Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

In rural Kyrgyzstan men still marry their women the old-fashioned way: by abducting them off the street and forcing them to be their wife. Bride kidnapping is a supposedly ancient custom that’s made a major comeback since the fall of Communism and now accounts for nearly half of all marriages in some parts. We traveled to the Kyrgyz countryside to follow a young groom named Kubanti as he surprised his teenage girlfriend Nazgul with the gift of marriage/kidnapping. Hosted by Thomas Morton | Originally aired in 2011 on Watch Sneaking Into North Korea: Subscribe to VICE: Check out our full video catalog: Videos, daily editorial and more: Like VICE on Facebook: Follow VICE on Twitter: Read our tumblr: