The village of Aksu in eastern Kazakhstan was founded by Russian Old Believers seeking refuge from religious persecution following a schism in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century. Fleeing reforms they opposed, these communities migrated to remote areas, including parts of Kazakhstan, to preserve their traditional beliefs and practices. The flat valley of the Belaya River was ideal for settlement amidst the endless ridges of the Altai Mountains.
Over time, Aksu became a sanctuary where Old Believers preserved their religious and cultural heritage, contributing to the diverse cultural palette of the region.
Currently, Aksu has a predominantly Kazakh population, and since 2009, the village was renamed by local authorities from Beloye to Aksu, which literally translates from Kazakh as "white water". Let's enjoy together the atmospheric, cozy Altai village on the outskirts of civilization.
I'm going to show you how to do it.
I'm going to make a mask.
Do you want to cut it?
Yes, I want to cut it.
Oh, you want to cut it.
I'll cut it.
It's a beautiful knife.
Yes, it's beautiful.
I'm going to cut it.
I'm going to cut it in half.
I'll cut it.
I'm going to cut it.
I put on rubber.
It didn't go well.
I'll cut it.
Can you see the thick part?
It's separated.
It will flow.
It will be like a soft plasticine.
More?
A little bit more
Good
Can I sit here?
You can go to work
What do you want?
Do you need an axe?
Which side do you need?
Here
For me, right?
Do you have an axle?
Axle?
Do you need another one?
Half of the calf is sucking
It's called sucking
Sanechka
She doesn't have a leg
When it's frozen, it crumbles quickly
It's cut
My elder son
After the 7th grade
He's studying in a Turkish high school
He lived there
In the city
They have their own boarding school
Onion
Makes you cry
In a Russian oven
They bake bread
My mother
They have such bread
My old chair
Sanechka, what are you doing?
Thank you
What are you doing?
I'm making sausages
Sausages?
I'm making sausages
What are you making?
I'm making sausages
How old are you?
I'm 14 years old
14 years old
Let me see
How old are you?
Hello
How do you do it?
I can't see
Crumble
Let's go look
And cook
We already have a stove
When we used to make jam
If you want to know
So that it doesn't get sour
We took a spoon
And put a drop
On a nail
If this drop didn't spread
And stayed
Then they found out
That the jam is no longer sour
And it was already ready
As you can see
It became so beautiful