Cultural Heritage Administration Establishes Three Traditional Craft Centers in the Kyrgyz Republic

by Lee Jonggil

Published 07 Apr.2026 09:00(KST)

Establishment of Exhibition, Education, and Experience Hubs in Bishkek and Other Regions

Textile Exhibition Held at the National Museum of Korea Traditional Craft Center

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre for Intangible Heritage announced on April 7 that they established three Traditional Craft Centers in the Kyrgyz Republic on April 2.

This achievement is the result of an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project initiated in 2023 in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. Centers reflecting the unique characteristics of each region have been set up in the capital city of Bishkek, Issyk-Kul Province, and Naryn Province.

At the Gapar Aitiev National Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek, a space has been created that fuses traditional and contemporary art, equipped with digital exhibition facilities and training areas. The Kurmanzhan Datka Nomadic Civilization Center in Issyk-Kul Province now features outdoor yurts (traditional nomadic tents) as well as experience and educational facilities. At the AS Art Gallery in Naryn Province, an exhibition hall, meeting and training rooms, craft experience spaces, and an auditorium have been established.

AS Art Gallery

The opening ceremony was held at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek. More than 150 people attended, including Mirbek Kemelevich Mambetaliev, Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic; Kim Kwangjae, Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic; and Sabira Soltongeldieva, Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO.

An official from the Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "With the opening of these centers, we plan to focus on preserving and passing down traditional crafts in the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as laying the foundation for developing and marketing these heritages as tourism products."