About us
Not just a point of sale: a point of growth and meaning
Since 2012 I have been welcoming guests in Karakol: first in a small guest house, then on tours. In 2020, when there were no tourists at all, we opened this shop. We have always wanted our guests to take home not just a souvenir, but a living piece of our land and culture.
Albina Alimova, founder of EthnoMir Point
- 2012
Born in Karakol
I was born and grew up in Karakol. I studied at the International Cultural Institute in Vienna, worked on international projects and lived in Europe. In 2012 I opened a small guest house, then started guiding and putting together tours.
- 2020
A shop opened when the world closed
The borders closed and there were no tourists at all. I was on maternity leave with a two-year-old, and we have four children. I told my husband: “We urgently need to build a souvenir shop!” He backed me, and in August we opened the doors.
From soap to felt, and bikes
Our first shelves held German household goods: that's how we got through the time without tourists. Then an artist joined us, a conductor by training, and we began wrapping gifts and dressing the shop so beautifully it was a shame to open them. In those same years I started helping travellers with bike rental, and with the support of UNDP we bought good mountain bikes.
- 2026
A school of crafts with a yurt
When travellers came back, I trained as a guide and then as a trainer, with an international WFTGA certificate. Today the shop carries the work of more than 100 makers from across the country. In May 2026 we opened again: every item now has a QR code with its maker's story, and a real Kyrgyz felt yurt stands on our grounds, where the craftswomen teach.
Our spiral logo reminds us that everything in life is cyclical: we return to our roots to convey their meaning to the modern generation.
What we stand for
Only natural materials
Wool, silk, wood, leather and clay, made by hand.
Growing together
We help makers create, share what we know and keep learning ourselves, because we truly value and respect every craftsperson's work.
Every piece has a story
We tell our guests about every item, maker and brand, so a souvenir becomes a piece of Kyrgyz history and culture.
A town, like a living being, has not only a face but a soul. It is kept by people, myths, legends, old street names and the very meanings we call intangible heritage.
Some of the makers on our shelves
- TumarFelt footwear and wool shoes
- JandanBags with ethnic motifs, only here in Karakol
- UULMANSilk and felt scarves
- Angelina MokhKarakol artist: paintings and postcards
- NEKTARIssyk-Kul honey
- Букеты Иссык-КуляHerbal teas
- Kyrgyz ChocolateChocolate made in Kyrgyzstan
- Tengri WoolOur own felt toys, named after Khan Tengri peak
- BesheneFelt toys by the craftswomen of Kara-Tala village
- Lake LandGoods made of genuine leather
- Ptitz CeramicsHandmade ceramics
