Russian for Wonks: Travel Documents, Infrastructure, and Lingo
Russian remains in wide use across the Eurasian space, although its role varies. Each country has its own language in wide and proud usage. However,…
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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…
Uzbekistan: A GeoHistory Study Guide
When the Silk Road passed through Uzbekistan, its cities grew to some of the world’s largest, most prosperous, and most learned. Many of the great…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
From the Silk Road to Chevron: The Geopolitics of Oil Pipelines in Central Asia
Kazakhstan has received much press recently as a result of the success of the comic film Borat. However, that movie got everything wrong in its depiction…
Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Alternatives: Between Scylla and Charybdis
Russia has often been accused recently of “energy blackmail,” using its large hydrocarbon reserves to gain political influence in countries which are dependent on energy…