BISHKEK
\nKyrgyzstan has called for respect for its \u201chistorical and cultural heritage\u201d after a Russian clothing brand used traditional Kyrgyz designs and claimed copyright over them, prompting accusations of \u201ccultural appropriation.\u201d
\nThe Central Asian country is closely allied with Moscow, but has taken steps to reinforce its national identity in recent years after many decades of dependence on former ruler Russia.
\n\u201cRecently, there has been an alarming trend related to the commercial use of national patterns and symbols, which are an integral part of the historical and cultural heritage of Kyrgyzstan,\u201d its culture ministry said on Facebook Wednesday.
\n\u201cThe culture ministry calls on all organizations, entrepreneurs and individual citizens to respect the historical and cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz Republic.\u201d
\nThe furor began earlier this month after social media users accused Russian fashion label Yaka, founded in 2023, of ripping off traditional Kyrgyz patterns and including a legal warning against \u201ccopying\u201d its designs on its website.
\nYaka sells a range of clothes and accessories featuring colorful Kyrgyz patterns, describing them as \u201cmodern ethno-chic.\u201d
\nIt also sells \u201cshyrdaks,\u201d traditional felt rugs native to Kyrgyzstan that are sometimes used as a dowry at weddings and have been included in UNESCO\u2019s list of intangible cultural heritage.
\nSome social media users accused the brand of \u201ccultural appropriation\u201d \u2014 when a tradition is taken from another culture and used in a way that was not intended.
\nKyrgyzstan has a relatively freer media and looser controls on social networks than its authoritarian Central Asian neighbors, but open anger against Russia is rare.
\nYaka\u2019s founder Anna Obydenova reacted to the criticism by calling on Kyrgyz people to \u201clearn Russian better\u201d in an Instagram video.
\nShe later deleted the video and apologized.
\nIn an Instagram post Tuesday, she denied accusations of disrespect toward Kyrgyz culture, saying she had worked with local craftswomen.
\n\u201cI never said I came up with these patterns, nor did I call myself a designer or author of the motifs,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cI am simply a person who saw incredible beauty and wanted to share it with the world.\u201d
\nRussian remains an official language in Kyrgyzstan, with a segment of the population expressing pro-Russian attitudes.
\nBut others, especially among the younger generation, have turned away from Moscow, partly due to the invasion of Ukraine and Russian authorities\u2019 often harsh treatment of Kyrgyz migrants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BISHKEK Kyrgyzstan has called for respect for its \u201chistorical and cultural heritage\u201d after a Russian clothing brand used traditional Kyrgyz designs and claimed copyright over them, prompting accusations of \u201ccultural appropriation.\u201d The Central Asian country is closely allied with Moscow, but has taken steps to reinforce its national identity in recent years after many decades […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":462844,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-462822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n