Family of Sites 
The Silk Road Railway: Will It Ever Happen?
In June 2022, the governments of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan announced that construction on the long-awaited Silk Road Railway will begin in early 2023. A…
Central Asia
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…
Climate Fest in Bishkek
On Friday, September 20, 2019, Climate Fest was held. Millions of people around the world gathered together in support of a cleaner environment. Along with…
4 Cities in Uzbekistan: One of the World’s Ancient Civilizations
Uzbekistan is a country that holds a very special place in my heart. I grew up in Uzbekistan but left due to political issues in…
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: Core and Periphery
Central Asia is, by its most common definition, those five “stans” that were formerly Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. However, this has…
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: Diversity and Division
Boasting breathtaking mountaintop views and an expansive outdoor bazaar, Osh is one of Central Asia’s major commercial centers and one of its oldest, most socio-culturally…
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…
National Library of Kyrgyzstan
The current building housing the National Library of Kyrgyzstan was built in 1984. It’s located at 208 Sovetskya, near the National Art Museum. It currently…
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: 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, it has been particularly associated…
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 evolving city with a rich history…
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: A Small Country with a Big Stick
Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked and poor, mountainous country in Central Asia, keeps an unassuming profile. It lacks the oil and gas wealth of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and…
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…