Yurts of Rich Herdsmen vs. Dwellings of Poor Shepherds
The yurts of rich herdsmen were usually large: they consisted of ten or more lattice segments.
Such yurts were commonly referred to as "ordo uy." While fulfilling orders for wooden parts of yurts for wealthy individuals, craftsmen connected the lattice framework with silver hinges; each dome pole, and sometimes even the wooden rim, was adorned with silver decorative plates. Special attention was paid to the decoration of the yurt door (kaalga). Craftsmen applied intricate carved patterns on it, adorned the inner side with silver plates, and inserted mirrors into the upper part of the door.
Rich yurts were covered with light, almost white felt. Various decorations gave the dwelling a festive appearance: colorful appliqués that adorned the felt of the dome, fringe, and tassels that finished the patterned woven ribbons securing the yurt. The tassels sparkled with countless silver plaques attached to them.
The walls of the yurt were covered with patterned mats made of chiy (chyrmagan chiy), which, with their calm color palette, provided a special coziness to the dwelling. Colorful wool was used to braid the chiy of the hanging door. All decorations of the yurt were made on expensive fabrics with silk, wool, and brocade threads.
The "jook" was bright with colorful silk blankets, various embroidered velvet cushions, and patterned woven ribbons. A prominent place in it was occupied by carpets—both pile and felt.
Colorful decorative strips "tegirich," woven or velvet with embroidery, trimmed with silk fringe, as well as felt strips "dzhabyk bash" were essential elements of the decorative arrangement of the rich yurt. All these decorations, distinguished by high artistic taste, were made by folk craftsmen, often socially and economically dependent on the wealthy and offering their talent for a pittance.
Wealthy herdsmen usually had several yurts: for guests, for each married son, and for each of several wives. Near the rich yurt, there was always a smaller yurt where food was prepared. It was called "ash uy," meaning kitchen. Wedding yurts (orgyo uy) were especially elaborately decorated among the wealthy.
According to craftsmen, the cost of the wooden frame of a yurt was on average equivalent to the cost of ten sheep. It could be used for about twenty to twenty-five years. The felt was supposed to be replaced every five to six years, as it quickly wore out due to soot, smoke, snow, rain, and wind, turning into dirty rags. A new felt cost on average eight to ten sheep (a lot of wool was required to make felt coverings).
Thus, a good yurt was hard to come by for a poor family. Many Kyrgyz were forced to cover their dwelling with old felt and often repair its wooden parts.
The dwelling of a shepherd watching over the wealthy's livestock was a stark contrast to the yurt of even an average Kyrgyz, let alone that of a rich person. The "alachik" was covered with old felt. The furnishings were sparse: felt and skin for bedding, a cauldron, a wooden bowl and spoon, and a leather bag.
At the end of the 19th century, many observers noted the poverty of Kyrgyz dwellings. V. I. Kushelevsky wrote: "The eternally torn uzuks and tuurdiks of the yurts show that there is nothing to repair them with. The felt is expensive; in a rare average house, one can find an extra used felt." He further noted: "Not every Kyrgyz has the opportunity to cover his yurt with good new felts. To felt just one good felt, two and a half arshins wide and six arshins long, requires from 25 to 30 pounds of wool. Repairing yurts may require several such felts in one year, and thus the poor are forced to live in leaky yurts that provide little protection from the cold."
Surrounded by such yurts, the rich man's yurt stood out particularly. It "was covered with white felt and stood out for its decoration and size among the others, which were sooty and flattened."
The Interior Decoration of Yurts Among the Kyrgyz