In Kyrgyzstan even nowadays young women risk being kidnapped and then, forcibly married. This is called ala kachuu, a tradition, say some, but in fact, a crime.

In 2018, 15 000 brides were kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan, but only 28 cases made it to the court. Police officers, often out of respect for a venerable tradition, refuse to file victims’ reports. And in general, the subject is taboo.

We combined the koshogo - a powerful symbol of the traditional marriage and virginal innocence symbolized by its white color - with stories of violence against women, even rape, taken from the ala kachuu victims’ reports rejected by the police.

KLOOP, an online news portal had victims of ala kachuu (bride kidnapping) read aloud their reports that the police refused to file, placing them behind a nuptial veil - koshogo - in the exact spots where they were kidnapped and recorded it on video.