In the remote south-western Kyrgyz city of Kadamjay, the local Soviet-era house of culture shelters a workshop for a group of around 20 women who gather there several times a week to weave traditional Kyrgyz rugs, known as the “shyrdak”. Among the group of weavers is Tashkan Khakimov, who says that this pastime serves to keep her “busy” and make “some extra money in addition to my pension.” The group have set themselves the mission of passing their craft on to the next generation – a task harder than it may first seem in a country where many families are separated by emigration. AFP-
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