Young Uzbeks are finding new markets for traditional handicrafts online

Traditional crafts are an important part of Uzbekistan’s identity. Now some young Uzbeks are selling handicrafts, from textiles to ceramics, on Etsy, Instagram and eBay.

For centuries, the nomadic tribes of Central Asia used colorful textiles called suzanis as seating, prayer mats, bedding and dividers in their yurts – the traditional tents that were their homes. Women would pass the skill down to younger family members, and the textiles, woven with symbols representing luck and fertility, would be presented to the groom as part of a bride’s dowry. The tradition continues today. Twenty-four-year-old Aziza Tojiyeva, who lives in a small village about 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, learned how to embroider from her mother, Mukhabbat Kuchkarova, who learned from her own grandmother. “I grew up in an embroidery family,” said Tojiyeva, “When I was a tiny girl, I was interested in doing this work.” Tojiyeva is the first generation to sell the creations online, on Etsy, Instagram and eBay – using digital technology to give a centuries-old craft tradition a bright future. Each week she sells two or three items, from throw pillows to bedspreads, on Etsy – plus a few more on other platforms. Most of her orders come from the US, but she has customers in places like Spain, Italy and the UK. Online sales only represent about 2% of retail sales in Uzbekistan, compared to about 25% in the US and more than 30% in China, according to accounting firm KPMG. Most craftspeople in Uzbekistan – from knifemakers to carpet weavers – haven’t yet gone digital. But entrepreneurs like Tojiyeva demonstrate how young people from traditional backgrounds are starting to leverage technology to reach overseas markets. “The younger generation … they know how to use digital media, and they’re helping their parents or grandparents show their products to the to the world,” said Dr. Indira Alibayeva, a postdoctoral researcher at Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev University’s Research Centre for Entrepreneurship (NURCE). Alibayeva worked on a book, “Roots of Heritage: Honoring Hunarmandchilik Tradition in Uzbekistan,” about craftspeople in Uzbekistan, which includes a chapter on Tojiyeva. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of tourists visiting Bukhara, a site popular for its Silk Road heritage, plummeted and Tojiyeva wanted to help her family find a new source of income. After doing some online research, she set up on Etsy and other platforms.