A third of all marriages in modern Kyrgyzstan involve the bride being kidnapped against her will. Some brides are kidnapped by strangers, while others by men they know. Some escape after violent ordeals, but most are persuaded to stay by tradition and lore and with their virginity in question after a night at a man’s house, they accept what they believe is their fate. Ala kachuu was outlawed during the Soviet era and remains illegal under the Kyrgyz criminal code although kidnappers are rarely prosecuted. Although the practice is said to have its roots in nomadic customs, the tradition has been corrupted and remains at odds with modern day Kyrgyzstan.
A third of all marriages in modern Kyrgyzstan are non consensual kidnaps. The Kyrgyz words ‘ala kachuu’ mean to grab and run. Typically a man abducts his bride by force or deception, enlisting his family to break her resistance, through hours of persuasion. If successful, the following morning the bride will be sitting quietly in a curtained off area wearing the traditional white wedding headscarf and an imam will be called in to marry them.
Some brides are kidnapped by total strangers, while others by men they know. Some escape after violent ordeals, but most are persuaded to stay by tradition and lore and with their virginity and purity in question after a night at a man’s house, they accept what they believe is their fate.
Ala kachuu was outlawed during the Soviet era and remains illegal under the Kyrgyz criminal code although kidnappers are rarely prosecuted. Since the Kyrgyz declaration of independence in 1991 incidents of ala kachuu have surged for a number of reasons: it is seen as part of a national identity that was denied by Soviet rule, little social structure for sexes to mix exists but parental pressure on a man to take a wife at a certain age remains strong and compared to the expense of ritualistic weddings and the custom of gift exchanges between the families it is considered a cheaper alternative.
Although the practice is said to have its roots in nomadic customs, the tradition has been corrupted and remains at odds with modern day Kyrgyzstan.