He shared his life story in an interview with a Turmush correspondent.
Kamo Kazantsev was born in 1965 in the Armenian city of Jermuk. His father named him after Simon Arshakovich Ter-Petrosyan—a revolutionary known by the party pseudonym Kamo. "My father read a lot about him and admired his struggle. At that time, a film called 'Kamo' was even released, which he often showed me," the man recalls.
When Kamo was 4 years old, his family moved to the Issyk-Kul region, as his parents, who were miners, worked in the Sary-Jaz expedition. There, he finished school and then served in the Soviet Army from 1984 to 1986. After returning, he got a job in the mining industry but later tried his hand in various fields.
Two years ago, Kamo Kazantsev retired and took up his favorite hobby—making flower stands. "My wife loves flowers, and I decided to make her some stands. Over time, acquaintances started asking if I sold them, so I decided to give it a try," he explains.
Now he creates products from wood and metal, spending about 3-4 days on each one. He collects materials for his work when friends ask him to trim trees in their gardens. Kamo sells the stands for 2500 soms at the weekly "Slavic Bazaar" [a flea market in the city of Karakol].
In addition to his craft, he leads an active lifestyle—jogging in the park and traveling to his native Sary-Jaz mountains on a motorcycle. Once, after seeing an advertisement, he bought a motorcycle from a French traveler who had traveled all over Asia with it.
"Sary-Jaz is an incredibly beautiful place. I miss it because that's where I spent my childhood. When I get on my motorcycle and head to the mountains, I remember the old times. These landscapes charge me with a special energy," Kamo says.
Recently, he took his wife there as well. "She was amazed, saying she had never seen such beauty," he shares.
According to Kamo Kazantsev, he is happy in his family life—he has two sons and a loving wife who shares his interests.
