Former NTV journalist about Kyrgyzstan: This is a free country

December 10, 2018

Russian journalist Anastasia Valeeva was born and raised in the city of Zhukovsky in Moscow Oblast (Russia), graduated from the Moscow State University and worked for NTV, as she says, on that channel, before Bolotnaya. She came to Kyrgyzstan to teach data journalism. Anastasia admits that she has found new friends in the republic. An interview with Anastasia was published by 24.kg.

— Tell us how did you find yourself in Kyrgyzstan?

— I always answer that I ended up here. A year before arriving in Kyrgyzstan, I lived out of suitcases. I was a data journalist coach and moved from country to country. By this time, I finished educational programs abroad and was looking for a place to settle down.

On the one hand, I was free, on the other — I wanted something long-term. I had my own project inside, I wanted to use it, I thought about returning to Russia — and then I came to Kyrgyzstan in July 2017 with a training. After that, I was invited to teach data journalism at AUCA.

 

A person who travels a lot comes to some country and somewhat tries it on, understands, can he or she stay in it or not. I felt that I would live in Kyrgyzstan. When I left after the first training, I knew that I had not yet tried everything, I knew that there were interesting people with whom I would like to talk, so I returned with joy.

— What is data journalism and what is its difference?

— As a rule, this is a search for stories in statistics, but this exactly is booming. When I studied in Germany after leaving television sphere, I confess, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. In Europe, I attended various conferences, and one of them was about data journalism.

 

I was amazed with methods, with the fact that you can search for information in a completely different way, analyze it and bring it to people. As a rule, these are «invisible» stories.

Anastasia Valeeva

This is important because they concern most of the people. In such journalism, we say «every third is undernourished, one in five does not receive sufficient education.» We start talking about structural changes, systematic problems in society.

— You said that as a traveler you tried on a country you visited. What do you think about Kyrgyzstan?

— It is different. For me, Kyrgyzstan is divided into summer and winter. In summer, it is absolutely high: a lot of ​​fruit, incredibly beautiful nature, the heat does not bother me. Bishkek itself is quite convenient. There are traffic jams, but anyway.

And in the winter, I switch to some kind of survival mode, and I still like that I live in a house with real Kyrgyz families who have a lot of kids. Life is hard, and you start to feel it more in winter.

Anastasia Valeeva

We were in Batken in February-March. We were very hospitably received, and went to a restaurant, almost the best in the city, and there was a toilet outside. And you understand that people live in such conditions.

— What surprised you in the capital?

— There are words that have stuck to me in a fairly short time — «it turns out» and «as it happens.»

First, the instability of the arrangements immediately surprised me. If somebody agreed to meet at 10.00, one can text at 9.58 that he or she is late. And that’s ok.

Anastasia Valeeva

You are allowed to be late, shift something or change an agreement during a meeting already. It can play both for and against you. I am not completely sure each time, and if a clear agreement is needed, I will repeat it ten times. But you yourself are mobile in your arrangements.

And «it turns out» that no one gets ready in advance.

— Is there something in Bishkek that reminds you of your native Zhukovsky?

— Yes, a lot of things. I have a feeling that Bishkek is my native Zhukovsky but ten times larger and ten years ago.

What exactly reminds me of my native city? Khrushchev-era apartment blocks, children who play not with smartphones, but some, as it was in my childhood, real games in the yard with sticks and balls.

Anastasia Valeeva

They constantly clear up some rules with each other. There are many stands, beauty salons, markets. I feel right at home.

— Do you have a favorite place in Bishkek?

— It is Orto-Sai market. When I feel bad, I go through the main entrance, walk along the main aisle. Large number of people around and goods calm me down. It is life that happens on the street. You seem to be a participant, you feel its pace, it calms you down. Then I go back and start buying.

— Do you like national cuisine?

— I always say that my favorite dish is beshbarmak. Because it is one of the few national Kyrgyz dishes, as far as I know. Everybody jokes that there is meat and dough. Yes, the meat is delicious. Then I learned that it is not entirely safe, because there is no certification. But I ate the most delicious meat and fish here, in Kyrgyzstan.

— Is there anything you are afraid to try?

— Yes, these are eyes of a sheep. I want and I’m afraid.

— You posted on Facebook that you would like to attend Kyrgyz toi (feast). Did it happen?

— Yes, just yesterday I attended one. I have heard stories about them from my friends many times. After some time, I realized that I had been living in Kyrgyzstan for a year already, and no one had invited me to it.

At first I was upset, thinking that I must be a relative to get to a feast. Then I decided to roll the dice and posted on Facebook. And a stranger answered me that his aunt invited me to tushoo-toi, a feast when a child starts walking.

Anastasia Valeeva

I had a full range of impressions — strangers received me very hospitably. I participated in a competition, in a race. At some point, I realized that I was leading. I thought, is it normal that I, the guest, stranger, is the first? Slowed down a little, but after all I thought that it was a race and rushed. I won. I got into the crowd of guests unfamiliar to me, they gave me a prize — a dumpling steamer.

— People speak mostly Kyrgyz at tois. Was it difficult to understand what was happening?

— In order to better understand the Kyrgyz, culture, traditions, you should definitely visit a toi. You know some things: the hierarchy of society, respect for the elders, but when attending it, you feel it better.

The feast was in Kyrgyz. I myself understood something, contests, for example. I was translated something. An acquaintance who invited me and another foreigner to the toi sat next to me. In general, they received us as their friends.

— By the way, you recently changed your Facebook name to Nastya Zukhra kyzy. What is the reason?

— We celebrated my birthday, and my friends said the last toast in Kyrgyz that I had become like a native, and they forgot that I was a foreigner.

«In short, you are no longer Nastya Valeeva, but what is your father’s name? You are already Anastasia Vladimir kyzy,» they said.

And the guys have a feminist bias. After thinking for a couple of minutes, they said that this would not work, and asked about my mother’s name. So it happened.

Anastasia Valeeva

My mom, seeing that I changed my name on Facebook, advised me not to play around and return everything as it was.

— Does your mother read you in social networks?

— Of course. We have an agreement: she does not comment on everything, but reads everything.

 

— How did your parents react to the fact that you left for Kyrgyzstan?

— I now forgot how Kyrgyzstan seemed to me. Before the trip, of course, I read about the country. Then there were lawsuits against Zanoza, I thought, «wow, such a pressure on the freedom of speech.» But now I see that there is no strong pressure, you can write a lot of what you think. And I do not see neither censorship nor self-censorship. Freedom inspires. It would seem that this value is non-monetary, but it is very important.

Now I think that this is the freest country, it seems to me, that is why people come here. There is one more thing that is absent in Russia — hope.

Anastasia Valeeva

People say: «Yes, there are problems, but we will overcome them.» There is a feeling that society is ready and wants to live better, and most importantly, believes that we will live better sometime. And it attracts.

— Have you been somewhere else in Kyrgyzstan, except for the capital?

— Unfortunately, I visited few places. In the summer, I did not even go to Issyk-Kul lake because of work. Karakol, Batken, Osh, Ala-Archa and Chunkurchak — that’s all I have visited. In the summer, I want to go to Son-Kul Lake. I plan to stay for another couple of years for sure.

— What has fascinated you in close acquaintance with the local population?

— These are clear public rules. This is felt in a minibus — when you come in people estimate your age. If you are the oldest woman, they give place.

— What you did not like?

— It is quality of work. It seems to me that the Asian softness and vagueness also affect the quality of work. I very rarely see people trying their best to make everything good.

— What would you change in Bishkek?

— There is a certain chaos in Bishkek, but this is its charm. It’s hard to imagine the city without it. However, it would be cool if the traffic movement became safer. But this I cannot change. It is in my power to help the media to become quality so that they can compete with each other.

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