Paper short abstract:

The proposed presentation will discuss preliminary findings about Pamirian Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan.The team recorded Pamirians' life stories and collected information about their opportunities and challenges.Oral histories, and memories attached to both lands: Mountainous Pamir and Kyrgyzstan.

Paper long abstract:

The presentation discusses preliminary findings of the group project, that was conducted in 2021 by students of the Anthropology Program and AUCA staff. The project goal was to produce an ethnographic film about Pamirian Kyrgyz, who were resettled in Kyrgyzstan in 2020. The students recorded Pamirians' life stories and collected information about their everyday life, culture, education, and health problems. Based on the collected materials our team argues that Pamirians’ journey to Kyrgyzstan is not perceived by themselves as ‘returning to Homeland”. Instead, they have very complex, uncertain, sometimes conflicting feelings and emotions about the new place. Their oral histories, resettlement stories depict very deep, intimate emotions and memories attached to both lands: Mountainous Pamir and Kyrgyzstan. In Alai they see a big difference in the way of life, in people’s behavior, in cultural practices of the hosting compatriots, but, at the same time, they are very happy to recover connections with relatives, which were lost many years ago. They are aware of the benefits of the resettlement and mention with real satisfaction about health improvement and achievements of their children in education. They also tell about changes in their life and thank the government for providing housing, food, and livestock. However, they miss the windy, harsh mountains of Pamir and think that their life was more stable, predictable, well organized there. The presentation will highlight the following questions: 1) historical background 2) resettlement in Alai 3) problems in the new place 4) different visions on the resettlement of Pamirian Kyrgyz.