This article is a collaboration between Kloop, a media outlet based in Kyrgyzstan, and Al Jazeera. The reporting for this article was conducted between 2022 and 2024. In Osh, Kyrgyzstan, when Mediyana Talantbekova was around 10 years old, she used to watch over her family’s calves. One day, a calf grazed in a field of clover, a plant known to cause deadly bloating, and died. Mediyana, who lived with her family in Osh, was distraught by the calf’s death and felt responsible. When her father, Talantbek Ergeshov, a farmer, returned home, he found her upset and crying. Talantbek comforted her and reassured her that it wasn’t her fault. To cheer her up, he promised to take her to the bazaar the next day to buy her earrings.
Twelve years later, on a winter day in January, Mediyana, now a 22-year-old student, failed to show up for her dentistry exam. After a nine-day search, her body was found in a backyard in Osh. She had been murdered by a classmate who had raped her. The shame and stigma associated with rape in a conservative society like Kyrgyzstan prevented Mediyana from seeking help initially. She felt compelled to negotiate a marriage with her rapist to secure a future for her unborn child.
Mediyana lived most of her life in Osh, a city known for the Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain and its traditional eateries. Her family had migrated to Russia in search of work opportunities, but Mediyana and her brother returned to Osh. She was a dedicated student and had dreams of becoming a dentist. Despite facing challenges, she remained focused on her education.
Mediyana’s friend, Dinara, described her as having a pure heart and being punctual and caring. Mediyana’s ambition and dedication to her studies were evident to those who knew her. She had a passion for dentistry and wanted to make her father proud. Despite the tragic end to her life, Mediyana’s memory lives on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.