Best Books on Central Asia in 2018
New publications on Central Asia have appeared in genres ranging from history—The Rise and Fall of Khokand, 1709-1876 by Scott Levy, and Laboratory of Socialist Development by Artemy Kalinovsky—to security…
How Does Central Asia Slot into the Global Jigsaw Puzzle? An interview with Peter Frankopan
Oxford University historian Peter Frankopan talks to Voices on Central Asia about his latest book, The New Silk Roads, and where Central Asia fits into the complex global jigsaw puzzle…
Uzbek Dance Art: Past and Present – In the Wake of Tashkent Encounters
Author Rosa Vercoe Rosa Vercoe is a freelance blogger who has recently started her own blog. She was born in Turkmenistan (Mary) but grew up in Kazakhstan (Almaty). Rosa is…
Civil Protests, Art, and Politics in Kazakhstan
As Kazakhstan heads for its first presidential election without long-time leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, a group of creative youth activists has shattered the appearance of stability in the country with several…
FOUNDING FATHER. Shaken Aimanov: The Man at the Core of Kazakh Cinema
To most young Kazakhs, the films of Shaken Aimanov are unknown. Many have never even heard his name. Even Aimanov’s greatest hits – Our Dear Doctor (1957) and The End of…
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The Democracy of Ikat and Suzani, or How Unique Looks are Created in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s beautiful architecture fascinates tourists from around the world, but they can not take Gur-Emir with them when they leave. Yet they can fill their suitcases with smaller items: painted…
The Central Asia Collection at the British Library – An Interview with Michael Erdman
The Turkish and Turkic Collections at the British Library are the largest collections of manuscript and printed material from the Turkic World housed anywhere in the United Kingdom. Michael Erdman…
Are Risks Increasing for Kazakhstan? An interview with Dossym Satpayev
The process of leadership change in Kazakhstan has unexpectedly accelerated. With a presidential election scheduled for June 9, 2019, there are less than 3 weeks for candidates to be nominated.…
Occidentalizing America: Art of a Visiting Scholar
– I always wanted to be an artist. When I was in high school, my dream was to be accepted to the Repin Academy in St. Petersburg or the Surikov…
26 Routes in 2 Years: The New Transport Map of Central Asia
Austen Dowell is a Research Associate with the ERA Institute, focusing on analyzing regional affairs as part of the Central Asia Watch project. He has studied in Central Asia as…
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Nazarbayev Generation. Kazakhstan’s Youth, National Identity Transformations and their Political Consequences
Half of Kazakhstan’s population was born after Nazarbayev took power three decades ago: those aged under 29 comprise 9 million Kazakhstani citizens, or 51 percent of the population.They have no…
The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan with author Sarah Cameron (video and transcript)
The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan examines one of the most heinous crimes of the Stalinist regime, the Kazakh famine of 1 930–33. More than…
#Hashtag Activism: Youth, Social Media and Politics in Kazakhstan
The growing popularity of the content created by young bloggers in Kazakhstan implies that coverage of political and socio-economic issues is beginning to sell. Social media platforms act as safe…
Secondary Schools and Inequality: Navigating the Fragmented Landscape of Educational Choices in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Author Aigoul Abdoubaetova researches the growing gap in educational opportunities in Kyrgyzstan. She is Programme Manager of the MA in Politics and Security at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,…
Russia and Kazakhstan: What’s Next? An Interview with Askar Nursha
Askar Nursha, a Kazakh political analyst and dean of the ALMA University School of Public Policy and Law, has published a book, Putinskaia Rossiia: geopoliticheskii revansh ili agressivnaia oborona? (Putin’s…
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Olzhas Suleimenov on Eurasianism, Internationalism and the Forgotten Past
Olzhas Suleimenov is a poet, literary scholar, public figure, and diplomat. His contribution to the Kazakh culture is hard to overestimateAlongside his legendary book Az i Ya and his staggering poetry,…