They worked in the education sector for over 40 years and are currently retired.
Kümüş, born in 1950 in the village of Barskoon in the Jeti-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul region, shared that she met her future husband during their school years.
“My father was the head of the village council, and my mother was a teacher. In our family, there were 3 daughters and 6 sons. Due to my parents' work, I studied in another region until the 5th grade, and after that, I was transferred to a children's boarding school in Barskoon. At the same time, my future husband also entered the boarding school. We sat at the same desk. About two years later, starting from the 8th grade, we began to develop romantic feelings. Our childhood love led to a strong marriage. In 1969, after graduating from school, while I was studying at a university, we decided to get married so that no one would take me away,” she recounted.
The couple worked at the E. Kendirbaev School: Zholoman taught physical education, while Kümüş taught English.
Now 74-year-old K. Konokbaeva is fluent in Kazakh and English, in addition to her native Kyrgyz.
“When I was in school, I was always interested in the English language. A teacher named Kemelbaev laid a solid foundation for my studies. Thanks to a good school base, I completed a one-year preparatory course in Frunze and enrolled in the pedagogical institute in Almaty in the foreign languages department. There, I learned the Kazakh language and now speak three languages. My student years were rich and memorable,” she added.
Kümüş also shared that during her school years, she had long hair that reached her knees. “I used to braid it, but once I got sick after being cursed and spent 10 days in a coma. After I came to my senses, all my hair fell out, but I survived. The doctors searched for a diagnosis for a long time but could not determine it. When I graduated from the institute, I dyed my hair and got a perm. At the diploma ceremony, they didn’t even recognize me,” she shared.
K. Konokbaeva is proud of her profession, noting that many of her students also became teachers and translators.
“Zholoman and I started working at the school we graduated from. My first salary was 67 rubles. In the 1980s, a lottery was held at the school. For 1 som, we bought 2 tickets and won a Volga car. At first, we didn’t believe it, but then there was a key handover ceremony in Bishkek. Zholoman brought the car from the capital along with my older brother. After retiring, we often travel,” Kümüş recounted.
She also recalled a funny incident: “Once, when I was riding public transport in Bishkek, the driver suddenly stopped, and I involuntarily exclaimed ‘what a nightmare.’ The people sitting nearby were surprised to hear this from a woman in a headscarf. Then I decided to ask them a question in English, and they thought I was of a different nationality. There were many such amusing situations,” she added.
Kümüş and Zholoman are raising three sons and a daughter. They have 12 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Gallery: Zholoman and Kümüş Konokbaev.
