October 2019

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…

View Post

14 min

History

How they met Tamara Khanum in London and the secret of Usto Olim Komilov’s turban

October 22, 2019

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…

View Post

10 min

Books

Translating Central Asian Literature: An Interview with Shelley Fairweather-Vega

October 17, 2019

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…

View Post

6 min

Humans of the Polygon: Travel Notes from the Land of Abai. Karaul, Znamenka (Kokentau), Sarzhal

October 8, 2019

“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…

View Post

8 min

Culture

Kyrgyz Fashion: Combining Tradition and Innovation

October 2, 2019

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…