Unusual Names: A. Osmonalieva was named after a queen from a fairy tale

Сергей Гармаш • 09.01.2026, 21:53 • Society / Analytics

In the "Unusual Names" section, we introduce you to Altynchach Osmonalieva, a resident of the village of Togolok Moldо, located in the Ak-Talinsky district of the Naryn region.

Altynchach has been working in the education sector for 9 years. She was born on February 11, 1975, in the same village. From 1981 to 1992, she studied at the Zhorobek Satylganov school, and then, from 1992 to 1995, she continued her education at the Naryn Pedagogical University named after Kadyrbai Mambetakunov, where she received her qualification as a primary school teacher. Later, she completed her studies at the Naryn State University named after Satybaldy Naamotov, earning a bachelor's degree. Since 2015, Altynchach has been working at her home school, first as a librarian and then as a teacher.

Unfortunately, she lost her husband 8 years ago.

“I was raised by my grandmother. There are five of us in the family — siblings. My father and one of my brothers are no longer with us. My mother, who was a nurse, retired and now lives with my younger son in the city of Kemin. I have a son and a daughter, the latter is already married, and my son is in the 6th grade. I also have four grandchildren. My husband passed away 8 years ago,” Altynchach shares her memories.

Altynchach talked about how she chose the teaching profession:

“I decided to become a teacher back in school. Although my relatives suggested I pursue sewing or design, as I have skills in handicrafts, only my mother supported my choice of profession. In the 2017-2018 academic year, I worked as a deputy principal in the primary school, but in the 2018-2019 year, due to a decrease in the number of students, this position was eliminated. Only two years ago did I start teaching; before that, I worked as a librarian due to the lack of vacant positions,” she said.

In addition to her work at school, Osmonalieva is fond of handicrafts.

“Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a seamstress for many years. I sew shyrdaks, do embroidery, patchwork sewing, and bead weaving. Previously, I took orders and worked on the decoration of Kyrgyz yurts. But now, working at school, I have no time for hobbies,” Altynchach shared.

She also talked about the origin of her name:

“My father chose this name for me. In my childhood, I didn't like it until one day he told me an interesting fairy tale. The name 'Altynchach' means 'golden-haired' and, as it turned out, belonged to a queen from that tale. Since then, I have loved my name. My father also named his younger brother's daughter 'Gulmari,' but she is unhappy with her name. I like my name; it is rare and beautiful. I was once told the meaning of the name 'Gulmari,' but I have forgotten it,” she recounted.
She also recalled a funny incident from a trip:

“In 2018, I went to a seminar in the village of Kosh-Dobo. Teachers and librarians from the entire district gathered at the district education department to travel together in one vehicle. I noticed that everyone started putting on scarves and cloaks, which surprised me since the weather was warm. Later, I realized that the road was terrible: we were jolted in the minibus, and we all ended up covered in dust. When our delegation got out of the car, everyone was covered in dust, while the others remained clean,” she recounts.

Altynchach also shared her experience in assessing students: “When I first started teaching, I had a student who showed no interest in lessons and did not do his homework. I gave him a failing grade, but then I got scared because his grandmother was outraged. It turned out he was the grandson of a woman I knew well. As soon as she found out I was his teacher, she calmed down and wished me good luck in my work,” she concluded.

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