“I have been working at ‘Manas Ordo’ since 1993. When I arrived, the museum was still under construction. Its opening took place in August 1995, timed to coincide with the 1000th anniversary of Manas, with delegates from all over the country in attendance. The first president to open the museum was Askar Akayev. At the beginning of my career, I worked in the museum, then became a ticket cashier, as I have an accounting education. After that, I moved to the position of a seller in the museum shop, then worked as an accountant-cashier at the ‘Aiköl’ fund, and now I manage material accounting,” A. Alymbaeva shared.
She noted that she has been married for 32 years.
“At first, I didn’t want to communicate with Talaybek, but according to tradition, he ‘stole’ me ‘ala kachuu.’ It seems that true love only came after we started living together. We raised five children, built a house, and cultivated the land. Two daughters are already married, and our son is also married. We have another daughter who studies at the university, and our youngest son goes to school. Now my husband and I are happy in every moment we spend together,” Alymbaeva shared.
She recalled one of the joyful days with her children and husband:
“I remember when our children started going to school. By September 1, my husband and I went to the market to buy clothes and school supplies. Suddenly, my husband disappeared with our youngest daughter. My eldest and I searched for them, got tired, and waited. And then they came back, joyful, and my daughter was hiding something. We approached and found out that they had bought a stroller for her favorite doll. Both were beaming, and my daughter’s eyes sparkled with happiness. I laughed but also scolded my husband a little for playing with the child instead of shopping. Nevertheless, the warmth of that day remains in my heart. Later, we all had lunch together and continued to prepare the children for school. For them, it was a real holiday — going on September 1 in a new uniform. That day became one of the happiest moments in our family. The memories of that moment warm my heart. Time flies so quickly: just yesterday I was holding the little ones in my arms, and today they have already become parents themselves.”
