August 26, 2021
A Bahar Chay (Spring Tea) in Gheyret Suburb, Almaty, 2019
by Rachel Harris Alongside the meshrep revival in Kazakhstan, a less well-known women’s chay revival has flourished. It has focused on the same goals of education, cultural revival, social cohesion and mobilisation, and often works in tandem with men’s initiatives at local level. Like meshrep, chay gatherings (essentially tea parties) assume complex ritual and social meanings