CHIY: THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE ALIVE

 

Stories from the PREF 2026-27 Project “Chiy weaving at the crossroads of art, ecology and cultural survival”   by Cholpon Kuskakbaeva

 

 

 

Chiy is more than a plant or a traditional craft. Behind every woven mat, screen and panel are people whose knowledge has been carried through years of practice, family memory and shared work. I travelled through Issyk-Kul and Naryn oblasts to meet the people who still remember, make, teach and reimagine chiy knowledge.

These are some of their stories.