The Puzzle of Kyrgyz Identity (2008–2018)
The installation, featuring photographs, videos, a sculpture of Lenin in prayer, and an audio track, explores the complex interplay of history, ideology, and faith in shaping contemporary Kyrgyz identity. Nomadic traditions, Soviet legacies, and the revival of Islam coexist and intersect, forming identities that are fluid, contradictory, and deeply personal. The collapse of the USSR exposed these contradictions and opened a space for reinterpretation, sparking a renewed emergence of Islam in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan. What forces mediate the interaction of these seemingly opposing currents in the self-understanding of the modern Kyrgyz citizen?
Kyrgyz reflections on self-identity changed dramatically with the arrival of communism. Nomads became revolutionaries, farmers became citizens, and Muslims became atheists. Pre-Soviet practices were erased, and the ideals of the working class transformed daily life. Lenin’s statue, which stood over Bishkek’s Central Square from 1982 to 2003, silently witnessed these changes. Even after independence, former communists continue to symbolically “pray” beneath his gaze, while Lenin himself famously called religion “the opium of the people.” In 2003, Lenin “fell”—quietly relocated to a circle around the Historical Museum, now facing Parliament Square.
Today, Kyrgyz identity continues to evolve: the voice of society is heard in Quran recitations, as youth, adults, and elders gather for collective rituals. Lenin remains a ghost of the past, silently witnessing how Kyrgyz society reflects on its history, faith, and identity. While Lenin statues have disappeared in other Central Asian countries, in Kyrgyzstan, they remain as imprints of history, reminders of a past that continues to be reinterpreted. The installation invites viewers to see Kyrgyz identity as a living, layered phenomenon—a continuous dance between tradition, memory, and social change. Modern Kyrgyz are not simply nomads, communists, or Muslims; these elements intertwine to form a complex, evolving self, in which the past both fades and endures, reflecting the resilient and eternal nature of Kyrgyz consciousness.
