A correspondent from Turmush spoke with the master.
Akyldbubu Sharshievna was born on October 9, 1969, in the village of Chok-Tal, where from an early age she was influenced by her grandmother, who made traditional Kyrgyz products. It was then that she began to learn the basics of the craft, which later became an integral part of her life.
Currently, Akyldbubu lives in the village of Saruu with her husband Orozbek Bokoey, who has an artistic education and a talent for drawing. The couple, who married in 1989, have two children — their firstborn, Islambek, was born in 1990. In total, they raised eight children: Islambek, Arslandek, Myrlan, Erlan, Nurzat, Bolotbek, Zarina, and Salih. Their only daughter, Zarina, is now in the 11th grade, and the family is making efforts to ensure she focuses on her studies and successfully continues her education.
According to Akyldbubu, raising children is both a joy and a great responsibility. Her mother, who lived with the family for a long time, actively helped her with this.
On March 8, 2010, she was awarded the title "Baatyr Ene." This award symbolizes recognition of maternal labor and responsibility for her.
She began to seriously engage in handicrafts in the 2010s. Her first order was for a yurt item, received through artisans from Karakol, which marked the beginning of her professional activity in this field.
Akyldbubu claims that she masters all types of traditional Kyrgyz handicrafts. In her childhood, her children helped her with sewing and decorating items, including shyrdaks. Now that they have grown up and chosen their own paths, she believes that her abilities were inherited from her grandmother.
In 2024, seven women from different villages in the Jeti-Oguz district united to create a group of artisans called "Taberik." The participants work on modern interpretations of traditional Kyrgyz products and were trained by Asel Kalkanova, the founder of the "Atalar Izi" project. The group's successes have already been showcased at fairs and festivals, and workshops for tourists are also conducted.
In May 2025, the group members traveled to Turkey, where for nine days they presented their products, some of which were successfully sold to local buyers. The artisans note that national Kyrgyz products are highly valued abroad.
Gallery: Artisan Akyldbubu Shaikova from Saruu.
Akyldbubu creates items in high demand among foreign tourists: small shyrdaks, stools, home footwear, embroidered panels, and souvenirs. Prices for her works range from 300 to 25,000 soms, and her products attract buyers from Turkey, Korea, and England.
She also expresses a desire to communicate more with foreign guests, sharing with them about Kyrgyz traditions and the secrets of her craft, which is why she has started learning English.
