Kyrgyz Shyrdaks in America — How Craftswomen from Naryn Region Entered the Export Market

Meerim Abdylasova used to show foreign visitors national souvenirs at the Osh Bazaar during her school and university years. Back then, she had no idea that her team would one day be collecting shyrdaks and selling them to the USA, Europe, Canada, and Australia. In an interview with Economist.kg, Meerim shared how the idea to export shyrdaks was born.

Hello Meerim, tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Meerim Abdylasova. I’m 33 years old. I studied at the Polytechnic University, at the German faculty. Before that, I attended a school with a German focus. So from childhood, I was acquainted with foreigners. They were always curious about the Asian market and especially about felt products. At that time, souvenir shops didn’t exist, so I used to take them to the Osh Bazaar.

How did the idea to export shyrdaks come about?

After my studies, I got a job in an education-related organization in Germany. Once, I had to fly to Germany for work and was invited to visit my former supervisor. As a thank-you gesture, I asked what kind of gift she’d like from Kyrgyzstan. She said she wanted a shyrdak. So I began looking for one in Bishkek.

While searching, I encountered two issues: either the quality was poor, or the price was too high. My husband’s sister in Naryn recommended some craftswomen she knew who could make a custom shyrdak. All I had to do was find good felt. But finding quality felt at the market was nearly impossible.

Eventually, I did find the right felt, and the artisans made three shyrdaks. I paid them for their work. I gave two shyrdaks to my supervisor and had one left. I posted online to Kyrgyz communities in Germany that I had a shyrdak for sale — and it was bought immediately.

Seeing this, my husband’s sister also asked me to sell her shyrdak, which she had been unable to sell for a long time. Hers was a traditionally large Kyrgyz size — 2.5 by 3 meters. It was bought by an employee of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.

A woman from the U.S. later contacted me after seeing the shyrdak that had been sold in Germany. She said, “I want exactly the same one. I’ve looked at other options, but none compare.” So I thought, why not make another one?

After that trip to Germany, I wondered why not try to provide jobs for women in the At-Bashy district? As many know, in villages, women either work at local schools, clinics, or not at all. Because of high unemployment, many Kyrgyz migrate abroad for work. I wanted to address this by giving women the opportunity to stay close to their children and homes.

How do you pay the artisans?

The great thing is that the project didn’t require major investment — it’s all handmade work, and there was no need for expensive equipment. I agreed with the artisans that I would pay them more than the local market rate. I consider my project a social enterprise, and the idea was very well received by the craftswomen.

Currently, we pay them a set rate per square meter of shyrdak. In addition, I regularly send them small gifts. Today, our Wool Carpets KG team includes six craftswomen from the At-Bashy district.

Where do you get the materials?

We buy finished felt in Bishkek or the Chuy region — it’s good quality there. Then we send the materials to At-Bashy. The craftswomen draw the patterns, cut them, and assemble the shyrdaks there.

How are you growing your business?

I once came across the Accelerate Prosperity Women Cup project in Naryn. Before going through that business incubator, we were operating purely on intuition. But after the program, we started to understand how to grow. At the end of the program, we received investment. Now, we’re actively working on the company’s marketing.