3rd floor conference room, University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Date
21 November 2025
Time
13:00-14:30
Abstract
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought profound economic and political crises to all former Soviet republics, including the Kyrgyz Republic. In the face of widespread male unemployment and loss of social status, many women turned to traditional crafts, producing felt rugs (shyrdak) and other handmade goods to sustain their families. These practices became a source of empowerment and economic independence for women during the challenging years of nation-building.
This lecture explores the intersections of life, art, and mass culture through the aesthetic experiences of women working in the arts and crafts sector in northern Kyrgyzstan. Drawing on Clifford Geertz’s concept of humans as “animals suspended in webs of significance”, it interprets the networks consciously or unconsciously created by craftswomen to transform their roles - from invisible victims of a collapsed regime to active artisans and entrepreneurs.
The lecturer argues that these “webs of significance” redefined traditional crafts, shifting them from private domestic pastimes to valuable commodities in a market economy. This transition enabled women to claim visibility in the public sphere and assert agency in shaping new cultural and economic spaces. Contrary to views describing the post-Soviet 1990s as an era of “de-modernisation” and patriarchal resurgence, this research highlights women’s resilience and leadership. A younger generation now continues this legacy, reimagining traditional forms to forge a renewed vision of Kyrgyz culture.
About Speaker
Elena Kolesova (PhD, University of Auckland) is an Associate Professor and co-Programme Director at the Communication and Media Department, University of Central Asia. Elena’s research crosses disciplines from cultural studies, media studies, education, cultural anthropology, to history and memory studies.
Research topics include oral history, memory, ethnic media, East Asian history and mass/popular culture and post-Soviet Central Asia. In the core of her research is often questions about identity and selfhood.
Dr Kolesova has published in the fields of Japanese/Asian studies, Japanese history, East Asian popular culture, ethnic media and intercultural communication. She is an Associate Editor for New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies and Board member for Scope (E-Publications – Otago Polytech).
- Date and time: 21 November 2025, 13:00 Kyrgyzstan time
- Format: Online and In-Person
- Language: English
- Venue: 3rd floor conference room, University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan