Nurzhan and Uulzhan Sultangazy kyzy are 28-year-old twins from the Naryn region, who have amazed those around them with their striking resemblance since early childhood. Their relatives even confused them in their childhood, and now they can only be distinguished by a small birthmark.
According to Nurzhan, their birth was a real surprise for the family. “Mom didn’t know she was expecting twins and found out only during labor. Dad was far away at work and couldn’t be present, so instead, his younger brother participated in the delivery. When the doctors informed him that he had two daughters, he jokingly said, ‘As if one wasn’t enough!’ In our family, there are only girls, so this added to the fun,” shares Nurzhan.
Nurzhan was born first, weighing 1800 grams, and Uulzhan came into the world 15 minutes later, weighing 1700 grams.
The sisters' names were chosen by their uncle, who named the elder Nurzhan and the younger Uulzhan, hoping for future boys in the family.
Due to their incredible similarity, the twins have been involved in many amusing situations. “When we were little, our older sisters decided to test whether mom could tell us apart. They switched us in the crib. Mom said, ‘I take one — she doesn’t sleep. I take the other — she doesn’t sleep either.’ In the end, the sisters confessed that they had deliberately mixed us up,” recalls Nurzhan.
Another funny incident that the family still talks about happened when the sisters decided to bake a huge loaf of bread. They put spoons and cups into the dough, hoping it would add interest, and then went out to play. Mom later said, “I can’t find the spoons. When I decided to slice the bread, it wouldn’t cut, and something is jingling inside…” they recount.
The sisters married men from different villages in the At-Bashy district, and even there, misunderstandings arose due to their external similarity. “People would say, ‘I greeted you, but you didn’t respond.’ It turned out they had seen my sister. Now everyone is used to it, but at first, they constantly confused us,” says Nurzhan.
Nurzhan is raising two sons, Ilyaz and Ramis, while Uulzhan has one son and two daughters: Karima, Okeana, and Iskhak. “My children are often mistaken for Uulzhan’s children, and her kids call me ‘Nurzhan apa’,” she adds.
The sisters are not only similar in appearance but also in their life paths. Nurzhan completed her studies in Kyrgyz language and literature, while Uulzhan studied geography.
Currently, Nurzhan is on maternity leave, and Uulzhan lives in the village of Kara-Bulun. “We are six children in the family: three older sisters, we are twins, and a younger sister. In childhood, we could only be distinguished by a birthmark, and even now we are very similar — not only in appearance but also in character,” concludes Nurzhan.
