The Legend of Yesir Village

(Source: Sholpan Äueskhanqyzy Ikambayeva, a retiree and resident of Q. Qaysenov township, Ulan District.)

The village now officially known as Bayash Ötepov, but often referred to by locals as “Tochka,” once bore the historical name Yesir. The origin of this name is rooted in a local legend tied to a woman named Yesir, the daughter of a merchant and scout named Shotqara, who came from the Syr Darya region.

Shotqara, upon seeing the beauty of the Targyn area, decided to settle there. However, his daughter Yesir remained behind in Syr Darya, married to a wealthy man. Years passed, and when Yesir’s husband died, his relatives turned on her, plundering her wealth and making her life unbearable.

Desperate to reunite with her father and kin, Yesir persuaded Borambai, a trusted horseman of her late husband, to help her escape. Enduring countless hardships on the journey, she finally reached the land where her father and relatives had settled – bringing her remaining livestock and belongings.

The place where she arrived and rebuilt her life eventually became known as Yesir, in honor of her resilience and return. That same land is where Bayash Ötepov village stands today.