Kazakh Graphic Illustrations of Evgeny Sidorkin
Evgeny Matveevich Sidorkin (1930-1982) is a Soviet graphic illustrator and artist who was recognized by several prestigious awards for his art. He mainly worked in Kazakhstan and created powerful images…
WILDNESS. About Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan
In the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, thousands of young girls and women are kidnapped every year to be forced into marriage. Although the practice was outlawed in 2013, bride…
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…
Crafts and Couture from Central Asia Festival
From October 10 to October 13, the George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies hosted the “Crafts and Couture from Central Asia” festival. The festival was organized…
Between Hope and Fear: Stories of Uyghur and Kazakh Muslim Minorities in the Xinjiang Province
An estimated one million people, mostly Muslim minorities, are being held in detention centers across the Xinjiang region in China.Common reasons for detention include studying Islam and praying or having…
How they met Tamara Khanum in London and the secret of Usto Olim Komilov’s turban
Tamara Khanum and her musicians, Credit: Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Cecil Sharp House, London, 1935 Author Rosa Vercoe is an independent dance researcher and blogger. She is based in St…
Translating Central Asian Literature: An Interview with Shelley Fairweather-Vega
Shelley Fairweather-Vega is a translator from Russian and Uzbek. She collaborates with authors, academics, and activists around the world and has worked on projects as varied as Russian poetry, Uzbek…
Humans of the Polygon: Travel Notes from the Land of Abai. Karaul, Znamenka (Kokentau), Sarzhal
“We are scared for the future of our kids.”A family in KaraulThe lake created in 1963 on the Polygon as a result of an explosion that used 20 tons of…
Kyrgyz Fashion: Combining Tradition and Innovation
An artisan must always be an innovator: choosing and experimenting with new materials, techniques, ornaments, and shapes—but a good artisan must cherish traditions as well.Kyrgyz craftsmen know how to make…
The Researcher and His/Her Fieldwork in Central Eurasia (photos)
In a world where the visual is becoming an integral part of knowledge, visuals can also express scholarly knowledge.As such, for the 2019 conference, the Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS)…
“Captain Ikat”: Textile Fantasies of Dilyara Kaipova
In the picture to the right, we see beautiful Central Asian fabrics with an abr (ikat) pattern that convey the mystical spirit of the Middle Ages, the atmosphere of the…
The Cruel Candor of Zhanna Isabaeva
Within a mere ten years, director Zhanna Isabaeva carved out a firm place for herself in modern Kazakhstani cinema. She has done so all on her own: neither the state…
Central Asian and Azerbaijani Contemporary Art Discussion at Asia House, UK
“Azerbaijani and Central Asian art have a lot to offer the world in terms of discovery,” – says Rose Issa, a renowned curator and writer who has helped to introduce Iranian…
Lost Sogdian Art in China
Little is known of the lives of Sogdians in China, even though the Chinese connections of Sogdian elites played an important political, economic, and cultural role in the lives of…
Dinmukhamed Kunaev’s House Museum
Dinmukhamed Kunaev was a leader of Soviet Kazakhstan. As the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan he was in office from 7 December 1964, to 16 December 1986.…