Fieldwork Archives - Voices On Cental Asia

The Mystery of Kyrk-Kyz: From 40 Women-Warriors to the Warriors of Light

January 16, 2020

A mysterious castle in Uzbekistan’s Surhandarya bears the name of Kyrk-Kyz, meaning “40 girls.” Was this a sanctuary of legendary women-warriors, or was it home to a group of Sufi…

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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…

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11 min

Trilingual Education in Kazakhstan: What to Expect

May 24, 2019

While the only existing studies consider trilingualism in Kazakhstan in general, this research aims to identify possible risks and prospects for the implementation of the program of trilingualism at regional…

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9 min

Fieldwork

26 Routes in 2 Years: The New Transport Map of Central Asia

March 28, 2019

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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13 min

Who Is “Tashkent City” For? Nation-Branding and Public Dialogue in Uzbekistan

June 7, 2018

“If they give me a proper place somewhere nearby, I will move. Otherwise, I will not go anywhere!” – Muhabbat Umarova, a woman in her 70s who is a resident…

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11 min

Building Secure Communities in a Post-Liberal Age: A View from Kyrgyzstan

April 25, 2018

How to build sustainable peace, forge livelihoods, and create a basis for development? These questions have been of central interest to scholars in the fields of development, peace and conflict…

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10 min

Morgan Liu: On “Uzbekness” and Social Justice

March 1, 2018

Morgan Y. Liu is a cultural anthropologist studying Muslims in the former Soviet Union, Islamic ideas of social justice, and the impact of oil extraction on Central Asian societies. He…

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13 min

“Azan on the Moon”: Anthropology of Infrastructure

February 25, 2018

Till Mostowlansky is intrigued by the anthropological study of routes, roads and pathways, and the anthropology of infrastructure more generally. This research interest frames his latest monograph, Azan on the Moon: Entangling…

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8 min

Iconic Places in Central Asia. The Moral Geography of Dams, Pastures and Holy Sites explained by Jeanne Féaux de la Croix

January 29, 2018

Interview Dr. Jeanne Féaux de la Croix Dr. Jeanne Féaux de la Croix is a social anthropologist at the University of Tübingen in Germany. She specializes in environmental issues and…

The Mystery of Kyrk-Kyz: From 40 Women-Warriors to the Warriors of Light

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

Trilingual Education in Kazakhstan: What to Expect

26 Routes in 2 Years: The New Transport Map of Central Asia

Who Is “Tashkent City” For? Nation-Branding and Public Dialogue in Uzbekistan

In case you missed it

The Cruel Candor of Zhanna Isabaeva

“Captain Ikat”: Textile Fantasies of Dilyara Kaipova

The Researcher and His/Her Fieldwork in Central Eurasia (photos)

Kyrgyz Fashion: Combining Tradition and Innovation

Building Secure Communities in a Post-Liberal Age: A View from Kyrgyzstan

Morgan Liu: On “Uzbekness” and Social Justice

“Azan on the Moon”: Anthropology of Infrastructure

Iconic Places in Central Asia. The Moral Geography of Dams, Pastures and Holy Sites explained by Jeanne Féaux de la Croix

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

Between Hope and Fear: Stories of Uyghur and Kazakh Muslim Minorities in the Xinjiang Province

Crafts and Couture from Central Asia Festival

Kazakh Graphic Illustrations of Evgeny Sidorkin

Deciphering the Saukele: The Traditional Headdress of Kazakh Brides