By Lolisanam Ulugova
Elita Sultanalieva is a Kyrgyz cultural advocate in France and president of the Kyrgyzstani diaspora based in Paris.
Known for her work in poetry, performance, and advocacy, she co-founded a music festival at UNESCO and leads initiatives promoting Kyrgyz culture in Europe. A passionate bridge-builder between cultures, her creative journey—from learning piano on a paper keyboard to founding artistic collectives—reflects her resilience and dedication to cultural dialogue.
The Cultural Journey From Bishkek to Paris
Elita Sultanalieva’s life is a testament to how passion, perseverance, and cultural dedication can shape an extraordinary path across continents. Born in Bishkek — then part of the Soviet Union — she grew up during a time of profound transformation, both for her native Kyrgyzstan and for her personal journey. Her early years were marked by the post-independence reawakening of national identity, and within that changing landscape, her story began to unfold.
Her formal education began at Gymnasium No. 26, assigned by geographical default — or so it seemed. To the surprise of her parents, who had studied English and German, the school’s primary foreign language was French. Initially hesitant, her mother considered transferring her to another school, but a vice-principal, herself a French teacher, recognized Elita’s talent, calling her a student with “a special ear for languages.” This moment would prove pivotal. French soon became her “first academic love,” and what started as a coincidence evolved into a defining thread in her life.
Elita’s artistic inclinations emerged early. While living in Russia during her father’s university years, she was introduced to ballet and figure skating. Upon returning to Kyrgyzstan, skating was no longer an option, so she pivoted to music. One moment, in particular, captures her early determination: when asked by piano teachers whether she had an instrument at home, she raised her hand — despite not owning one. Using a paper keyboard she made herself, she imagined the sound of each note, rehearsing in silence until her family could afford a real piano. That passion and resourcefulness would become a hallmark of her later endeavors.
Her journey to France was driven by a deep and enduring love for the French language and culture, nurtured by inspiring teachers in Bishkek. The first step came in the form of a competition organized by the French Embassy in Kyrgyzstan: Les Amateurs du Théâtre Français. Elita and a friend performed a scene from Racine and won the top prize — a trip to the renowned Festival d’Avignon. Though still a minor at the time, and with notarized parental consent, this experience opened a new world. Witnessing Isabelle Huppert perform Médée at the Palais des Papes left an indelible mark. “Festival” became a key word in her life from then on.
Another chance encounter furthered her connection with France — this time, thanks to the Kyrgyz horse. While volunteering as an interpreter during a conference on preserving the native breed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek, she was later offered an internship in Strasbourg. It was a formative experience and the second major turning point in her relationship with France.
Elita later received a prestigious bourse du gouvernement français, co-funded by the Soros Foundation, which enabled her to study social anthropology and ethnography in France. By that time, she had already earned a Bachelor of Arts in French Studies with a Minor in International Law from the American University in Central Asia (AUCA), a Master’s in History from Kyrgyz National University, and was teaching French at both the National University and the Alliance Française in Bishkek.
She is also a poet. In 2004, she participated in a literary masterclass hosted by the Chingiz Aitmatov International Foundation and supported by the Swiss Cooperation Office. She submitted a short story, which was well received by the selection panel and Aitmatov himself. Later, her poetry was recognized with the Aitmatov Foundation’s “Début” prize. Her poems, published in the trilingual anthology Apple Seeds, initially stemmed from personal introspection but later evolved toward broader emotional and cultural themes. That creative period continues to serve as a powerful reminder of the symbolic role art plays in bridging personal and collective narratives.
In France, Elita’s linguistic skills opened doors in the luxury and import/export sectors, working with French and Italian companies. Yet her aspirations led her back to academia. She enrolled at the esteemed INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales), affectionately known as Langues O’, where she pursued a Master’s in Hautes Études Internationales. Her program included high-level seminars in Paris and Brussels, including at the European Commission and Parliament, and even at a French military academy, where she defended a subject on the new issues of France-Africa relations. INALCO remains dear to her; she continues to engage in its cultural and educational initiatives.
In 2011, she interned at the Kyrgyz Embassy in Belgium (France had no embassy at the time), which once housed the legendary writer-diplomat Chingiz Aitmatov. At the close of her internship, she organized a cultural event at Paris’s Galerie Peugeot to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s independence. This marked the beginning of her cultural diplomacy work — promoting Kyrgyz heritage through visual art, fashion, and storytelling.
In 2013, Elita presented her first mini fashion show at the Maison d’Europe et d’Orient in Paris. At its heart was a unique family collection of Kyrgyz traditional clothing, lovingly preserved since the late 19th century. Her great-grandmother, a renowned artisan and embroiderer of her time, created exquisite velvet embroideries — tush kiyiz — that have survived nearly untouched by time. The collection reflected the life journey of Kyrgyz women, from childhood to old age, with all the cultural and social nuances woven into each garment.
Later, the Kyrgyz association in France took notice of her work and collection and proposed a collaboration. In 2018, she presented a full runway fashion show at the cultural event. Since then, she has been actively involved in community life, organizing events and contributing ideas within the French-Kyrgyz community.
Her passion for cultural representation has taken her across Europe, including to Germany and Spain. In 2019, she founded the creative collective Aym Kyz, composed of young Kyrgyz women artists performing traditional music. That same year, they staged a powerful rendition of Kyz uzatuu, the traditional Kyrgyz wedding farewell ritual, at an international festival in Compiègne. The performance, complete with authentic songs, instruments, and costumes, was awarded a prize, symbolizing the universal resonance of Kyrgyz traditions.
By 2023, she began receiving invitations to represent not only Kyrgyz culture, but the Central Asian region as a whole. In May 2023, she formed a team to represent Central Asia at a major cultural event held at the 11th-century Château de Blandy-les-Tours in France. They presented Kyrgyz cuisine, Uyghur and Tajik performances, as well as a Kazakh and Kyrgyz craft exhibition stand.
In 2024, Elita was elected president of Kyrgyz Club France, an association founded in 2016 representing the Kyrgyz diaspora in France to promote Kyrgyz culture among both the diaspora and wider international communities. Having collaborated with the association since 2018 — initially through a fashion show — she has since expanded its mission. Under her leadership, the diaspora has doubled its cultural programming, including multicultural events and exhibitions in historic French venues. She embraces the responsibility of being its first female president, viewing it not just as a challenge but as a necessary evolution in community leadership.
Beyond this role, she also became co-founder and general director of the Patrimoine Musical Festival (“Musical Heritage”), launched in 2024 at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters with the participation of guest of honor, the world-renowned violinist Daniel Lozakovich. The aim of this festival co-founded with Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to France Mr. Sadyk Sher-Niyaz and Consule Zhyldyz Akmatova was to support young talents capable of conveying the beauty and diversity of heritage through classical music, and to create a platform for intercultural dialogue among young musicians.
Together with members of the Kyrgyz diaspora and with the initiative of the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to France and festival founder Mr. Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, she co-organized the first edition of the Nomad Festival in France, dedicated to Kyrgyz culture. The event featured traditional Kyrgyz music, handicraft workshops, traditional cuisine, and the presentation of yurts — iconic symbols of Kyrgyz nomadic life.
From a girl practicing piano on a paper keyboard in Bishkek to an internationally recognized cultural ambassador in France, Elita Sultanalieva’s journey is a rich tapestry woven from language, music, memory, and movement. Her story, like that of Kyrgyzstan itself, continues to evolve — bridging past and present, East and West, with enduring grace.
Elita Sultanalieva has expressed her readiness to carry out large-scale projects dedicated to promoting Kyrgyz — and more broadly, Central Asian — culture in France, particularly in Paris, which she believes rightfully stands as the heart of European cultural life. These initiatives could be implemented in collaboration with government institutions, cultural organizations, private patrons, and international partners.
In her view, it would be advisable to involve active members of the Kyrgyz diaspora with professional experience in the cultural sphere and established international networks in the work of international organizations such as UNESCO, as this would enhance the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the country’s representation.
Elita remains committed to strengthening the visibility of Kyrgyz culture on the French and European stage — in all its forms, from traditional arts to contemporary fashion. She and her team remain open to collaboration with Kyrgyz designers, stylists, artists, and creative professionals who are ready to make their mark and represent Kyrgyzstan with dignity and creativity on the international scene.
Note:”This is a series of essays by Lolisanam Ulugova, a graduate of the Erasmus+ Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) Choreomundus – International Master in Dance Knowledge, Practice and Heritage. The essays were written during her professionalisation term, which took place at the University of Roehampton. In this collection, Ulugova explores cultural figures from Central Asia living in Europe—individuals who serve as bridges between cultures and work to deepen the understanding of Central Asian heritage abroad.”
(This essay is based on an interview with Elita Sultanalieva conducted online on 28 June 2025).
