, my longing of infinite India had broken past those borders. It was the world itself that was infinite! In seeking the truthful, resourceful, life-changing path through any country, I took with me the infinite possibilities for incredible experiences! I thought back to the taxi ride just a few days prior and realized I had simply limited myself with one simple thought. Why did I question the possibilities at Yssyk-Köl's shores, the possibilities in all of Kyrgyzstan? Why did I set a limit upon any country, when they are all a boundless ocean of infinite beauty so long as my mind to believes so?
It was this great truth that I had sought across the tens of thousands of miles of India, in the bustling streets of Bangkok, in the rising sun beyond the thousands of temples in Burma. Finally, my mind's eye was open wide to life's river delta of wondrous extravagance. And all along the way so much scented, glimmered, and resonated. These beautiful gifts of ancient times, modern humanity, and nature simply waited for anyone willing to seek their splendor, to those who would broaden their minds to the possibility of what had been and what could be. And though observation of inconceivable pain, unbalanced prosperity, rampant pollution, and continual suffering sometimes left me enshrouded, it was these moments where I surfaced; adrift, yet amongst the sea of life. And what was next, waiting in the horizon of a setting or rising sun, beckoning my endeavored mind?
Only time would know.
I reached the fence and immediately bounded over its rickety foundation. There I gazed, my vision ending at a grey horizon. The apple orchard was rich with the life of Spring but chilled by the sun blotted from a coming storm, an avalanche across the holy sapphire saltwater. The winds whispered to the trees, unsettling the weakly connected petals of a thousand flowers. Shimmering white shed from every tree, a bright fluttering snowfall across my eyes. And as fast as they pummeled forth, so did clouds begin to clear. There, on Issyk Kul's northern shore stood the frosted spires of Kungey Ala Too towering into the sky. No words or sound of awe were needed. I simply stood, and gazed.
(MUTE SOUND ON THIS VIDEO)
I slowly wandered behind Dennis and the guides. I had found a moment worth wishing that time was still. How could life get any better? And with that thought, my longing of infinite India had broken past those borders. It was the world itself that was infinite! In seeking the truthful, resourceful, life-changing path through any country, I took with me the infinite possibilities for incredible experiences! I thought back to the taxi ride just a few days prior and realized I had simply limited myself with one simple thought. Why did I question the possibilities at Yssyk-Köl's shores, the possibilities in all of Kyrgyzstan? Why did I set a limit upon any country, when they are all a boundless ocean of infinite beauty so long as my mind to believes so?
It was this great truth that I had sought across the tens of thousands of miles of India, in the bustling streets of Bangkok, in the rising sun beyond the thousands of temples in Burma. Finally, my mind's eye was open wide to life's river delta of wondrous extravagance. And all along the way so much scented, glimmered, and resonated. These beautiful gifts of ancient times, modern humanity, and nature simply waited for anyone willing to seek their splendor, to those who would broaden their minds to the possibility of what had been and what could be. And though observation of inconceivable pain, unbalanced prosperity, rampant pollution, and continual suffering sometimes left me enshrouded, it was these moments where I surfaced; adrift, yet amongst the sea of life. And what was next, waiting in the horizon of a setting or rising sun, beckoning my endeavored mind?
Only time would know.