This article examines the cultural lacunae that arise in the translation of Ch. T. Aitmatov’s story ―The White Ship‖ from Kyrgyz into Russian. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to preserve the national and cultural context when rendering a literary text rich in ethnographic realia. The narrative reflects various elements of the Kyrgyz worldview, including mythology, religious beliefs, traditional customs, and everyday practices, which create additional challenges for the translator. The research identifies and analyzes the main translation strategies used in the Russian version of the text, such as transliteration, elimination, descriptive translation, and adaptive translation. The use of explanatory additions and contextual adaptation aimed at conveying cultural meaning more accurately is also noted. Based on the findings, conclusions are drawn regarding the degree of preservation of cultural specificity, the transmission of national color, and the effectiveness of the applied translation strategies. The study confirms the importance of addressing the cultural gap in literary translation and demonstrates the theoretical and practical value of the obtained results for future translation research and practice.