The Ak-Shiyrak rural area is located in the foothill zone of the Jeti-Oguz district in the Issyk-Kul region.
Turum apa, who is now 85 years old, was born and continues to live in the foothill zone of the Issyk-Kul region.
In an interview with a Turmush correspondent, she shared that she was born in 1939 in the village of Ak-Shiyrak. In 1947, she began her education at the Ak-Shiyrak school and completed it in 1954. Her father went to the front and did not return. “My mother and I were left alone and waited for his return. I remember how at 15 I corresponded with a boy from the village. Now I realize that those were my childhood years. Eventually, he became my husband, even though I didn’t want to get married. In 1958, I married Beyshanakun Kudashov. After finishing the 7-year school, I did not continue my education, as my mother could have been left alone. I remember how in spring we caught a snow leopard cub in the mountains. This little creature always looks charming. I took care of it for a whole year, and then my husband handed it over to the zoo. I treated it like my own child,” she recalls.
Beyshanakun Kudashov worked as the farm manager at the state farm "Druzhba." Soon after, they moved to the Zhanart area, where they engaged in agriculture. “One day a horse went missing, and my husband went to look for it. I was left alone in the barn among the mountains and, to be honest, I was scared. But over time, I got used to such a life. The residents of Ak-Shiyrak used the grass "kuyrok" [the shrub chilig] for heating. From 1952 to 1957, we collected chilig and delivered it to the outpost "Karasay." I grew up in the mountains, and since 1985 I have been living in the Ak-Shiyrak rural area. In my childhood, we did not have the conditions that exist now. We didn’t even know what sleds were. We processed yak skins and rode down the mountains on them. There were no problems with meat and butter. Throughout my life, I only knew of two illnesses — colds and fevers,” she shares.
As Turum Kokochо kyzy says, for disease prevention, they used the roots of local medicinal herbs. “My husband and I lived happily, raising 8 children. We have 20 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Now the children have their own families. I do not regret living in the mountains [“tooluk” - mountain dweller]. When I go down to the village, I always want to return back. Although I have no education, I enjoy a happy old age. I worked at the Ak-Shiyrak hospital [a midwifery and obstetric point], then as a caregiver in a boarding school. When the school was closed, my husband and I wrote a letter to Apas Jumagulov — the prime minister at that time. Soon the school reopened, and now it provides 11 years of education, which was great news for all families in the foothill zone. Previously, when the school was closed, the shepherds' children had no opportunity to study. Life in the mountains improves every year,” says Turum apa.
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Turmush previously reported that a dormitory for the boarding school was built in the village of Uch-Koshkon in the Ak-Shiyrak rural area of the Jeti-Oguz district.
The boarding school in the village is considered "dwarf" and needed repairs. However, it is convenient for residents, as children from remote settlements come here to study, ensuring their safety.
The village of Uch-Koshkon is part of the Ak-Shiyrak rural area and is located in the foothill zone.
Getting to the Ak-Shiyrak rural district is not easy: it requires traveling about 300 km from the district center, crossing the Soook pass and passing through the border checkpoint "Kara-Say."
On the way, you can see argali, foxes, and other wild animals that inhabit this region. In the foothill zone, winter lasts more than 7 months, and temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees. The village is located at an altitude of 3820 meters above sea level. Before the trip, it is advisable to undergo a medical examination to avoid problems with blood pressure and heart.
Despite the harsh climatic conditions, the residents of Ak-Shiyrak, Uch-Koshkon, Kara-Say, and shepherds who stay for the winter in the Pikertyk area claim that they have gotten used to these conditions and will not leave such beauty.
The main activity of the local residents is livestock breeding.
As the locals say, despite the small population, their friendship evokes envy in many. They came from different villages in the Jeti-Oguz district.
