The heroic epic «Manas» is the pride and treasure of the Kyrgyz people. This epic poem about a semi-legendary hero who united the Kyrgyz reflects the entire culture of the Kyrgyz people over a thousand years of its development. «Manas» is many times larger than the «Odyssey» and «Iliad,» the «Mahabharata» and «Ramayana»; it is the largest epic poem in the world. For generations, it was passed down orally by storytellers – manaschi – the most famous of whom become true stars in their country.