More than half a million Kyrgyz nationals live in Russia, according to Russia's Federal Migration Service. Some 22,000 of them have settled in remote regions of Siberia, maintaining close-knit communities of Kyrgyz speakers. RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service recently visited members of the Kyrgyz diaspora in the regions of Yakutia and Krasnoyarsk.
A New Home In Siberia For Kyrgyz Migrants
![An ethnically mixed Kyrgyz and Yakut family in Yakutiya](https://gdb.rferl.org/f35066c1-3728-4f39-8702-97d5e870bdd4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An ethnically mixed Kyrgyz and Yakut family in Yakutiya
![Kyrgyz migrant Toichubek runs a successful cattle and horse ranch in the village of Kutugun in the Irkutsk region.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2667231f-957d-4808-b696-b10c5d3e2f80_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Kyrgyz migrant Toichubek runs a successful cattle and horse ranch in the village of Kutugun in the Irkutsk region.
![Children of Kyrgyz migrants at play. The Kyrgyz language is often heard in the yards outside some apartment blocks in Krasnoyarsk.](https://gdb.rferl.org/1c61c738-ef82-4836-9a83-41e5113f446d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Children of Kyrgyz migrants at play. The Kyrgyz language is often heard in the yards outside some apartment blocks in Krasnoyarsk.
![Kyrgyz workers change a kitchen gas cylinder in the village of Uedei village in Yakutia.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2d2c02a1-1e64-4dca-b1eb-401e2c0157e9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Kyrgyz workers change a kitchen gas cylinder in the village of Uedei village in Yakutia.
![A popular Kyrgyz-style restaurant in Yakutsk](https://gdb.rferl.org/dfb2501f-8240-4bdf-956c-85222dc5c56a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A popular Kyrgyz-style restaurant in Yakutsk
![Ulan serves in the Yakutsk police department; his wife teaches history at a local university; and their daughter Aigerim was one of the first Kyrgyz students to graduate from the local high school with top honors.](https://gdb.rferl.org/97c8964e-33ff-49f4-9c82-67161ff8c39d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Ulan serves in the Yakutsk police department; his wife teaches history at a local university; and their daughter Aigerim was one of the first Kyrgyz students to graduate from the local high school with top honors.
![On board the train from Irkutsk to Krasnoyarsk](https://gdb.rferl.org/1a3e1825-1ae8-459e-857b-88f0ddba446a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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On board the train from Irkutsk to Krasnoyarsk
![Many migrants work as traders at the market in Yakutsk.](https://gdb.rferl.org/63c4901a-b3f4-4f03-ad92-fe6b6d0c9ea4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Many migrants work as traders at the market in Yakutsk.
![A Kyrgyz migrant in Krasnoyarsk has organized a volleyball tournament as part of his son's wedding celebration. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/4deb3038-8596-4d29-bd24-39491ff971f7_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A Kyrgyz migrant in Krasnoyarsk has organized a volleyball tournament as part of his son's wedding celebration.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/41d7acb8-0c75-4875-93be-341fc7f25620_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![A market trader in Irkutsk](https://gdb.rferl.org/55c7cd9c-5c2e-4c26-a1f7-1861c8487095_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A market trader in Irkutsk
![Mechanics in Irkutsk](https://gdb.rferl.org/9a82e007-fb2a-4978-b582-2f3908dc62d9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Mechanics in Irkutsk
![Many migrants bring goods to local markets from the massive Dordoi market near Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital.](https://gdb.rferl.org/870a5b91-b3ab-4e58-9035-a7fe723fb72e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Many migrants bring goods to local markets from the massive Dordoi market near Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital.
![A Kyrgyz market vendor in Irkutsk](https://gdb.rferl.org/1b99a260-52bb-4cb0-9d09-8009a73b503f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A Kyrgyz market vendor in Irkutsk
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/fe812fe3-3136-4616-9946-11c6df9b2abe_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The village of Kutugun in the Irkutsk region. Some Kyrgyz migrants keep horses to produce kumis, a mildly alcoholic drink made from fermented horse milk.](https://gdb.rferl.org/1c220be4-e8b7-457a-85ef-4ee92031ee98_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The village of Kutugun in the Irkutsk region. Some Kyrgyz migrants keep horses to produce kumis, a mildly alcoholic drink made from fermented horse milk.
![Horses are brought in for milking near the village of Kutugun.](https://gdb.rferl.org/122223b5-f7d8-4f32-805b-72860b95aa82_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Horses are brought in for milking near the village of Kutugun.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/2eb2f8fb-4084-4887-aadb-2c871d842348_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The road to Abakan, Khakassia](https://gdb.rferl.org/3a2929c3-83d3-4b76-8778-3605ba02300c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The road to Abakan, Khakassia