In a conversation with a Turmush correspondent, Valentina shared that she was born in 1994 in Taraz (Kazakhstan) and is currently a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, residing in Bishkek. She graduated from the Academy of Tourism. Her father is Korean, and her mother is Russian. Her husband has a Kyrgyz father and a Dungan mother. Valentina and Azizbek have known each other since childhood, as they lived next door, attended the same school, and played together. When she was six years old, her family moved to Kyrgyzstan, where she completed her schooling. Azizbek is from the village of Belovodskoye, and he is now 32 years old.
“He never told me he loved me, but I felt his feelings, just as he felt mine. Words were unnecessary—we just knew it. In the tenth grade, we began a conscious relationship. After several years of friendship, I married him after my first year of university. The proposal wasn’t like in the movies. He unexpectedly flew in from his studies, came to my mother, and asked for my hand—he took me with him. My parents were initially against it, but later accepted our choice,” Valentina noted.
According to her, the wedding was bright and unusual, blending Korean, Kyrgyz, and Dungan traditions. “I remember the moment when I was taught to do 'salam берүү'—people approached me, and I opened the scarf myself, greeting everyone. I quickly got used to my husband’s traditions, as I knew his family. The only thing that became a real challenge for me was the intestines [internal organs of small and large livestock]. After 12 years of marriage, I still haven’t learned to clean them and am not ready to do so yet,” she added.
“However, the month of Ramadan has become the most significant for me, holding a special place in my heart. In our free time, my husband and I love to go out of town with the children. Sometimes we leave the kids with their grandmother to spend time alone. We have three wonderful children, and every week we go to the village of Belovodskoye to visit our parents. We have many plans for the future; the main thing is that our health allows us to realize them,” Valentina concluded.
