Aizhamal is originally from the village of Munduz in the Jeti-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul region, and she currently resides in Mirny, a city in Yakutia. She is currently on maternity leave and graduated from the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn with a degree in biotechnology.
“I moved in 2021 to be with my sisters, planning to stay for just one year, but ended up staying here. I like living in Russia — human rights are truly respected here, and the laws are enforced. Mirny is a calm city where representatives of many nations live: Russians, Evenks, Yakuts, Buryats, Altaians, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Azerbaijanis, Ossetians, as well as recent migrants from Africa. This is not Moscow — here, Russians do not have biases against migrants. In history, the Russians themselves once came to the lands of the Yakuts, and today they coexist in friendship. In kindergartens and schools, children of different nationalities communicate in Russian.
When we have health insurance, assistance is provided for free, but migrants are required to purchase temporary policies — this is strictly monitored. This year, when I visited Kyrgyzstan and fell ill, I had to face the reality that hospitals constantly ask for money, which has become a common practice for doctors. The queues at the republican hospital are huge, and private clinics turned out to be too expensive. I was upset that even in my native country, it is so difficult to see a doctor.
Mirny is a small city, and I have gotten used to it. In Kyrgyzstan, I get tired quickly: constant traffic jams, people are in a hurry, sometimes aggressive, and in winter there is smog.
Winter here is extraordinarily beautiful, but very cold — temperatures can drop to −50 degrees, while indoors, it’s around +30. I was amazed at how peaceful it is here: children can play outside until late evening, and the doors of houses often remain open — no one goes in. If you lose something, it will definitely be returned, even gold is returned. Here, people are kind and honest,” Aizhamal shares.
According to her, she came for just one year, got a job at a shoe store, and there she met her future husband. This became one of her main life achievements.
“My husband is a Kyrgyz who has lived in Yakutia since he was six years old. His family moved here and settled down. My mother always said, ‘Get married in Issyk-Kul, don’t go far away, how will we manage without you?’ since I am the youngest of five children. But in the end, I found myself in the very north. My husband and I communicated for about a year, after which he went to Kyrgyzstan and met my parents. We had our wedding in Mirny. My parents often visit us.
At first, it was very hard for me, especially to get used to the cold. I remember the first time I went to the market, my feet got so cold that I couldn’t bend them. For almost a year, I cried and complained to my sisters about why they brought me here. I was already planning to leave, but then I met my future husband and stayed here,” she recalls.
There are many Kyrgyz in Mirny, and they are very close-knit. In joy and in difficult times, compatriots always support each other. They often gather, for example, during Orozо Ait, they slaughter a horse and set up a large dastorkon.
“Now, at home, I engage in various activities — in winter, we rarely go outside. In my free time, I read books, make and sell candles, and also grow flowers, cucumbers, and herbs on the windowsill. Recently, I have developed an interest in blogging — on my page, I share everyday life in Yakutia: how we live in the cold and what nature is like here.
After my maternity leave, I plan to work in my field and open my own laboratory. I dream of returning to Kyrgyzstan and contributing to the development of my homeland.
We have been married for three years, and we have one child. My husband is from the Alai district of the Osh region and currently works for a diamond mining company,” she concluded.
