Nurilya was born on February 12, 1961, in the village of Orgochor in the same district. After graduating from the Y. Gagarin Secondary School (now named after M. Tynaev) in 1977, she received an education as an accountant in Bishkek. In 1980, she got married and moved to Kyzyl-Suu, where she and her husband raised two daughters and a son.
From a young age, Nurilya was passionate about handicrafts, encouraged by her mother. After her marriage, she learned a lot from her mother-in-law.
“Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, I worked as an accountant on a state farm. When the Union fell apart and the state farm closed, I stayed home with my newborn daughter and immersed myself in handicrafts,” Akylbekova shared.
Initially, Nurilya sewed chair mats, but soon switched to creating shyrdaks.
According to her, it can take up to a week to create one shyrdak. “In our village, there are many household chores, such as milking cows, so I do handicrafts in my free time. If I had the opportunity to work all day, I could finish one shyrdak in two days. My husband always supports me; he even installs additional lighting when I lack light,” she added.
Nurilya noted that handicrafts are especially beneficial for health in adulthood. “When you engage your hands and stay active, your health improves. Nowadays, many people spend time glued to their phones. It’s better to be creative and work with your hands,” she said.
Akylbekova works on products together with other women from her village.
“We organize work into teams: some cut patterns, others quilt, some sew edges, and there are those who handle sales,” she explained.
The products of local artisans are in demand among both locals and foreign tourists.
Additionally, they introduce guests to Kyrgyz traditions. “I am often asked to show how a baby is wrapped in a beshik. I demonstrate this ritual, and tourists are very interested: after we lay a hypothetical baby in the beshik, they start rocking it and singing lullabies in their languages. They really like our lullabies and songs,” Nurilya added.
Akylbekova reported that the prices for the products depend on their size. Seat cushions start at 1,500 soms, shyrdaks range from 16,000 to 20,000 soms, and wall hangings start at 4,500 soms and up.
She also noted that the income from her handicrafts allows her to travel. For instance, she visited Turkey with other women, where she learned about local crafts.
“I am proud that through my work, I have been able to visit different corners of the country and beyond, represent our products, conduct master classes, and draw attention to Kyrgyz national art. Our works inspire other artisans. I am happy when women come to us and say, ‘I also want to do handicrafts.’ They ask where to buy materials, and we gladly share our knowledge,” Akylbekova noted.
In the future, she and her colleagues intend to continue developing handicrafts, creating higher quality and more interesting products, and sharing their experience with those who want to start doing handicrafts.
“It is important to dedicate time to manual labor rather than wasting it on phones. In the past, every mother sewed two shyrdaks for her children. Now, it is rare for anyone to make even one. Sometimes, someone does not appreciate the shyrdak that their mother lovingly made, leaving it outside, dirty with coal and manure. This is very sad. We must respect labor, preserve the knowledge of our mothers, and pass it on to future generations. When we prepare a dowry for our daughters, it will be wonderful to gift handmade shyrdaks,” she concluded.
In addition to handicrafts, Nurilya's family is also engaged in agriculture.
They have 4.5 hectares of apple orchard, and they also grow strawberries and raspberries, from which they make jam and sell the surplus.
“Strawberries bear fruit until the first snow. A kilogram sells for 180 soms, a small bucket of raspberries for 400-500 soms, and apples for 40-60 soms per kilogram. The products are in demand among both locals and resellers, who then sell them in Kazakhstan,” the artisan noted.
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