Ryn Desert

Desert Life and Nature

The Ryn Desert’s total population is approximately 120,000 people, with 75% based in the southern half (Isatay and Kurmangazy Districts). The Bokey Orda and Zhanakala Districts make up the northern half. Most settlements are in the desert’s outer perimeter, leaving much of the interior isolated.

Kyzyluy Village

The village of Kyzyluy, or Kyzyl Ui, meaning ‘Red House’ in Kazakh, is 80km north-east of Isatay village and one of the Ryn’s most well-known settlements. During the Soviet era, Kyzyluy acted as the administrative hub for collective farms in the Ryn. From the 1960s to 1980s, the USSR awarded medals to dozens of local shepherds and farm workers for their agricultural productivity. One example is Khatima Dayyrova, who managed the farms for two decades and received the Order of Lenin.

Today, Kyzyluy remains an important administrative hub for the Isatay District’s 80+ desert farms. In 2018, Muhambet Syekhov and Murat Bektenov, an oil worker born in the area, published The Red House is My Home. The book covers the history of the village and other settlements nearby, such as Tuschykuduk (fka Chapayevskoye) and Aybas.

Plants and Animals

Jerboa, hare and gophers inhabit the Ryn Desert. Around the settlements domesticated camels, sheep, goats and cows graze freely. Abundant fodder grass sustains the livestock, and common species include lyme grass (Leymus arenarius), sheep fescue (Festuca ovina), and bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa). Other plants in the desert include aspen (Populus tremula), silver poplar (Populus alba), buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), wild olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), and creeping willow (Salix fusca).

When walking around the desert, keep your eye out for Agriophyllum, which is a short, green and spindly plant. It’s locally known as kumarshyk and looks somewhat like thyme. Despite its humble appearance, this plant is a literal lifesaver. During periods of war and famine, people living in the Ryn would roast, bake and mill its seeds, and make porridge from it. This plant is so well-regarded locally that Bektonov published a book dedicated to it, called Kumarshyk, which details its historical usage. Atyrau scientists have also patented a drink combining kumarshyk with fermented camel’s milk.

In 2021, Kazakhstan’s government announced a plan to create the Bokeyorda Nature Reserve. It’s expected to cover a 6,570km² area – roughly four times the size of Greater London – and aims to protect saiga from poachers.