Gulbubu Barkytbaeva, a distinguished educator of the Kyrgyz SSR and an Honorary Worker of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic, is currently working on writing her autobiography. She aims to reflect all the challenges she faced in the post-war period, the loss of loved ones, her love for teaching, and the strength of spirit that allowed her to overcome life's difficulties.
Gulbubu was born in 1943 in the Sokuluk district. Her childhood was marked by loss and trials. At the age of eight, she became an orphan—her mother passed away, and the girl was taken in by her father's older sister's family. Gulbubu hardly remembers her mother's face, as during those hard times, her mother often worked in the collective farm and was rarely at home.
Memories of women transporting beets in trucks remain with Gulbubu as a symbol of those difficult years. Life in her foster family in the village of Zhany-Alysh was a trial for her, but it was there that she found her second mother—an aunt who became close to her. In 1957, when Gulbubu was 14, she lost this woman as well.
“In our foster family, my aunt lived with her daughter and son-in-law Bartykbay. At that time, it was not customary for a son-in-law to live with his mother-in-law among the Kyrgyz, but Bartykbay was an orphan and had no home of his own. After my second mother's death, my aunt's daughter and son-in-law took guardianship over me, and he gave me his surname. This couple often lost children in infancy, so Bartykbay decided to return to his native village, following the belief that this would help them have healthy children,” she shares.
Following traditions, Gulbubu, taking the surname of her foster parents—Barkytbaeva—moved with them to the village of Kalininskoye (now Belek) in the Sokuluk district, where a new chapter of her life began. Every day she had to overcome 3.5 kilometers to get to school, but this did not crush her desire for knowledge. She became the only one from her village to graduate from the 10th grade. After school, Gulbubu faced a choice—become a teacher or a doctor. She chose the pedagogical path and enrolled in a women's pedagogical institute in the faculty of Russian philology, which forever linked her to education. An important moment in her life was meeting her future husband, a dental student.
After getting married, Gulbubu worked as a teacher in various schools, including the village of Ak-Bashat and the Suzak district. Over her 50 years of teaching, she raised more than one generation of children and instilled in them a love for books and art. “I love children very much, and they reciprocate my feelings. I remember the lessons when I was able to engage children with Russian literature. That’s when I realized that my work was not in vain. I taught the Russian language and literature for many years in Kyrgyz classes, working with children who hardly knew Russian. In one of the schools in Suzak, the students showed no interest in reading. I was a young teacher and tried to captivate them with literature. One day, I read them 'Mumu' by Turgenev – all the students cried. Since then, they began to treat me and my lessons with respect, looking forward to new stories and eagerly discussing literary characters. The main thing is that they started reading books,” Gulbubu recounts.
Now, in retirement, Gulbubu dedicates her time to writing a book about her life, in which she shares the bitterness of loss and gratitude for every moment of happiness. In her family, there are three children, eight grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Her life is a testament to the fact that even in the most difficult times, one can preserve warmth and love if there is a desire and faith in the future. This story is not only about personal trials but also about how pedagogy gives hope and life force.
Gallery: Gulbubu Barkytbaeva.
