Family of Sites 
A Comparative Look at Coronavirus Responses in Eurasia
The global health crisis has changed life around the world, but in often very different ways in various places. Even countries located close to each…
Central Asia
The Present Is History: A Journey to Newly-Independent Kyrgyzstan
Eugene Huskey is one of America’s foremost experts on modern Kyrgyzstan. The following text recounts his first trip to Kyrgyzstan in June of 1992, just…
Central Asia
Central Asia: Core and Periphery Central Asia is, by its most common definition, those five “stans” that were formerly Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,…
Who’s Who in Kyrgyz Politics
This resource discusses many place names in Kyrgyzstan. Geography is important to Kyrgyz politics, which are marked by a distinct north-south split. In the north,…
Are Tensions Likely for the Russian Diaspora in Kyrgyzstan?
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the post –Soviet region has faced a number of challenges including widespread diasporas, fluid national identities,…
Osh & The Fergana Valley
Osh & The Fergana Valley: Diversity and Division Boasting breathtaking mountaintop views and an expansive outdoor bazaar, Osh is one of Central Asia’s major commercial…
Trends in Cultural Education in Kyrgyzstan
The formation of any new state is a fascinating time, let alone the creation of a modern state that possesses an ancient history and rich…
Kyrgyzstan Prepares to Join the Eurasian Economic Union, Amid Concerns and Questions about the Future
In the two decades since its independence from the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan has maintained close ties with Russia, on which it remains economically dependent, while…
De Jure and De Facto: An Examination of the “Friendship of the Peoples” Policy and the 1937 Koryo Saram[2] Deportation
Even though we have lived in harsh conditions we the community of Koryo Saram[3] have helped each other like brothers. We have provided each other…
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: A Rich, Desert Land Turkmenistan consists mostly of sparsely-inhabited desert, but has still found itself contested between civilizations throughout history. Over the past century,…
Bishkek: “A Place Below the Mountains”
Bishkek: “A Place Below the Mountains” Bishkek is capital of one of Central Asia’s poorest countries. However, it is also a modern, dynamic, and constantly…
Kazakhstan’s Capitals: Two Cities of History and Modern Business
I. Almaty – The Old Capital Almaty is a beautiful city perched among the mountains in Southern Kazakhstan. Its name comes from the Kazakh word “alma” which…
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: A Small Country with a Big Stick Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked and poor, mountainous country in Central Asia, keeps an unassuming profile. It lacks the…
4 Cities in Uzbekistan: One of the World’s Ancient Civilizations
4 Cities in Uzbekistan: One of the World’s Ancient Civilizations I. Bukhara Bukhara is estimated to be about 2300 years old. It was conquered by Alexander…
Responding to the Dual Threat to Kazakhness: The Rise of Alash Orda and its Uniquely Kazakh Path
In 1917, following the fall of the Russian empire, Alash Orda, a provisional Kazakh government formed by members of the Alash nationalist party, partially filled…
Nationalism as a Political Factor in Late-Soviet Kazakhstan
“Nationalism is a political principle which maintains that similarity of culture is the basic social bond.” – E. Gellner[1] “Казахстан в современных границах исторически был территорией…
Introduction to Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space
As the Soviet Union crumbled, it left behind ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse successor states. As these states tried to form domestic policies and governing…
Tradition, Stigma, and Inclusion: Overcoming Obstacles to Educational Access in Tajikistan
Learning to See Invisible Children: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Central Asia (Excerpt) Full book available in print and Kindle versions Firuza always knew that her son had…
Creating a Dam National Space: Rakhmon’s Socialist Realist Promotion of Roghun
What we have inherited is the nation state as conceptualised later on in the Soviet period. It is an ethnic nationalism centered on statehood, the…
A Sovereign Surge, Not a Soviet Resurgence: The Mutualism of Eurasian Reintegration
With the creation of the Eurasian Economic Community’s customs union (“Customs Union”) in 2010, total trade among Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan skyrocketed.[1] Emboldened by such…