Central Asia

Maya Ivanova examines how Manas remains a symbol of identity, unity and resilience in Kyrgyzstan, from schools and monuments to politics and national memory.

Maya Ivanova reviews “Echelon to Samarkand” Guzel Yakhina as a powerful novel that brings renewed attention to the Volga famine, a long-silenced catastrophe that devastated countless Tatar families.

Maya Ivanova explores how Gulrukhsor Safieva’s “Mirror of the Day” helped shape modern Tajik identity through language, memory, poetry and political courage.

Maya Ivanova examines how Dina Rubina’s "On the Sunny Side of the Street" preserves the memory of a vanished Tashkent, revealing a version of Uzbekistan that modernization has transformed but [...]

Known to some as the Switzerland of Central Asia, it should be clear from the start that mountains feature prominently in any scenic depiction of Kyrgyzstan.

Diego Benning Wang explains how Soviet Kazakhstan became a major institutional center of Uyghur language scholarship, showing that Uyghur intellectual heritage is deeply rooted in Kazakhstan [...]

Diego Benning Wang traces the music and contested legacy of Murat Nasyrov, the Uyghur pop icon whose mysterious death in 2007 continues to fuel speculation.

Maya Ivanova reviews "2000 Songs of Farida", a stunning depiction of 1920 Uzbekistan- a time of turmoil and transiton.

Maya Ivanova and Mathieu Lemoine explore Sadriddin Aini’s legacy amid Central Asia’s debates over memory, identity and the shared history of Bukhara.

Mathieu Lemoine explores how Uzbekistan’s World Cup debut could turn a sporting breakthrough into a wider moment of national pride, diaspora visibility and recognition for Central Asian football.