The folklore festival was established after UNESCO recognized the culture of the Boysun region as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" in 2001.
Since 2017, the "Baysun Bahori" festival has been held regularly in the Baysun mountains every two years. This year, the main events of the festival took place from May 1 to May 3, although the event itself stretched over 10 days in May.
I had dreamed of attending the Boysun Bahori festival because I consider Surkhandarya's culture the most "powerful" in Uzbekistan. Here, one can still connect with the roots of our civilization—it is an important layer of the world's cultural heritage. We were fortunate to become "VIP guests" at this celebration, and we were allowed to film absolutely everywhere. In the small town of Boysun, where tourists from around the world gathered, the people turned out to be incredibly hospitable and cheerful. We tried to capture this in our works.
Ildar Sadykov
The region amazes with its diversity of ethnic cultures, preserved in examples of oral folklore, dance, and applied arts. This is all historically determined: Surkhandarya was a crossroads of civilizational zones and branches of the Great Silk Road.
Surkhandarya is Teshik-Tash and traces of Neanderthals, the Kushan Wall and the Iron Gates, Kurganzol and Payonkurgan, Zarautsay with its "magical hunt" and dinosaur footprints in Kugitang. It is Alexander the Great and his Alexandria Oxiana. It is bridges in the mountains, ancient stairway roads, holy springs, and gorges: nature here is as stunning as the stories "taken" from it, which inspire awe and pride.
It is therefore unsurprising that the local culture is a synthesis of eras and the heritage of the peoples of the Great Silk Road: Turkic and Iranian traditions, nomadic and sedentary lifestyles, Islam, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and ancient beliefs. Baysun, more than any other district, has preserved the legacy accumulated over centuries at this crossroads of civilizations—from epic tales and music to rituals, clothing, and crafts.
The festival's mission is not only to preserve the heritage but also to restore what has been lost and explore what still remains unstudied, so that it can be proudly presented to the world.
The main events of the festival take place in the park with an amphitheater called "Boysun Bahori", where the opening ceremony and performances by folklore groups from around the world are held without fail. Each region of Uzbekistan and every district of the province traditionally presents its own stand, where handicrafts and food are always sold.
On the second day of the festival, 32 hot air balloons were supposed to take to the sky — a record number for Uzbekistan. However, only seven ultimately launched: the other pilots lacked licenses. Nevertheless, the scale of the event was felt everywhere.
On the third day, major republican kurash competitions were held — a very popular national style of wrestling. Young guys from all over Uzbekistan took part, and it lasted the entire day. In my opinion, kurash generated the strongest excitement among the spectators. There weren't enough seats for everyone; the audience, including very elderly men, settled on the surrounding hillsides around the ring, spent the whole day under the scorching sun, but didn't leave. The outcome was worth it — the winner was awarded a Chevrolet Cobalt car.
Ildar Sadykov
In general, national sports are held in particularly high regard in Surkhandarya. One of them is kupkari, a competition that took place on the same days in a village neighboring Boysun.
A combined circus performance featuring acrobats and strongmen from three regions of the country drew a large crowd on the third day of the festival.
Another record at the festival belonged to the chefs — they cooked tandyr-kabob in the world's largest tandyr oven, using 10 sheep, 20 chickens, and 5 turkeys. Not only festival participants but also ordinary residents of Boysun got to taste it. Well, those who were quick enough.
Among the guests were many foreign participants from neighboring countries, from Europe — Belgium, Hungary, Great Britain, as well as from Asia and Africa — Pakistan, Tunisia, Japan, and others. All of them were artists, members of folklore ensembles, and craftsmen. The participants performed throughout all three days in the amphitheater, and everyone received prizes. The Grand Prix was awarded to a folk group from Surkhandarya.
One of the most memorable and symbolically rich elements of Surkhandarya's culture is undoubtedly its costume. We have written about this before:
One of the festival's highlights is the incredible diversity of national costumes. It is likely for this vibrant color that numerous guests come here, while the people of Surkhandarya themselves live in it.
We captured a great many national images. It seems that studying the countless symbols embedded in the costumes would take half a lifetime. I wanted to ask questions and learn. And I was struck by how every element of ethnic clothing suits the women of Surkhandarya — girls, young women, and elderly ladies alike. And men, too. The signs embroidered here on suzani, festive and everyday clothing, carry very ancient meanings.
Ildar Sadykov
«Baysun Bahori» is a grand international festival that has long made this small town with an ancient history famous across half the world. Thanks to the festival, people, driven by fiery ancient rhythms, warmed by the sun, and enchanted by the legends of this land, grow closer and immerse themselves in each other's cultures.
Even without edible and sports records, fireworks and balloons filling the sky over Boysun, Surkhandarya can rightfully be proud of its heritage, and Uzbeks of their roots. Having visited such a festival, you realize that we already have everything we need to make our mark on the world. Fully grasping these values is a matter of time and the wisdom of future generations.